The Civic Trust was given permission by the local FÁS office to allocate a Community Employment Scheme to undertake a major restoration of the Fishery Tower.

In advance of our CE crew beginning work, a Conservation Architect, Ms. Gerry McManus, was employed to assess the condition of the building and to advocate a course of action to be followed to conserve and restore the building in line with best practice conservation techniques. Ms. McManus' report formed the basis of our conservation plan for the building.

It was felt that in order to remain viable following the restoration work, the building needed to have a purpose, and the Civic Trust decided to develop the building as a Fishery Museum, telling the story of the Galway Fishery from its earliest days (c.1283) right up to the present. A two-phase programme was initiated. Phase 1 involved the conservation and restoration of the existing structure, including repairs to the roof, removal of the interior and exterior plasterwork and replastering same, damp-proofing of the building, preservative treatment of all timbers, replacement of the staircase, the replacement or repair (where appropriate) of all of the sash windows, the replacement of the front and rear doors, rewiring of the building, installation of new interior panelling, redecoration of the entire building (inside and out), landscaping work at the front and rear of the Tower, and major refurbishment work on the access bridge.
Work on Phase 1 began in November 1997, and finished in February 1999. Phase two of the project - the building's fit-out as a Fishery Museum - began in March 1999 and was completed in July 1999. The Fishery Tower Museum was officially opened by Eamon Ó Cuiv T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage Gaeltacht and the Islands, on 21st July, 1999.