Go Domhain san Fhuil

Taal: NL
Categorie: reportage

Is gníomhaíocht í an iascaireacht a chleachtann glúnta éagsúla i bpobail Ghaeltachta, Machaire Rabhartaigh i dTír Chonaill san áireamh. Obair chrua, mhaslach atá ann. Tá John O'Brien ina scipéir ar an Handa Isle agus a mhac Seán mar dhuine den fhoireann. Tá mac eile, Colm, ina scipéir ar an Aoibh Áine. Tá luach na bportán ag titim agus tá brú orthu níos mó ama a chaitheamh ar an fharraige lena mbeatha a thabhairt i dtír. Cuimhnítear ar an iascaireacht mar a bhíodh agus báid ag malartú idir iascaireacht shéasúrach bradán go dtí iascaireacht gliomach, portán, murlas agus iasc geal. An cosc ar iascaireacht bradán in 2007 a chuir tús leis an mheath agus cuireadh deireadh le saol a chuaigh siar na blianta. Is doiligh a shamhlú go mairfidh an iascaireacht sna pobail seo ach is doiligh fosta stad den nós atá Go Domhain san Fhuil agus atá beo ar éigean san Aigéan Atlantach. In Magheraroarty the O'Brien family fish for crab behind Tory Island and towards the Scottish coast. It's tough, unrelenting work. John O'Brien skippers the Handa Isle, with a crew of three, including his son Seán. Another son Colm skippers the Aoibh Áine. With the price of crabs falling, the pressure is on to spend longer at sea just to remain in business. The locals recall when seasonal fishing of salmon could switch to lobster, crab, mackerel and white fish. A ban on salmon fishing in 2007 was the beginning of the end for many communities and for a way of life that had lasted for generations. It's hard to imagine a future for fishing in this most marginal of communities. But it's hard to shake what's 'in the blood', the instinct to fish the Atlantic.