Who We Are

The Oliver Family

Galway Bay Tours is a family run business, operating boat tours and fishing trips around Claddagh and Galway Bay since April 2012.

Our love for the sea comes from generations of family sailing and fishing, with roots going back over 100 years to the fishing village of Claddagh. Our great grand uncle, Máirtín Oliver, was King of the Claddagh in the 1950s and 60s, and owner of Truelight, the last original Galway Hooker to sail the Claddagh.

Whether it is making a living as fishermen or boating for fun, our families have spent more time on water than on land. With so much to see and do on the water, we can open a whole new world to you. Our wealth of local knowledge is first-hand – it is the passion we bring to our tours that makes each one unique!

We are all commercially endorsed Skippers and have built up an extensive knowledge of maritime heritage over our years on the sea.

Our family still fishes commercially for lobsters, crabs, and other shellfish in the bay; if you are looking for an adventure on the seas, check out our popular fishing trips.

With Galway Hooker sailing in our blood, we are passionate about the revival of these traditional sailing boats, back to the waters of Claddagh and the Port of Galway.

We share Galway Bay with the Galway Hooker and often see them sailing as we tour. As part of our tours options, you can visit the Galway Hooker Workshop and possibly catch the master boat-builders as they work.

Popular with tourists and locals, our boat tours cater for families, individuals and groups.

They range from the 1 hour boat trip around Claddagh, Spanish Arch, The Long Walk and the Port of Galway, to a more extended trip to allow for fishing (lobster or mackerel) on Galway Bay.

Or why not enjoy a picnic while admiring the view of Salthill and Blackrock from the sea.

To say the sea is in our blood is the best way to describe our love of Galway Bay.

The Oliver Family Photo