The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Johnny Mahoney ‘a small hardy man with winning ways’
THE South and Mid Kerry rowing season is over with the main event of each regatta, that of seine boat racing, being dominated by The Liberator seine boat of Cahirsiveen, having accumulated most overall points and being awarded the annual Johnny Mahoney trophy.
The Liberator boat, built in 1969 by the late great Ardcost cox and oarsman, the legendary Johnny Mahoney, was a local seafaring institution and always the benchmark in which rival boats set their standards.
Regretably, for one reason or another prior to this year, the illustrious boat did not compete since 2011. Congratulations to Cox Mike O’Connor of Cahirsiveen and Kimego and his crew. Due to emigration from the Iveragh and surrounding areas the number of seine boats competing in South and Mid-Kerry waters this year was only a mere three with the other boats being Cnuicin (coxed by Michael O’Drisoll) and Valentia (coxed by Dermot Walsh).
There was a time when seine boats were used in Iveragh for the vital economic necessity of fishing and in later years used as racing boats. Seine fishing and seine boat races were synonymous with the waters of South Kerry and it was and is a practice to be found nowhere else in the world. It is our unique sport.
During the halcyon and glory days of the sport boats such as ‘The Lady Butler’, ‘The Brothers Hope’, ‘The Bluebird’, ‘The Up Kerry’, ‘The Rainbow’ and ‘The Sidhe Gaoithe’, enthralled the South Kerry rowing public. The ‘Assumpta’ of Cnuicin’, ‘The Airborne’ of Portmagee and ‘The Shamrock’ of Valentia were boats which we in our youthful days of the sixties well remember, viewing in pre-bridge days from Carriglea Rock in Valentia across to Portmagee or from the pier at Knightstown or Cahirsiveen.
Those were the days when Mary ‘Bamish’ sold her fish in the middle of the town, when the Sheehy brothers Dinny and Patie operated a taxi service from the point to Cahirsiveen for Valentia Islanders going to matches or regattas and the Irish House drapery shop in Cahirsiveen was in full swing.
Wafered ice cream, Nash’s lemonade and Perri Taytos were the joys of our childhood days and a mysterious man to us by the name of Johnny Mahoney always seemed to get a mention whenever regattas came or rowing was discussed.
We found out later of course of his exploits and that he was a fisherman and a very skilled oarsman who competed at regattas together with his brothers and neighbours in Ardcost and whose feats in the sea were made of local legend. His ability as a craftsman to manufacture fouroar boats and seine boats added to his legendary aura and today he is revered as the daddy of all builders of such boats.
The late reputed writer and journalist of Valentia Island Owen McCrohan, to whose aunt Johnny Mahoney was married, wrote of him in the Valentia magazine ‘An tOileánach’ depicting him as follows: ‘Everybody had their own special memories of this small, hardy man with the lively gait and winning ways. Some would remember him as the boat-builder of later years who modelled and constructed racing seine boats with the skill of a great master.
‘For others he was the man who breathed new life into a dying sport. He trained crews, he coached them, he steered them to victory. His talents were made available to all who sought him. He encouraged the good ones, he cajoled those whose dedication left something to be desired. Many would remember him on regatta day, down at the water’s edge, giving last minute words of advice to crews before they went to the starting line.
‘He was the first man down the break-water after they had rounded at Reenglass shouting “Long and Light, long and light” until the boats were half way to Beginish. He was unique,he was incomparable. He was the non-pareil. There was only one Johnny Mahoney.’
The O’ Donovan brothers of Lisheen, Skibbereen, recent Olympic rowing silver medallists, attest to the fact that they lived in the water from a very young age. Johnny Mahony always attested to the same. “We were rowing ever’’, was always his catch cry.