John O’Regan gave a very insightful talk on the Abbey Fishermen at the St Mary’s Aid Centre, Limerick on February 1, 2019. The talk included questions and information from descendants of the Abbey Fishermen and those who lived in the Abbey area.
It was filmed by Pat Howard who has filmed a number talks and histories of Limerick, you can watch some of those videos Here and Here.
The Abbey Fishermen were a traditional net fishing group made up of several families. These families primarily lived in the Abbey area of Limerick city on the banks of the Abbey River. They fished for centuries in the same way until the Ardnacrusha Hydroelectric plant was built on the Shannon River. This destroyed their fishing grounds and the men were bought off the river in the 1930s.
A number of events have taken place to remember the fishermen, including a Gathering of descendent in 2013 and the erection of two plaques on the Abbey Bridge. As well as several talks and publications.
