Galway Hooker Brewery
The beer that taught Galway pubs to say pale ale is brewed in Oranmore. Two cousins, Aidan Murphy and Ronan Brennan, founded Galway Hooker in 2006 and let an online vote name both the brewery and its first beer after the boat. Their Irish Pale Ale, a term they coined, is like an American pale ale with the caramel note of an Irish red, and it is on draught in pubs from Galway to Dublin, Cork and Roscommon.
Checked against the source on 2026-09-19.
KevinSchnippkoweit, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Galway Hooker Brewery, Oranmore Castle on the 3D model; tap a pin for its page and directions.
The beer
Galway Hooker Irish Pale Ale is brewed in 650-litre batches, mainly from pearl and crystal malt with Saaz and Cascade hops, to 35 IBU and 4.3 per cent alcohol; the brewers compare it to Sierra Nevada's pale ale with added caramel. Bottles came in 2014 with an Irish Stout, an Amber Lager and Sixty Knots IPA at 6.5 per cent, sold through independent off-licences.
Roscommon to Oranmore
The company first brewed on the site of the defunct Emerald Brewery outside Roscommon town, buying its building and kit. In May 2014 it moved into a new brewery in Oranmore. It is a member of the Independent Craft Brewers of Ireland and of Beoir, the consumer group, and turns up at the Irish Craft Beer and Cider Festival in the RDS. The pubs of Oranmore are on the model, and the Galway hooker guide explains the boat on the label.
Questions people ask
Where is Galway Hooker beer brewed?
What is Irish Pale Ale?
Written from Wikipedia, "Galway Hooker (brewery)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-09-19, and from the OpenStreetMap places on the model. Nothing has been added from memory; follow the source for its footnotes.