Fishing off the Kilmore Quay coastline and Crossfarnogue Point before the 19th century was a seasonal pursuit, tethered to the rhythms of the sea. Summers were dedicated to the rich bounty of lobsters to feed entire local families with only a few hardy hands daring to venture beyond the Saltees. The 1st official pier was built in 1847 and later rebuilt after a major storm in 1896, with the current harbour completed in the 1990s.
Lobsters were so plentiful for so long that they were considered the “poor man’s food”, often used a fertiliser or even to feed pigs.Lobster fishing in Kilmore Quay is a legacy, passed down through generations.
Kilmore Quay fishermen used wire traps typical to the village, one of the three main types used in Ireland until 1947. They wove the willow onto the wireframe starting from the mouth of the trap and continuing from the bottom to form its body. These traps were eventually replaced by the modern D-shaped steel-rod pots we see today piled up down the pier. These traps are a reminder of a tradition-bound life, and they speak of a time when gratitude was tied to a risky but honest day’s work, when men made a hard living but a hell of a life.
