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'Sea Caress' by Pat Nolan
Added: (Wed Apr 30 2003)
West Cork's Fishing Industry - The Men, The Boats, The Struggle!
Sea Caress chronicles the West Cork fishing industry, its development and ports from the mid-1940's to the present day. At the outset it is a trip down memory lane but quickly develops into a book that has been meticulously and painstakingly researched. The author covers the reasons for the creation of Fishermen's Co-ops, the origins of BIM, and the changes the Board undertook as it became aware of the widely fluctuating catch and market uncertainty. It covers Ireland's entry to the EC and records fishing vessels and gives an analysis of these by port.
The factual content in this book will be a must for anyone interested or involved in the fishing industry. Above all it gives a breath of life to an era and to the people who worked and lived throughout the changes in one of the harshest ways of earning a living, even to the present day. Characters jump out at you as Pat gives them a voice and he concludes by giving his opinion on "the debacle of EC/EU membership" for Irish fishermen.
In the words of Jason Whooley of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, Pat's book, “…raises a lot of questions and there are lessons to be earned from it. I can guarantee that everybody who does read it, will get their mind working about the fishing industry."
Photographic illustrations and uncomplicated analysis greatly enhance this fascinating story of the sea, the fishermen and their boats, and a changing way of life.
To buy a copy of Pat Nolan’s excellent book online, please visit Shop Ireland at:
www.shopireland.net/Store/product_info.php/products_id/200