JULY 2006

A Fisherman's Tale

Inishowen Community Radio, 105 and 107.6 are set to bring listeners another local interest feature in the weeks ahead. Trudy McLaughlin has produced an entertaining and informative documentary series, consisting of six 30-minute documentaries, on the fishing industry in north-west Ireland. The series captures the true life of the Inishowen fisherman and history of the industry, particularly around Greencastle Harbour and the National Fisheries College over the past 50 years to the present time. The fishing industry is now in decline after decades of being immensely prosperous.

Each documentary features interviews with various people who were involved, and continue to be involved, with fishing in Inishowen, capturing the riveting memories of a once thriving maritime community totally dependent on the sea but which has had to adapt and change their traditional fishing ways over the years in order to survive these troubling times. There will be interviews with skippers, owners, deckhands, and those who work on shore to support the fishing industry. The series includes footage recorded out at sea, in harbour, and ashore, giving the listener an insight into what can often be a precarious existence on the Atlantic.

A memorial to those local men lost at sea has been built on the village green and this series features some of those stories. Being lost at sea is an ever present danger to all fishermen and Inishowen has suffered its share of disasters over the years. Fishermen's families also feature in the series, and how they deal with a way of life involving the regular absence of the fishermen for long, and getting longer, periods.

The National Fisheries College is situated in Greencastle and many fishermen from all over the country and even further afield have studied for their different qualifications there. Trudy talks to College staff and some of the current students, as well as those who studied there in the past - both those who have continued to fish and those who have come ashore. Before the College was opened local men studied for their Skippers Ticket in the loft of a local man's barn, this is one amongst a host of anecdotes which the series features.

The first documentary will be aired on ICT FM on Monday 17th July 2006 at 4pm. This show will then be repeated at 10am on Saturday 22nd July and 12 noon on Sunday the 23rd July.

The remaining five documentaries will air each Monday thereafter at 4pm and will be repeated at 10am the following Saturday and 12 noon the following Sunday.

The documentary series was produced and presented by Trudy McLaughlin, edited by Brian McGowan and made with the assistance of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.

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