Ballyshannon
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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
CLICK HERE to transfer to the Donegal Historical Society Website at
                                 www.donegalhistory.com
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From Bundoran, the Daly's were keen fishermen and Owen, Francie, Willie and Johnny skippered crews on the channel.  Pat Duffy was another Bundoran skipper with Sean Meehan and Andy Carty on board.
Benny Lyons, who ran a fish shop in College Street in the 1950's, had two boats on the channel.  Jimmy Daly, Donegal Road,and Willie 'Popeye'Murphy were part of one crew while the other crew was skippered by Michael Doherty.  Other 'Lyons' men were James Gallinagh (Slate Row), Packie Gallagher, Jackie Gallagher (Erne Street), and 'Red'Paddy Mclntyre.
Anthony O'Malley Daly, the angling author, Hugh John Patton and Joe 'Bucky' McCafferty fished off Bunatroohan pier years ago while Willie McNeely's crew included Denis Ward, and Pat Ward.

Fishing men from Inver came across to fish the channel and they stayed in Bishop Street.  Names that spring to mind include Toland, Gallagher, Rose, Scanlon and McHugh.  The Gallaghers, Red Jack and Bob, fished extensively with Andy Keon, P.J. Reilly, Seamus Donagher and Michael Donaghen

Paddy Kelly of West Rock recalled that there were sometimes 35 boats on the estuary and it was often a fortnight before you got your chance at the front.  John Sheerin and Kevin Devaney were prominent channel fishermen and Paddy Kelly fished with them as did old Darby McGroarty.  Another name from that era was Paddy 'Squaw' Loughlin.  The Gavigans of the Abbey lands also fished the channel and Willie and his own boat with Dick Hoey.  Alan Kane fished with his father Seamus, Pat Murray, Seamus Kane and Tommy 'Harbourmaster' O'Brien.

Many of the estuary fishermen also fished at sea, mainly for lobsters, salmon, herring, wrasse, pollock, mackerel, ling etc.  The Kildoney/Creevy fishing community included names like Morrow, Duncan, Daly, McCafferty, Gavigan, MeNeely, MePhelim, Barron, Reynolds, Coughlin, McCartney, Doogan, Ward, Patton and Gillespie.  Charlie and John Gillespie of Sheegus recorded big.catches in the sixties.

Tommy and Fred Daly of Kildoney rated 1968 an excellent year on the channel.  Tommy started fishing in 1947 and recalled that his crew caught 70 salmon the day he bought his first boat.  Tommy always gives the first salmon of the year to the Franciscans Friars in Rossnowlagh.  Like many of the other estuary fishermen., he feels that the building of the power station on the Erne in the late forties had a long term detrimental effect on the fishing as have the large ships 'outside' with their miles of monofilament net.  Pollution, slurry and sileage spills are also a factor Tommy remembered great fishermen like Paddy, John, Jimmy and Michael Daly.  James Daly, an ancestor of Tommy and Fred's, was a pilot in the harbour as was William Morrow, Joe's father

Danny Coughlin, also of Kildoney, recalled the fishing in 1944, mainly on the channel, when the standard 18 foot punt was used.  He fished with Willie and Michael MeNeely and Pat Doherty.  Lobsters were numerous 'outside' in those days and Danny recalled taking 53 lobsters out of 30 pots on one occasion.
Danny and Tommy Coughlin spoke about a 'buckshee' priest who went around the fishing villages 'blessing' boats and crew, for a small fee!  Apparently, the St. John's Pointmen swore by him!  Also, good luck would always follow if a women threw a tongs after the fishermen.  However, if a fisherman met a red haired woman on his way to the boat, it was time to turn back!
Malachy Daly of Mldoney, who survived the rail crash of 1949 near Donegal Town, and Tommy Coughlin collected large bag loads of winkles which are enjoyed by the French and Gertnans.  Tom recalled the slat mara or sea rods which were burnt to make help while mussels are gathered all along the shore by lovers of shellfish such as Patsy Lally.
Carrigeen Moss was also collected on the shore rocks for medicinal purposes while the seaweed or shore wrack was used as manure and highly treasured in the old days.
Other fishing names from the days of yore, a few still fishing include Red John McCafferty, Pat McNeely, P.J. Patton, John 'Mag'Patton (both of Tonragee), Alee Reynolds, Eddie Donagher, Paddy Donagher, Gerry Coughlin, Pat Tunny, James Gillespie, Alec Duncan, Michael Doherty, 'Badger' Goan, John McCarthy, Jimmy Rogan, 'Goppers' Goan, Seamus 'Monk' Sweeny, John McIntyre, Thomas, Daniel and Sean Fox of Legaltion, Seamus Gormon, Matt Corbett, Michael McCafferty and Frank McNeely.
Nowadays, fishing licences on the estuary only extend from the North Limit to Gibby Point on the northern shore and from the South limit to the Black Point on the southern shore.  The place names all along the estuary are known off by heart by the fishermen and warrant a study all on their own.  Some of the titles include Gibby, Buile Thomas, Una Stone, Gillespies Foul, Sams Dich, Foot of the Road, the Bog, Roberts Hole, Daniels Dull, Monks Garden, Randy, Skinna, Nelly Rock, Goban Hole, Goochers Bank and the Hospital!!  Gaelic surrounding place names are Carraig Davy, Buille Bawns, Pulliebwee, Carraigeisce, Turcheen, Sruhan, Garbh Rock, Carrickaronia, Carraig abhaile and Port na Mara.
1968 appears to have been the finest year for memorable salmon shots in living memory.  Michael Donagher was part of a crew which took 16 score salmon.  Red Jack Gallagher, Bob Gallagher, Andy Keon, P.J. Reilly, Seamus Donagher were also there and Robbie McShea took a picture of the catch at the Mall.
Michael Donagher has happy memories of '68 and a catch of 110 salmon in a boat he fished with Francie Doherty, 'Happy' Harry Coughlin and Darby McGroarty.
Nets in the old days were 'balls of cotton' or hemp, and were soaked in cattecue to preserve them.  The fishing folk of the estuary knitted their own nets and this could take up an entire winter.
Danny Coughlin saw a shot of 14 score salmon and Tom Coughlin remembers a boat full of fish, so many that you could barely move about!
The Grimes family boat, the Ave Maria, towed an area called the Bog to no avail one day.  Seamus Grimes heard his father Jimmy and his uncle Willie discussing a number of coloured bubbles on the surface of the water.  They felt sure that this indicated the presence of salmon.  It seemed a bit far fetched and fishermen Pat Duffy and Dick Hoey were doubtful, but after shooting the net, they hauled in 98 fish!!
A record 531b. salmon was caught in the Estuary at Pulliebwee on May 5th, 1953 on a spring tide by crew Jimmy Sweeney and Danny, Willie and Freddie Grimes.  The fish was asleep when caught and sold in a special box to Billingsgate Street Market, London.
The demand for estuary fish was so intense that fish auctions took place down the Abbey at the Foot of the Road.  Frank Magee, Mary Gibbons (P.J. Reilly's mother), Sweeneys from Inver, Byrnes from Dunkineely, Eddie Boyle and various Killybegs fish merchants could come to buy the salmon.  Benny Lyons, Frank Dorrian and Bob Stephenson also sold fish in the town and Hugh John Patton recalled that the business people were very good to the fishing families in the old days, accepting credit until the fishing folk had enough money later in the season to pay the bills.
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