Date of Birth: 23rd April 1925

Place of Birth: Ballyburn, Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 27th April 2011

Summary: Lack Bates got his first job at fourteen working on the land at Killag, Duncormick. He then spent a year delivering milk by “ass and car” for the Grants of Ballyteigue. Lack joined his brother when he was sixteen fishing for ray in a “small handy boat”. From wooden boats they moved on to metal boats and fished for herring out of Dunmore East. After skippering several boats, including the Deirdre for Billy Kelly of Rosslare, Lack got his own boat, the Janette Ann, named after his daughters. While trawling off the Blackwater bank Lack’s nets hauled up an anchor from the wreck of the Pomona. Another time his nets got fouled in the wreck of the Isolde and Lack was thrown overboard. He managed to swim back to the boat but admits he had a narrow escape.