The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-02-23
Deserted Fisheries.

Writing from kenmare Kerry the
special correspondent of the London
Standard says: "On the southern side
of the Valentia Island, and separated
from it by an inlet of the sea, lies the
peninsula commonly known here as Port
Magee. The fishing village, properly So
called, is situated in the center Of an i'm
meme district, which stretches far away
many miles to the southwark. The land
here may be described as poor mountain
pasturage, interspersed with occasional
stretches Of bog. Seaward it becomes
poorer and more bleak, and utterly unfit
for cultivation. The peoole of Port
Magee and other little villages along the
coast were always accustomed to earn
money by fishing during the summer
season, but of late years that industry
has declined. Seine fishing furnished at
one time profitable employment to the
young men of the district, and the returns
from this source were often very large.
Very few seines are now to be found
along the whole line of coast from Din
gle to Kenmare. The hardy fellows who
once manned the fishing boats have emf
grated, and the work is too severe for the
old men who remain behind. The pov-
erty of the people has also contributed
to the decline of the fishing. Formerly
the inhabitants of every hamlet sub
scribed towards the expenses of seine
and supplied the men to work it, but
this is the case no longer. The young
men have fled, the boats and gear have
rotted, and the poverty O. Of the people
now is too great to afford any chance of
providing new ones, even if the men to
work them were not wanting. Twenty
wears ago some thirty seine nets were
worked along the shores of Dingle and
Kenmare Bays. These afforded profta-
able employment for half the year to
about five hundred men, and the clean
ing and curing of the fish also furnished
work for their families. Every evening
at sunset the sound of horn summoned
the fishers to the beach, and their de-
parture to their usual fishing grounds
| furnished scene of pleasant excitement
to the villagers.
They fished all night, returning every
morning with their spoils, which were at
once divided and removed by the women
and children. The earnings of single
seine in a good season would average
9200. The finer fish were conveyed in
land and sold, the coarser lots being re.
served for food during the winter and
spring. There are not at presents a dozer
seines in all this district, and even fol
these the past few seasons have been bad
ones. The scarcity of food and money
which has followed the decline of the
fishing industry here has of course tend
ed largely to increase the distress exist
ing among the people. Evidences of this
are observable everywhere. 1 entered &
village school in this neighborhood anc
found the little ones looking wretchec
and ill clad, and l was told that many
of the children are unable to attend fol
want of clothing. The average attend
ance has declined so much that the salar!
of the assistant teacher usually engaged
| in the school has been withdrawn by th'
Board of Education. Decline is visibl
everywhere, and the description of thing
in any one parish will be found to appl,
with equal force in the adjoining ones.