Date of Birth: 5th March 1964

Place of Birth: Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Date Interviewed: 18th May 2011

Summary: Aileen Howlett grew up on her parents’ farm in Bridgetown and always liked “the outdoor life”. After finishing her Leaving Certificate in Bridgetown Vocational College she started working and “drifted into cooking”. While working as a cook in the Wooden House in Kilmore Quay she would listen to the tales of the fishermen. She often asked to be allowed out on the boats with them but they refused, considering it bad luck to have a woman on board. Then in February 1985 one skipper gave her a chance. On that first trip Aileen was so seasick she could hardly stand but was still expected to cook for the rest of the crew! She persevered and eventually skippered boats herself. She recalls the nerve-wracking time she first skippered a boat into the tricky entrance of Kilmore Quay. As a woman competing in a male-dominated industry Aileen also had to cope with the attentions of journalists during her years at sea.