And so it begins.. Lon Dubh is now tucked up for the winter 🖤

Not an easy job on a cold morning, our dedicated crew were up at dawn for derigging. The day started with a tow from the redbay from Claddagh Quay to the Lay-by. Crew then started to derig and lowered the mast. Once out of the water and cleaned she was towed to a storage unit for winter maintenance.

The Blackbird (An Lon Dubh) was built as a 22' "row boat" (bád iomartha) around 1900 by Patrick Griffin (Peaitín Phatch Ó Gríofa) in Lettermore, Co. Galway. The boat was built for the Conneelys of Tuairín, Béal an Daingin.

Patrick Griffin (Peaitín Phatch Ó Gríofa) is a grand uncle of Antaine Phat Willie Ó Gríofa, whose family now own and sail the Naomh Ina - a 28' Gleoiteóg Mór built by Michael Staff Mac Donnacha in 2019.

In the late 1990s, the Blackbird was owned for a short time by Patrick Connolly (Patrick 'Fóidín' Ó Conaola). During this time the boat was repaired by Colm Walsh (Colm Mhichael Labhráis Bhreathnaigh), the same man who rebuilt another of our club boats, the Lovely Anne, around the same time.

Shortly after the repairs were complete, Patrick Connolly sold the boat to Finn McMullan, an architect from Ballindereen, Co. Galway. Finn named the boat the Blackbird, and she has spent the following number of years based in Kinvara alongside another one of our now club boats, the Asurnaí.

The Blackbird was not rigged when Finn bought her. He tasked the Hernon family with completing a new set of spars for the boat. After the spars were complete, the Hernons set about recutting an old set of sails from the Nóra Bheag to suit the Blackbird.

In 2018, Finn sold the Blackbird to Séamus McHugh. Séamus adjusted the name of the boat to 'An Lon Dubh' which is the Irish for Blackbird. Around this time, some planking and repairwork was carried out on the boat by Ben Gabriel, a furnitkure maker based in Gort, Co. Galway. Séamus also had a new set of Hyde sails cut for the boat, along with a new mast which was made in Canada.

Earlier this year, McHugh Property Holdings kindly sponsored 'An Lon Dubh' and offered her to Galway Hooker Sailing Club for sail training and club use.