In Galway’s West End, family has always been at the heart of two of the city’s best-known names in seafood: Hooked restaurant and Ali’s Fish Market. The late Ali Jalilvand was the captain at the helm, supplying fresh fish through his market while working alongside his daughter, Nuisin, to build the popular restaurant Hooked.
Since his passing, the businesses remain firmly in family hands. Hooked is now under Nuisin’s stewardship, while Ali’s Fish Market has been entrusted to his wife Siobhan, a role she never imagined, but one she has embraced with strength. What began as Ali’s vision has become a wider family endeavour. Cousin Hannah manages digital media from France, cousin Ruairí relocated from Dublin to work in the fish factory, and Nuisin’s sister Farah continues her role as a steady advisor and voice of balance.
“Dad was the captain of our ship,” Nuisin says. “We’re lost without him, but he gave us the courage to keep going. Now it’s our turn to steer.”
Family has proven to be the anchor in stormy seas, not only blood relatives, but also the staff who stood by Ali and Nuisin through thick and thin. “We’ve always considered our crew an extension of our family,” she explains. “Their loyalty and support have carried us more than they’ll ever know.”
Looking ahead, Nuisin sums it up simply: “All I want is to honour him, to keep raising the bar, protect the quality he built his name on, and carry forward his legacy in everything I do.”
