About Atlantic Coastal Cruises
Your wellbeing is our top priority
Atlantic Coastal Cruises is a locally owned family-run business set up in 2019. Every aspect of our business has been designed around your safety. From ship embarkation to the routes taken at sea to weather contingency plans, the safety of our passengers is paramount in everything we do. All our staff are fully trained and our operations procedures follow the strictest safety guidelines in accordance with the Fishery Harbour Centres Act, 1968.
Our Boat
- The MV SLiabh Liag Allure is a class 2A marine vessel licensed to carry 96 passengers and crew.
- The vessel is constructed to the highest specifications in order to meet Irish Maritime law standards
- It is equipped with all modern navigation & communication systems, along with life jackets, life rafts, rescue boat & the full range of safety equipment
Our Crew
- The captain and crew are all trained to the highest level of marine safety, and operate a safety management system
- Every crew member is:
- First Aid trained
- Harbour Safety trained
- Marine Safety trained
- Safety Management trained
Your Safety
- Your safety on ond off the boat is our top priority
- We operate from the breakwater on the Small Craft Harbour
- The safest for passengers in Killybegs Harbour
- We count everybody on and off the vessel
- Boarding and disembarkation takes place under the supervision of two trained crew members
- Please follow their instructions at all times
Our Inspiration - John Gallagher
John Gallagher was born to a seaside house in Carrickfinn, County Donegal on 30 June 1948. He was the third born in a family of 12, so had to become very independent very quickly. The sea was always going to be his desired career path & after fishing in Carrickfin up to the age of 16, John started on his first trawler, Meta Bruce with Frank McCallig in 1964. This then led onto fishing with Frank’s brother Johnny on the Angelique where in conjunction with his deck duties, John also became the engineer...
John Gallagher RIP, Gentleman of the Sea, lead by inspiration
Early Career
In the early 70s, John purchased his first vessel along with some of his brothers, the Pride of Ulster. This was the first vessel he was to skipper. The Pride of Ulster mainly fished for Salmon from Donegal right down to Mayo.
Image © 'The Irish Skipper,' December 2005 edition
Home to Killybegs
Again, John was to return to Killybegs in the mid 70s with his next vessel, Oilean Glas which was a larger vessel & fished mainly for whitefish. This boat was fished very successfully & very hard up to the end of the 80s, where his next venture was to come to light.
Pelagic Trawling
The 90ft, steel pelagic vessel, Golden Rose was designed & built from new, initially in Holland & then completed in Cobh, County Cork & launched in 1980.
The Golden Rose was a pair trawler & at this time, John Oglesby, the owner skipper of The Neptune, built an identical sister vessel so the two gentlemen could pair trawler together.
This was the start of the pelagic fishing in Ireland & the “two Johns” were some of the pioneers of bringing the fishery successfully to Irish waters & soon afterwards, the world was to follow.
Image © John Baird
Tragedy and coming ashore
In the early 80s, the pelagic fishery was in its infancy, this was a tough time for these fishermen until they mastered the art. The Golden Rose & the Neptune were lengthened by 30ft in 1986 & again another 6ft on the stern thereafter for additional fuel storage.
John Oglesby was killed in a terrible accident on board the Neptune on 12 February 1988, which greatly effected both crews & the entire fishing community at the time. This accident lead onto bringing a rescue air service to the area.
John continued to skipper the Golden Rose until 1999 when the business was sold & he came ashore to become production manager in Gundry’s Net Factory & afterwards worked in production in Swan Nets after the two companies amalgamated.
Sailing for Pleasure
For the summers, John bought another boat, this time purely for pleasure, & this is where he liked to spend all his free time on the Shannon until unfortunately falling ill.
After John’s death on 22 December 2018, Atlantic Coastal Cruises was launched the following Summer of 2019.
Atlantic Coastal Cruises
We would like to think our business was inspired out of John’s love for the sea & looks to continue the family association for many years to come.
John Gallagher, Gentleman of the Sea, Lead by Inspiration. RIP.
