The first programme in the series ‘Make Way for the King’, where we remember the glory days of salmon fishing on the River Nore and begin with Professor Ken Whelan, Research Director with the Atlantic Salmon Trust and Ann Phelan, Water Officer with LAWPRO (Local Authority Waters Programme). Then Eddie Cody of Inistioge recalls memories of his father Willie, operating ‘The Big Net’ and bringing in hauls of salmon daily during the fishing season. Tommy Hoyne and Paddy Dunne from the Kilkenny Anglers Association talk about the stark reality of salmon fishing today with the catch and release system while Shem Caulfield of Thomastown describes the cot boat men who fished for salmon using snap nets and the development of racing cots on the Nore. ‘Make Way for the King’ is part of NASCO Educational and Awareness Project for International Year of the Salmon and the series is brought to you with financial assistance from the European Union
In the second hour of our first programme in the series ‘Make Way for the King’ we reset with salmon expert Professor Ken Whelan, and touch on the drift net activity, now banned, that was deemed at the time as a threat to the salmon population. Bobby Wemyss, fisherman from Thomastown was involved in lobbying for the banning of drift nets and he goes on to recall wonderful salmon fishing memories. Elaine Bradshaw is one of a few Irish fisherwomen and she represents her gender on this show demonstrating, through photographs, two salmon that she hooked over the years. Joe Dunphy, former principal of Ballyhale National School is an avid fisherman whose father fished salmon for Lord McCalmount of Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown. Joe has been involved in many salmon organisations over the years and created the ‘Something Fishy’ educational pack for school children that outlined the life cycle of the salmon in the river and sea. The Story of the Salmon of Knowledge ends this programme as the salmon is after all integral to our Irish culture and heritage. ‘Make Way for the King’ is part of NASCO Educational and Awareness Project for International Year of the Salmon and the series is brought to you with financial assistance from the European Union
