Seine Boat Tradition: Fishing and Racing in Kerry Since the 1700s | Season 4 – Episode 76
Floats Oct 08, 2024
Since the early 17th century, the “Seine” rowboat has been used for fishing and racing off the coast of County Kerry, in southwestern Ireland. Traditionally manned by twelve oarsman and a Captain, the Seine boat worked a seine net alongside a smaller vessel called the “follower” for fishing off the Iveragh Peninsula. Coastal rowing regattas have been a long-standing tradition in Kerry’s coastal communities, with races dating back to the 1800s and continuing to this day.
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CARVEL BUILT
Since the early 17th century, increasing numbers of carvel-built rowing boats (constructed by fixing planks edge-to-edge on a frame) fished the abundant pilchard shoals off Ireland’s southwest coast. Working in pairs, these boats used highly effective seine nets—large surrounding nets that hang vertically in the water, weighted at the bottom and buoyed at the top—to trap thousands of pilchards at a time.
There was a profitable market for pilchards in France, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, but their occurrence became irregular, and by the early 19th century, large shoals seemed to have abandoned the coastal waters of southwestern Ireland permanently. As a result, seine nets were adapted to target other species, particularly mackerel and salmon. Mackerel fishing became a vital local industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Although seine nets were later used for salmon fishing, this practice effectively ended by the 1970s.
CONSTRUCTION
Carvel-built rowing boats are constructed where planks are fastened edge-to-edge to a sturdy internal wooden frame, creating a smooth, seamless outer surface. This design contrasts with the overlapping planks of clinker-built boats. Carvel-built rowing boats have a streamlined hull, reducing water resistance and improving speed and manoeuvrability in the water. This technique allows the boats to be larger and sturdier, making them suitable for fishing or racing.
SEASONAL FISHING
From spring to autumn, hundreds of seine boats, each accompanied by a smaller boat called “the follower,” operated out of the coves and creeks of the Iveragh Peninsula in south Kerry and parts of west Cork. The boats ranged from 25 to 34 feet in length, with a maximum beam of 7 feet. Powered by up to twelve oarsmen using double-banked oars, they also carried a coxswain or “Captain,” and sometimes a “Hewer” or fish spotter seated at the bow. The smaller follower boat had up to six oarsmen and a coxswain.
BIG BUSINESS
Michael Fenton, boatbuilder, from Brackaharagh South, Caherdaniel, County Kerry recounts the people employed in these boats in his community: “the employment generated in the area from seine boat fishing between the 1920s and the 1950s.
During those years there were nine seine boats with a crew of thirteen and nine followers each with a crew of seven, giving a total of one-hundred and eighty crew members fishing for herring and mackerel employed between the White Strand, Rath and Derrynane.
These were supported by the eleven boat building families, the coopers who built the barrels used to transport the herring to markets in the US from Westcove pier where women cured the fish before they were put in the barrels. The mackerel were boxed and taken to Cahirciveen, from where they were transported to the fish market in Dublin and sold onwards. During those thirty years there were between two-hundred and three-hundred people gainfully employed in building and repairing timber boats, coopering, fishing, curing fish and supporting business at the hardware shop and sawmills.”
REGATTA RACING
Seine boat racing at summer regattas in south Kerry has been a tradition since the 19th century and continues to thrive in the South-Mid Kerry region today. Teams from various coastal towns compete in six-oar (twelve-person) boat races. Success in fishing relies on the crew’s ability to maintain speed at sea, directed by their Captain. Racing emerged naturally from this rowing style, with frequent challenges between boats from neighbouring villages later developing into full regattas.
In the 1960s when Seine racing was at its peak, rowers and cheering spectators from County Kerry were familiar with boats such as ‘The Airborne’, ‘The Bluebird’, ‘The Brothers Hope’, ‘The Lady Butler’, ‘The Rainbow’, ‘The Shamrock’, ‘The Sidhe Gaoithe’, ‘The Up Kerry’, and The ‘Assumpta’ of Cnuicin’.
Today, the South & Mid Kerry Rowing Board regulates traditional seine boat racing, imposing a maximum length of thirty-four feet and a beam of six feet three inches.
In the development of Seine boats for racing, fishermen had sought lighter boats from builders to gain an edge at regattas. However, boat builders were often hesitant to oblige, sharper sides for improved rowing lines significantly reduced the boat’s capacity and stability.
ROWING STYLES
The tradition of using double-banked oars, where two rowers pull on a single long, heavy oar, has been preserved since the early 17th century and continues to this day.
Each oar of a Seine boat is pulled by two oars men/women in each boat pulling six oars, three oars to the port and starboard sides of the boat. The crew is completed by a thirteenth person who is the coxswain (Captain) of the boat and crew.
Due to their weight, Seine boats often require many hands to lift them back onto their trailers, especially after a tiring race. Crews and competitors come together to assist one another. It’s an unspoken tradition where everyone pitches in to help.
SEINE BOAT BUILDERS
Individual racing clubs maintain their Seine boats and many vessels have been handed down for generations. There are only a handful of people remaining today who can build new boats.
In August 2021 Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD announced the inclusion of traditional Seine boat building, fishing and racing in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, so there may yet be a revival for the Seine boat.
If you have an idea for a story, email Kevin Reid [email protected]
Sources of information, video and photo credits:
Coastal Rowing Ireland
Donal O’Connell
Family History by Mary Ellen
Irish Coastal Rowing Federation
Irish Independant
Michael Fenton quote: Kerry Folklore – The Boat Builders
National Library of Ireland
Portmagee Tripple Distilled Irish Whiskey
Roaring Water Journal
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