Ballyshannon
fishtrad
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Ballyshannon's Proud Fishing Tradition
    by Billy Finn, assisted by Michael Donagher and Alan Kane
  as published in the DONEGAL ANNUAL 2000
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Happily situated where the Erne meets the Atlantic, Ballyshannon and its surrounding hinterland has an ancient tradition of fishing.  The Book of Invasions oft quoted claim that the Parthalonians were the earliest settlers in Ireland may belong to the stuff of myth and legend, yet undoubtedly the combination of sea, river, salmon leap, forest and safe island (Inish Saimer/Fish island) must have tempted many an adventurous explorer in those misty, prehistoric days.
The Cistercian monks arrived from Boyle in 1184 to establish Abbey Assaroe and they soon availed of the bounteous fishing harvest in the area.  The Abbott of Assaroe had possession of two sites where loopfishing could be used to take salmon.  He also had the right to have two fishermen take salmon from the River Erne and was entitled to the second draught of all fishing at Assaroe when the season began.  They fished outside the bar for sea bream, mullet, hake, whiting, halibut, herring, mackerel etc.
The Cistercians were also great fishers of eel and they owned 12 eel weirs on the Erne.  Recent eel weirs existed at Corry MeGinty (quarter of a mile from Ballyshannon Bridge on the Belleek side), Corry O'Donnell, Corrymonagh, Corrybane (near Corlea), Carrinaleekie, and Druminillar near Belleek.  Eels were held in high esteem in the middle ages and records show that as much as 10 tons of eel were taken in a single night.
At Foxes Point, on the estuary, there are the remains of a fish garth, probably dating back to Cistercian times.  This consisted of an area surrounded by walls were fish were processed and cured.  A trap existed here, of dry stone walls and salmon coming upstream swam over the first wall but could not swim over the next one.  When the tide receeded, the salmon were trapped.
An interesting theory for the surprising amount of fish taken by the Cistercian monks was that they may have acted for their patrons and overlords, the O'Donnell chieftains.  Sir George Carew observed in the 16th century that �
O'Donnell is the best lord of fishe in Ireland, and exchangeth fish always with foreign merchants for wynes, by which his call in other countryes the kinge of fishe.� John De Courcey Ireland included Assaroe (without urban development) in a map of. the main fishing ports in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in Ireland.  The only other Donegal entries are Killybegs, and Aran.
When Henry Folliot became Baron of Ballyshannon after the O'Donnell era in January 1619, the lands became his as did the fishing rights of salmon and eel.  After the Folliots, the Connolly's gained possession of the valuable fishing rights in 1718.  Amongst those who worked them were Mr. Major, Mr. Daniel, Thomas Conolly, Messrs.  Richardson and Little, Lady Louisa Conolly, Mr. Edmonds, Dr. Simon Sheil and his son Simon Sheil Esq.  M.D. who held them until they were sold to Messrs.  Moore and Alexander in 1869.
Before railway and steamers, most of the salmon were salted and cured before being exported to England and the Mediterranean.
Salt pans existed in the Portnason / Miltown area and sea water was evaporated here to leave the salt which was necessary for the preserving of the fish.
When ice-packing was introduced, they were shipped in smacks to England, often in two days.  The local ice house existed under Jack Grimes present house.  The eels were transported in well boats, a kind of lighter, containing large tanks or wells, for the preservation of the eels.
Hugh Allingham recorded that the annual average weight of salmon taken from 1823 to 1829 was about 60 tons.  As many as 2000 were taken in a single day, and 400 in a single haul.  The average weight per salmon was 9 lb.  But many heavier fish were caught.
With such a lucrative harvest available from Saimer to the Atlantic, it was inevitable that friction would occur.
James Hector, a Scot, was invited to Ballyshannon by Rev.  Tredennick, rector of Kilbarron to fish for salmon with bag nets outside the limit of the Erne estuary.  Bag nets and stake nets from Scotland were different to the estuary nets because they needed only 2 men to fish them and they were fixed in place.
