Date of Birth: 27th March 1949

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

Date Interviewed: 23rd May 2011

Summary: When John Devereux was growing up in Kilmore Quay there were “only locals living in the village”, now it’s “only summer houses”. John fished for lobsters and started fishing full-time aged fourteen. He “hated every day at school”. He describes using ‘sallies’ to construct the Kilmore Quay lobster pots. Apart from commercial fishing John would take anglers out to the best fishing spots and this business has grown over the years. He followed his father into the RNLI and has several awards, including a Bronze Medal and recognition as the longest serving Coxswain in the service. John talks of the capsizing of the lifeboat Lady Murphy when crewman Fintan Sinnott lost his life. John was the mechanic on the lifeboat on that dreadful Christmas Eve in 1977.