My first season of herring fishing 1983

I’d imagine that for as long as humans have lived in the harbour of Waterford, men and women have gone to fish.  Perhaps one of the most common and dependable species was the Herring.  My first experience of the fishery was as a boy washing fish boxes and...

Enduring “Mal de Mer”

We were based in Dunmore in the winter of 1983 for the Herring fishing but we returned home in the Reaper for Christmas, and along with all the other half-decker’s, manoeuvred inside Cheekpoint quay, where they could be moored without any concern for their safety....

On Cran, Joulters and Luggers

Over the last few weeks I’ve looked back on the Herring Driftnet Fishery of Waterford Harbour and this week I wanted to bring the practical side of it to a close with a look at the selling of fish. That first year of fishing herring, we had a market in Dunmore...