Youghal

JIM HORGAN'S SALMON YAWL. By Mike Hackett

Twenty years ago - Jim Horgan spent his summer holidays making a boat in the ground floor of Tyntes Castle at North Main Street. The two big timber doors of the castle were wide open every day so all the passers-by could see the progress being made. Jim is a boat builder in Galway - where he also teaches - and has made several Galway Hookers. This time in Tyntes Castle - it was a salmon yawl - and it took a few months to complete. The plan of the boat is based on the last one that Paddy Buttimer made and so it became a nice piece of local fishing history.

We are thinking back to a time when the salmon season started in February - despite the cold and unpredictable weather at that time of year. Salmon yawls with four men on 18 foot spars (oars) would row through the heavy troughs of white horses (waves) as they sought to make a living. Then after fishing a tide - maybe they would have no fish caught. A story tells of a fisherman's wife going to the quayside to wave out to her husband in the middle of the harbour - and he would wave back. But there was a secret between them. If he raised one hand - it meant salmon had been caught and she could go to the grocery shop - but two hands meant no fish. Then the poor woman would trudge back up the lane to 'coddle' up what she could from yesterdays dinner.

Captain Pat Walsh - a native of Hanover Street (near the Mall) - was skipper of a destroyer ship during the Second World War. When he retired - he came back home - bought a few salmon yawls - with the intention of hiring the locals to fish for him. It worked to some extent but he had been away so long - that he couldn't tell the honest men from the rogues. He would pay a 'bounty' (advance wages) before Christmas to any fisherman that promised to fish for him the following February. He also bought them rubber wader boots and oil-skins in preparation. The oil-skins had to be treated with linseed oil many times to keep out the salt spray. Most men kept their promise - but one rogue sold the boots and had none to wear when fishing. He arrived down to the quay in white sand-shoes - the game was up - the 'bounty' was in his tummy in Guinness porter.

Later in the year - when the salmon and peal season had finished - the yawls were used for sprat fishing - and they would be laden down to the gunnells with the small fish. Merchants came from Scotland to salt and barrel the sprats before exporting them. Then came the mackerel season when large shoals came up the harbour to be caught in hundreds. Again the salmon yawl played a big part in that.

Going back to the restoration of Jim Horgan's yawl - Tom McCarthy (owner of the Castle) was very keen on the project and put no pressure on Jim. As the boat took shape - locals were invited to help by hammering a copper nail or two into the planks. The aim was to give the townspeople a link to the boat - even if it was just one copper nail. When I was called to help - my nail went crooked and had to be done again. I would never make a boat builder.

When the salmon yawl was completed - it was afloat in the Market Dock for a short while before it was moved to a yard in lower Brown Street - beside the scout hall. Jim had hoped at that stage that the scouts would use it to go upriver on overnight camps. But that never happened. It was then covered over with canvas to keep the rain off. It remained there in the scout yard for fifteen years while Jim (living up in Galway) was feeling let-down after all his input.

Now at last something is happening to ensure that this craft is saved and appreciated. The Youghal Men's Shed group - under the supervision of Liam Power have taken the boat from the scout yard and brought it to the garden of Bru na Shi at Magner's Hill. The Men's Shed people have bought a marquee to place over it - and that enables them to work on it regardless of the wet Irish weather. A few small parts need to be replaced in the stem and the keel. Jim has all the suitable timber for the work from his boat building in Galway. The keel is larch timber - never rots in water. The planks are American red cedar and the ribs are oak. Incidentally the first Youghal bridge built in 1833 (before the metal one) was made of larch timber and when it was dismantled in 1883 - the wood was perfect. Having been in the water for fifty years (1833 to 1883) it was like the day it went in. Bits of that larch were given to the local people around to be used for door-frames and window-frames. Now in 2026 - there is a cow house near us where those door frames are still in place.

Jim Horgan has been in contact with Liam Power and also with Miceal de Butleir who is Manager of Bru na Si and all are in agreement that the salmon yawl should be fully restored in memory of Paddy Buttimer. Paddy was an exceptionally helpful man and gifted boat builder. It is hoped to see this bit of fishing history on display in an open-air maritime museum some time soon.

- Mike Hackett - July 4th 2026.
- Pictures courtesy of Mike Hackett

PICTURES:

1. Mary Bennett, Derek Davis, Margaret and Nora Buttimer, Lizzie Twomey and Mary O'Beirne.

2. Michael Drake -selling mackerel.

3. Paddy Buttimer prepares the salmon nets.

4. Richie Hickey with the wading boots

5. Rowing Boats

6. Willie Shanahan, Willie Dunne, Mossie Nunn, Mick O'Sullivan and Danny Coakley. ... See MoreSee Less