In 1837, John B. Sheil, on behalf of the Sheil family who leased the Erne fisheries, objected to this form of fishing and many meetings were held to protest.  Attacks were made on Hector's nets and boats with some of the protesters coming from as far as Mullaghmore, Bundoran and Tullaghan.  His cattle were maimed and his home and belongings were damaged.  Although Sheil objected to Hector's methods, fearing that the bag nets would damage the Erne fisheries, he did ask for the violent attacks to stop.  Some of the fishermen from Kildoney worked for Hector and supported him and police were called to protect him.  A Fisheries Act of 1842 transferred the right of fishing to private property and legalised bag nets.
Despite all the controversy, the salmon number remained high and in 1844 Alicia and Mary Anne Sheil were told by Tom Lipsett �
that in one day, there never had been so many salmon caught in this river and he is worked about it for more than fifty years.� As stated, the Erne Fisheries were purchased in 1869 by a syndicate headed by R.K.L. Moore of Moleman, Lough Derg.  They were managed by the Swan family and the Derry Company.  Many locals were employed to help run the lucrative business.  Bob Scanlon, Mick McGonigle, John Mclntyre, John Drum, Paddy Daly, Paddy McBride and John Grimes were some of the employees with Swan and the Derry Company and well known waterkeepers were Eddie Byme, Willie Diver, Michael Mulhem, Bobby McGarrigle and James Daly of the Rock.  The salmon 'boxes' over the falls containing large catches were emptied regularly for the Erne Fishery Company and the buildings at Mulligans warehouses were used to cure and store the fish.
Naturally, the fishermen of the estuary looked on enviously, especially the Kildoney men.  Thoughts turned to action in 1925 when a young talented lawyer Francis Gallagher decided to try the case on behalf of the locals.  A chosen crew of local fishermen sailed into the controversial waters between the waterfall and the Bar.  They were rammed by the patrol boat and arrested by the bailiffs.  The men who rowed into history were Willie Goan, Michael Mulhertaigh, Hugh Gavigan, John Cleary, William Philips and William Morrow.  John Gavigan was ill and Hugh took his place.
The Erne Fishery Company argued that they had the rights to a several fishery from the Falls to the Bar which existed before 1 1 89 (the date of legal memory).
The Kildoney Fishermen however insisted that English law did not extend to Donegal until the late 16th century.  They quoted Magna Carta (1215) which stated clearly that a several fishery had to be put 'in defence' prior to the death of Henry II.
A fund raising committee was set up and concerts, dances, turkey raffles and card draws were held to pay for the costs.  Support came from Sligo and many other fishing areas.  The Attorney General backed the local effort and after many successes and reversals, on the 31st July, 1933 the Supreme Court held in favour of the local fishermen, agreeing that there was no further evidence that a several fishery existed on the Erne before 1189.
The Erne estuary was now open to local fishermen, who came from as far as Inver and St. Johns Point for the salmon season.  Danny Coughlin of Kildoney recalled part of an old poem which commemorated the victory of the Kildoney men over the Erne Fishery Company.  Only a few lines remain.
Oh, Mr Johnny Swan, I'm a very sorry man that caught ye Kildoney lads at all,
Sure, of course, ye never thought that the case it would be fought,
But now, we're in a muddle one and all,
Said the lawyer Mr Reid, 'T'was Walsh that sowed the seed
And bitter fruit from that began to grow ...

Hopefully, we will find the missing lines some day to complete the poem!!
A famous channel crew in the 1930's were nicknamed 'The Cubs' and included Wille and Joe Morrow, Andy and Tommy Keon and James Gavigan.  Estuary crews were usually five in number.  A well known fishing family from the Abbey were the Grimes's and regulars on their boat, the Ave Maria included Willie, Jimmy, Vincent, Packie, Danny and Freddie Grimes and, in more recent times, Billy and Seamus.
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