Why does Galway have no passenger ship?

pepe00

It would be popular in the summer, to go out into the bay, even see the Cliffs of Moher

but there is no ship unfortunately:mad:

snubbleste

Who said it would be popular?
Galway used to have passenger ships.

Robbo

There are passenger vessels available for charter from Galway. Seek and ye shall find.

pepe00

Robbo wrote: »

There are passenger vessels available for charter from Galway. Seek and ye shall find.

Charter is different thing than just buy a ticket and go into the sea.

There should be some regular , let say saturday and sunday cruises in the summer time. To the cliffs or around aran islands. I'd love to go like that:rolleyes:

jamesdiver

Its too far from the cliffs of moher to go from Galway, it would cost a fair bit on fuel. Theres a few tours from Doolin as far as I know.

On another note, remember the fella who wanted to put a submarine in the bay in the 90's!

Mrs OBumble

Corrib Princess does cruises up the river in summer. I'm sure others have tried ticketed sailings from Galway harbour in the past, eg to the Aran Ialands, but no one has been able to make it work long term.

Storm 10

Yes it would be nice to cruise in the Bay, in the olden days the Liner Ferry Galway Bay as well as doing the Aran Islands it used to do cruises around the Bay in the evening out to the Cliffs and around Galway Bay, they also done "Bop on the Bay" in Summertime which left the docks at around 9pm cruised around the Bay and had a disco on board with full bar, it used to come back to the docks around 1-30 in the morning. I had many a good night on that disco cruise. It was lovely and comfy inside with two deck levels had the bar and a very long open wooden deck ideal for the outside disco.

Pictures of the Galway Bay here: http://www.galwayships.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9&page=2

I am sure if some company took it on and the weather was good it would be a lovely attraction on the Bay

biko

It would be nice yeah. What other places in Ireland has these ships you speak of OP?

Diabhal Beag

It needs a gimmick really to get such a viable interest for the long term. If more dolphins were about it'd be popular but alas those bastards are rarely visible in the bay.

JupiterKid

Wasn't there a boat service crossing Galway Bay connecting the city with Ballyvaughan in the Burren?

Storm 10

JupiterKid wrote: »

Wasn't there a boat service crossing Galway Bay connecting the city with Ballyvaughan in the Burren?

that ran for two days during the Volvo Race last year, dont know if it will return. Another favourite was Dolans boats that operated from the pier opposite the Galway Bay hotel in the summer months, they ran trips around the lighthouse and the Bay and when the Holland American liners were anchored off Salthill they ran trips around them, sad to see so little boating activity in Galway Bay today

Sponge Bob

I think Insurers still remember the Redbank disaster in 1969 when 9 people drowned on a cruise in Galway Bay ( on the Galway / Clare border).

Storm 10

Sponge Bob wrote: »

I think Insurers still remember the Redbank disaster in 1969 when 9 people drowned on a cruise in Galway Bay ( on the Galway / Clare border).

Yes that was sad however that was a new fishing boat and was not designed for passengers. There were too many people on board that caused that tragedy

nuac

I remember the Holland American line ship the Maasdam coming into Galway BAY. It looked huge.

I think the Naomh Éanna was the tender

olcod

Claim rights to this :D:D

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056887339

Storm 10

nuac wrote: »

I remember the Holland American line ship the Maasdam coming into Galway BAY. It looked huge.

I think the Naomh Éanna was the tender

Yes Naomh Eanna was the tender at the start but she was top heavy and proved to be unsuitable as she rolled a lot alongside the liner, Holland American purchased the tug Calshot in Southampton and re-named her Galway Bay and created a new company in Galway to operate her it was called Port and Liner Service, when the liners were in the Bay you could purchase a ticket at the docks to visit for a few hours and come back on the last tender, I visited the Maasdam going out on the Galway Bay and that was very exciting.

You would not be allowed to go on a liner today with all the security

Info on the bottom of this page on Galway bay/Calshot also pictures of Maadsdam and Ryndam

http://www.galwayships.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9&page=2

nuac

Thanks storm10. Remember being on Maasdam for a while seeing off my parents who were going on a trip to France. Impressive. Literally a floating hotel

galwaycyclist

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

It needs a gimmick really to get such a viable interest for the long term. If more dolphins were about it'd be popular but alas those bastards are rarely visible in the bay.

I think Galway had its own version of Dingle's "Fungi the dolphin" in the 1950s or 1960s. If I have the story right somebody on the city council, or the " corporation" as it would have been, decided that it was a danger to the public and had it shot.