A fisherman for 35 years - now I’m serving up the perfect catch to hungry seaside-goers in Cork

THE beach was busy, the water was calm, and the deep fat fryers were bubbling on the evening I met Shane Murphy of The Wild Fish at Garrettstown Beach.

I ate crispy gold chunks of juicy haddock with lobster claws and prawns, with the sky merging into the sea as my view.

Shane was always fascinated with the sea and at 14 years of age he bought his first boat.

“It cost me about £400. I saved up money every weekend from mowing lawns and was eventually able to buy one. I used to row out at first with patched up lobster pots until I made a bit of money and was able to buy a bigger boat.”

Shane is originally from Douglas and used to spend his summers in Garrettstown at his family’s holiday home. He would look to the sea and it gave him inspiration to go fishing. He used to go out with the local fisherman, who taught him all the tricks of the trade.

Shane progressed into a professional fisherman and could easily work up to 40 hours in three days. A far cry from a regular 9-5 profession, working 12 hours or more is the norm for a fisherman. Like any job with those long days, it’s a lot easier if you love it!

I loved fishing! I wanted to leave school and start fishing but the father made sure I got the Leaving Cert, so once I completed school I started fishing.

“One time we were out 98 miles from the Old Head, it was in the middle of the night and the forecast was bad. I remember looking out and seeing the swell way up over the boat. Once we landed and I was walking home, the wind was blowing me up the hill. Once I made it home I remember thinking, thank God for that!

“Another time, years ago, we were returning from a trip beyond Fastnet and the swell was so big the lighthouse disappeared behind each wave! Then, only a few weeks ago I just did a lovely trip around Fastnet with a pint of Guinness. A different experience altogether!” Shane laughed.

Shane lived the fisherman life for 35 years, with a stint of fishing abroad on the East Coast of the U.S too. He spent upwards of three to four days at sea sometimes.

If you’re busy, you’re hauling and you’re kept going, but other times you could be quiet and you could relax with a cup of tea.

There was a kitchenette on board where Shane could prepare full dinners of spuds and meat too. He was always a handy cook, which proved to be helpful later on in life.

Shane owned six boats during his time as a fisherman. Aurora Borealis was bought from Scotland and when he went to buy it, he could see the Northern Lights, hence the naming of his boat after that skylight spectacle.

He returned through the Caledonia Canal and through the different deep loughs of Scotland, including Lough Ness, which was a great experience.

Shane still goes lobster potting part-time on his boat Aibh Ciarán, named after his kids, but he doesn’t do the long-days or multiple days at sea anymore.

“I enjoy catching the lobster, the days would be about seven or eight hours and it’s not too hard.

“Around the east side of the Old Head is where I have the pots, and it’s where I did most of my fishing as well. It’s where I used to catch the salmon as you’d get them going up the Blackwater and the Lee.

You can’t fish salmon any more though. Smaller salmon seem to have been overfished way up north, which depleted the Irish populations.

Shane has always enjoyed cooking and in 2014 he received a grant from Bórd Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) to start his food truck, The Wild Fish. His first day of trading was in the car park in Kinsale.

His truck can be found at various spots, but the Archdeacon Duggan Bridge or The Bridge in Kinsale are his bread and butter and where he can be found most Sundays. He can also be spotted at Garrettstown Beach and Belgooly.

Mike McCarthy, a close friend, has worked with Shane for 17 years and has made the career transition to fish and chips chef along with Shane.

“He wasn’t sure at first but is all trained up with the HACCP now,” said Shane.

Shane is also a musician and plays regularly in Kinsale and Clonakilty with his band, Packing Up The Day Job. He plays the whistle, the bodhran and the guitar.

His full-time fishing chapter has closed and now he’s a part-time fisherman, chef, musician, and a full-time family man to his partner, Deirdre, and his four kids, Aaron, Ciarán, Aibhlinn, and Aoife.

To try Shane’s menu of fresh fish, calamari, scampi, and lobster, find out where you can catch him, on his social media @thewildfishfoodtruckkinsale.