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The Abbey Fishermen - A Short History of the Snap Net Fishermen of the Abbey area of Limerick. The author
William Lysaght tells the history of the Abbeymen who found themselves deprived of a livelihood with the installation of the
hydro-electric scheme at Ardnacrusha in the late 1920's.
The book
was first published in 1964 by the Treaty Press 6/9 Georges Quay, Limerick. Second Printing 1999 by Shamrock Stamps, Gerald Griffin Street. Limerick.
In a bungalow at the end of the Mill Road, Corbally, directley across from
St. Thomas's Island, there William (Nay) Lysaght (1918-1992) lived the greater part of his life. Being familiar with many
of the old Abbey fishermen, who liked to visit the scenes of their former labours, he often went boating with them in the
brocaun. Besides, his uncle, Arthur Lysaght who used to have a hut nearby was a veritable encyclopedia on the Abbey fishermen,
and Nay listened attentitively to him. thus he became an expert on these fishermen, and what is more, all this information
which he gathered over the years, he wrote down. He also made a very realistic and accurate model of the fishermen as they
fished with their net "down". In its glass surround it is worth seeing, as it illustrates in a way no description can, their
method of catching the elusive salmon. It is on display in a Museum room attached to St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Athlundard
Street.
| ABBEY FISHERMEN IN THEIR BROCAUNS |
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| PHOTO TAKEN AT DOONALAUN NEAR ST. THOMAS'S ISLAND |
This photograph according to William Lysaght's knowledge is the only extant
photograph of a pair of brocauns with the net spread in the act of fishing.
Notice that the two paddlemen are facing and paddling downstream, thus dragging
the net after the brocauns which are proceeding downstream, stern first. The netmen in the bows of the brocauns have their
backs to the paddlemen, these were the positions for fishing. When going upstream with the nets in the brocauns the men faced
around.
A NOSTALGIC LOOK BACK
It is 10 a.m. on a cold morning in March in the 1840's. The crews of two
brocauns have just finished fishing at Tarnacreeba near the Metal Bridge. The men are cold and hungry, but what matter, its
only a short run home to the Abbey and 7 or 8 beamy salmon lie on the bottom of one of the brocauns. Home now for a few hours
sleep and net repairs.
It's evening, they must face once more the long journey back to Doonass
the topmost innure. The river is in spate, so it's poles out at Amor for the hard push through the Queen's Gap at Corbally
and on to Drahur and Smithaun up by Poulahera to Cragrack by paddle, then the poles are out again for the long haul through
Drominbeg, Tannyvour, the Dam, Bunabha, Lurriga, Geentass, Barnaluinge and now they must start to work downstream again.
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