An Tostal Salthill Festival - Galway, IE

Traditional Irish Boat Festival in Galway

If you’re looking for something to do in early May, why not take up a spot on the Salthill Promenade to watch the wonderful sight of dozens of racing currachs as they take to the water for the An Tóstal Salthill Festival. Following a very successful anniversary event last year, the An Tóstal Salthill returns on May 11th and 12th, and promises to be better than ever.

All about An Tóstal

A celebration of Galway’s maritime traditions
When the event returns in 2025, the traditional racing currachs and rowers will gather at Ladies Beach in Salthill. The foundation for this gathering was laid out in the early 1950s, and Tóstal na Gaillimhe of 1953 marked the beginning of the All-Ireland Currach Racing Championships. Dignitaries and thousands of spectators gathered to witness the rowers compete for championship titles and glory.

The event features male, female, and junior traditional currach racing rowers alongside sliding seat rowers. The currachaí will be provided by Cóiste Lár na gCurrachaí for the duration of the festival and we are delighted to have the support of the previous festival director of 2011-2013, who is working closely with us to ensure the success of An Tóstal 2025.

The event is a revival of a national celebration of maritime life and customs that was initiated in 1953 by Bord Fáilte and continued till 1959. An Tóstal was revived in 2011 after a long wait of 57 years, and the winning crew of 1955 officiated at the opening ceremony before races began. In 2012, new trophies were presented for the senior men’s race and junior category, and racing continued with different crews winning in each category. The weather conditions were perfect for racing, with boats of different sizes out on the water.

https://www.galwaytourism.ie/event/an-tostal-salthill-sea-festival/