Meelick fish trap
Fish trap
Christy Cunniffe
A set of stone v-shaped fish traps survive in the river bed to the rear of the Franciscan friary in Meelick. This stretch of water was left undisturbed during the 19th-century drainage scheme undertaken by the Shannon Commissioners. The traps consist of stone built traps placed along the route of the fish swim. A large area of river below the weir linking Galway and Offaly has surviving fish traps and is a very important piece of riverine archaeology. The Franciscans held rights to trap the eels at Meelick and as late as the 20th century the same traps/weirs were used by local fishermen. During the summer of 2010 the water levels dropped exposing the traps, providing a unique opportunity to photograph these features.
This page was added on 01/04/2016.
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For more on fishing weirs
Went AEJ (1964) The pursuit of Salmon in Ireland. Proc R Irish Acad 63C:191–244
Went, A. E. J., “List of some historical papers etc. on Irish fish, fishing and fisheries 1940-1974”, Irish Fisheries Leaflet, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Fisheries Division) 1978
Thanks very much for that Tom. I look forward to reading it. C
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