Page 58 - Guerin Media | Cork Airport Holiday & Destination Guide 2015
P. 58
WHY HAS THE SOUTH
MECCA FOR WHALE
I“...Looks as if the wind will freshen from the south east later ...
be good for a fast passage to Baltimore...”
called out to the other crew members as we left St Mary’s in
The Scillies in our 30 foot one design yacht. This was to be
a trip of firsts for me. The first time crossing the Celtic Sea, first
time as navigator, first time visiting the southwest coast of Ireland
and although we did not know it; the first time I was to encounter
the second largest animal on the planet - the mighty Fin Whale.
Thirty five years have passed since that fateful crossing lot whales, stranded in Brandon Bay, county Kerry were
from the Scilly Isles to Baltimore in West Cork. Little slaughtered and the meat sold to mink farmers. In the
did I know it at the time but during those early 1700’s a whaling camp was set up by a
intervening years my love affair with West Cork and Lieutenant Samuel Chaplain on St John’s Point,
it’s people would deepen; and the whales and dolphins Donegal to actively fish for whales off the Sligo and
that frequent the Celtic Sea and the south coast of Donegal coast. In spite of petitioning the Irish House of
Ireland would become as important a part of my life as Commons for a grant to conduct commercial
they have been to Ireland’s coastal communities over whaling activities that would be of “great advantage to
the last millennium. the nation” he spectacularly failed in his endeavours,
catching only a handful of whales. His lack of success
Ireland’s changing relationship with whales and may be attributable to the species of whales off the
dolphins... As far back as 1295 Robert de Clohulle of Irish northwest being too fast for the craft and
Kerry fell foul of the law by misappropriating a whale equipment he had at his disposal. Further attempts to
that had washed up on a local strand for his own use. set up a commercial whale fishery in the northwest of
He successfully refuted the charge by claiming that Ireland were unsuccessful until 1908 and 1909 when
by ancient Irish custom such bounty was “wreck of two shore based rendering factories were established
the sea” and he was exercising a right to exploit such on South Iniskea Island and Blacksod Bay in Mayo.
bounty. A right held by his father before him. During Although whaling activities were discontinued at the
the 14th and 15th centuries the rights of land owners outbreak of the first world war they continued, when
to retain the products derived from whales washed hostilities ceased, through to the mid 1920’s when
ashore on their lands became an inalienable part of commercial whaling, never a particularly valuable
the Irish coastal community psyche; rights that were contributor to the Irish economy, ceased due to lack of
fiercely defended. financial backing and dwindling whale stocks. Today
Ireland’s relationship with it’s great whales is more
Slow medieval sea going vessels were not equipped to benign and a number of areas around the Irish coast
actively hunt the creatures at sea but coastal have become well known for watching whales and
communities would recover the resources from dolphins of all sizes from both coastal lookouts and
stranded animals which included blubber for the oil, from boats.
bone, meat and “guano”. As late as 1965 a group of Pi-
58
MECCA FOR WHALE
I“...Looks as if the wind will freshen from the south east later ...
be good for a fast passage to Baltimore...”
called out to the other crew members as we left St Mary’s in
The Scillies in our 30 foot one design yacht. This was to be
a trip of firsts for me. The first time crossing the Celtic Sea, first
time as navigator, first time visiting the southwest coast of Ireland
and although we did not know it; the first time I was to encounter
the second largest animal on the planet - the mighty Fin Whale.
Thirty five years have passed since that fateful crossing lot whales, stranded in Brandon Bay, county Kerry were
from the Scilly Isles to Baltimore in West Cork. Little slaughtered and the meat sold to mink farmers. In the
did I know it at the time but during those early 1700’s a whaling camp was set up by a
intervening years my love affair with West Cork and Lieutenant Samuel Chaplain on St John’s Point,
it’s people would deepen; and the whales and dolphins Donegal to actively fish for whales off the Sligo and
that frequent the Celtic Sea and the south coast of Donegal coast. In spite of petitioning the Irish House of
Ireland would become as important a part of my life as Commons for a grant to conduct commercial
they have been to Ireland’s coastal communities over whaling activities that would be of “great advantage to
the last millennium. the nation” he spectacularly failed in his endeavours,
catching only a handful of whales. His lack of success
Ireland’s changing relationship with whales and may be attributable to the species of whales off the
dolphins... As far back as 1295 Robert de Clohulle of Irish northwest being too fast for the craft and
Kerry fell foul of the law by misappropriating a whale equipment he had at his disposal. Further attempts to
that had washed up on a local strand for his own use. set up a commercial whale fishery in the northwest of
He successfully refuted the charge by claiming that Ireland were unsuccessful until 1908 and 1909 when
by ancient Irish custom such bounty was “wreck of two shore based rendering factories were established
the sea” and he was exercising a right to exploit such on South Iniskea Island and Blacksod Bay in Mayo.
bounty. A right held by his father before him. During Although whaling activities were discontinued at the
the 14th and 15th centuries the rights of land owners outbreak of the first world war they continued, when
to retain the products derived from whales washed hostilities ceased, through to the mid 1920’s when
ashore on their lands became an inalienable part of commercial whaling, never a particularly valuable
the Irish coastal community psyche; rights that were contributor to the Irish economy, ceased due to lack of
fiercely defended. financial backing and dwindling whale stocks. Today
Ireland’s relationship with it’s great whales is more
Slow medieval sea going vessels were not equipped to benign and a number of areas around the Irish coast
actively hunt the creatures at sea but coastal have become well known for watching whales and
communities would recover the resources from dolphins of all sizes from both coastal lookouts and
stranded animals which included blubber for the oil, from boats.
bone, meat and “guano”. As late as 1965 a group of Pi-
58
