‘Sea Fever’ book makes a splash in Kilmore fishing community
Author Jackie Hayden was delighted to see many of the interviewees featured in his latest book attending the official launch of ‘Sea Fever: Inside the Kilmore Quay Fishing Community’ in the Stella Maris Centre, along with a large group of family members and friends.
‘When I was asked to take on this project, I had to admit that I knew nothing about the sea fishing business other than a few lazy assumptions picked up over the years’ said Jackie, a former Deputy Editor and General Manager of Hot Press magazine.
‘ But I recalled that an author had once said that you should learn as much from writing a book as from reading one. So I ended up having even more admiration for those who undertake such work, and my vague assumptions about sea fishing have been replaced by a little more real knowledge’.
‘I now know that if you don’t fish you don’t get paid and I discovered the unfairness built into the quota system. The life of a fisherman can be a solitary one, away from home for long periods, often far from land in treacherous weather and dangerous seas, cooped up in small spaces with fellow crew members and with much hard physical work to attend to’, he said.
‘But despite its harshness and unpredictability, many people in the Kilmore Quay fishing community are drawn to the way of life it brings and have never wanted to do anything else.’
‘In a sense they caught the sea fever for which there seemed to be no cure. So for me, writing Sea Fever was a hugely rewarding experience on several levels’ said Jackie.
The book which is the first to be published by the Write by the Sea Literary Festival in Kilmore Quay, was launched by John Hickey of Board Iascaigh Mhara. Mr. Hickey and festival chairperson Lucy Moore and Cllr. Jim Moore echoed Jackie’s appreciation of the generosity of the people who agreed to be interviewed.
The event was also attended by Nicola Reddy whose vivid photographs illustrate the book.
The Ballycogley singer-songwriter Ian Barry gave the first public rendition of his new song ‘The Remembering Garden’ which is about the memorial garden on Forlorn Point in Kilmore Quay and the guests were also entertained by musicians Liam Merriman and Bill Stuart whose set included several songs with a sea theme.
Sea Fever includes a sea poem by Joe Neal, the lyrics of the Ian Barry song and some tasty fish-based recipes by Nick Cullen and Derry Clarke.
Sales of the book on the night raised over €500 for the RNLI.