Date of Birth: 19th October 1945

Place of Birth: Mill Road, Kilmore, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 3rd May 2011

Summary: John Hayes has happy memories of growing up in Kilmore Quay. His father owned a boat and John’s main interest was fishing. “The harbour was everything”. He describes a typical day drawing lobster pots when the tide was right and then moving on to catch white fish. At certain times of the year his father would fish out of Wexford Harbour. In 1976 they acquired a fifty foot trawler The Fisher Lass. John recalls one incident where they caught a whale in their nets and it took ages to free it. As they trawled for fish at 4am one December morning in 1964 a cable snapped and John was thrown into the sea. Although the night was pitch dark he somehow held on to the cable and was eventually brought safely back on board!