Date of Birth: Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford

Place of Birth: 6th March 1945

Date Interviewed: 16th May 2011

Summary: Joe Maddock talks of his sporting activities and achievements and his trips to America in 1967 and 1969 with the Kilmore/Rathangan Club. He studied for his captain’s ticket at Bridgetown Vocational College. He got a chance to fish for herrings on the Fisher Lass. In 1974 his brother got a new trawler the Emily Francis and Joe skippered that until he finished fishing in 1990. Joe was always interested in politics and in 1982 was elected chairman of the Irish Fishermen’s Organisation. In that same year he was arrested and jailed for illegal fishing off Ballycotton. He spent fifteen days in Mountjoy prison. At the time fishermen blockaded major ports around Ireland. He received a hero’s welcome when he returned to Kilmore Quay. Joe also describes in great detail the fateful events of Christmas Eve 1977 when he was a crew member of the lifeboat Lady Murphy. The weather was atrocious and the lifeboat capsized twice before making it back to Kilmore Quay. Crewman Fintan Sinnott was the only member not rescued and his body washed ashore the following morning.