The Herring Men of Cahore - Fishing folklore from The Macamore area of Co. Wexford.

On the 17th of November 2018 I went out for herrings with Ger Byrne and Andy Redmond from Ballygarrett and even though it was meant to be a night off, I took out my phone and started recording bits and pieces of local fishing material. Don’t expect a high quality production, it’s not. This is pure local and although it’s something which has gone on for centuries in this part of Wexford, this was probably the first time it was ever recorded.
If you have a listen you’ll hear old Norse words that have managed to survive in Cahore for seals, or old Gaelic words such as the ‘cur iasc’ which is still used for the grey heron. There’s also loads of local fishing places names, plus various fishing customs and traditions ranging from not fishing on St. Martins Eve to the prayers and rituals done when out in the boat.
I’ve left the clips long and deliberately unedited, even leaving a phone call in so as to give you a sense of the real time involved. If you are squeamish tune out though, as you get to see how herrings were naturally gutted by just using your thumb and hand, as well as hearing how the old buoys were once made locally from the bladders of dead dogs.
In saying that, the clips ends with a lovely moment, when a local man Tom Kehoe comes down to the pier at 6pm, guessing that the boats would be out as it was a fine night, and as most locals know the boats usually come in once they hear the Angelus bell ring from the chapel in Ballygarrett.
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The films appears on a collection of films by Michael Fortune entitled ‘Songs of the Wexford Coast - The Films Volume 1’ which featuresTraditional Songs and Folklore inspired by the publication by Father Joseph Ranson.
This overall series was recorded and produced by Michael and features new recordings by traditional singers of songs that appeared in the 1948 publication ‘Songs of the Wexford Coast’ by the the late Fr. Joseph Ranson from Kilmuckridge. This visionary publication was the culmination of Fr. Ranson’s work which involved travelling the coast of Wexford in the 1930s and 40s collecting song words and airs from singers, many of which were local and related to fishing tragedies and shipping disasters.
Some seven decades later Ballygarrett native Michael Fortune teamed up with the County Wexford Traditional Singers to bring eleven Wexford singers to various locations around the coast of Wexford from Donaghmore to Ballyhack to perform these songs to camera. These were recorded between July and September 2019 while the DVD also features additional material including two recordings Michael made of the late Leo Carty in Rosslare in October 2007 as well as three short films he made in November 2017 regarding St. Martin’s Eve and general Fishing Folklore and Customs from Cahore, Kilmuckridge and Wexford Town. The songs included in the collection are:
1.Phil Berry - The Hantoon
2. Mary O'Brien - The Fishermen of Wexford
3. Marty Murphy - The Fair Do
4. Aileen Lambert - The Poulduff Fishermen
5. John Breen - The Pomona
6. Deirdre Tobin - The Poulshone Fishermen
7. Bill Considine - The Faithful Sailor Boy
8. Maeve Townsend - The Vivandeer
9. John Furlong - The Tinnaberna Fishermen
10. Ronan Berry - The Alfred D Snow
11. Seamus Brogan - The Fethard Life-Boat Crew
12. Leo Carty - The World Concord
13. Leo Carty - Joe Murphy of Ballare
14. The Herring Men of Cahore
15. St. Martin’s Eve Folklore, Wexford Town
16. St. Martin’s Eve Folklore, Kilmuckridge
Thanks: John O’Byrne, Phil Berry, Ronan Berry, Fr. Jim Hammel, Joe and Bridie Hammel, Ned and Joe Kavanagh, Finbar Flanagan, Aileen Lambert, John Furlong, Paddy Berry and all the writers and singers of these songs over the centuries. Copyright: Michael Fortune, 2019. All Rights Reserved. Project devised and produced by Michael Fortune and supported by County Wexford Traditional Singers and the Arts Department of Wexford County Council under their ‘Creative Communities Scheme’.

[@brianburgess9422]

Michael!!! I adore Your Work! Keep it my Man please.
Briain Brugha
Son of Padraic Brugha. Loch Der
Son of Maureen Doyle. Of Sandymount. Dublin.
Myself.
At 16 to Australia for 32 Happy Years! 10 Years in Bali Indonesia.
Last 10 or So years, a Place called Barnes Village in South West London.
2 X Registered Villages left in London Town.
One Being Hampstead Village.
The other being Barnes Village.
I love being of Irish Heritage! Such a unique Race and Beautiful Country.
I feel insulated by London Irishmen, if or when they call me a "Plastic Paddy".
The Brugha Family has much to be Proud of Michael.
As you should be with your Magical Work
Sliante and
Thank YOU VERY MUCH
Briain Brugha

[@Mftw767]

God bless these lads

[@brianburgess9422]

Dear Michael!!!
There's a bad misspelled word in above comments to your good self!!
Should read INSULTED not insulated (the opposite ha!)
Briain Brugha

[@slaneyside]

i didn't know about the herring fishing in Cahore i was there this year for a bit of crabbing is all. but i did see a big bass 8lb+ swimming under the pier where it cuts through. love to hear these stories keep up the great work.

Nice! Keep it up! Would you like to be CZcams friends? :)