An important ethnological study of the fishermen of the Claddagh appeared in the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1853, written by someone who signed themselves J McE. In it, the author describes the people of the area as being purely Irish, of the most ancient Celtic type. There is no Spanish influence to be seen in their features.
The great majority of their surnames are Irish. Their Christian names are generally scriptural; as John, James, Peter, Luke, Michael, Matthew, Paul, Joseph; also Patrick, Dominick &c, Catherine, Mary &c. When there are many people of the same name, they are distinguished (in the Irish language ) by the names of fishes – as thus, Jack the hake, Bill the cod, Joe the eel, Pat the trout, Matt the turbot or Jack the trout, Jack the salmon, Jack the whale, Jack the sprat.
They speak in Irish with extreme rapidity so that a ‘stranger’ can barely follow them. Many have fine singing voices and they are all celebrated as dancers. The people of the Claddagh are very fond of gay dress and bright colours, the women wear blue cloaks and red petticoats and the head dress is a kerchief of bright colours. The men wear a jacket, breeches and stockings, all home-made and light blue.
It is remarkable that the men have nothing to do with the sale of fish in the market, you see only women carrying baskets and bargaining with the customers. The men are not boxers, not fond of personal encounter – but touch one and you hurt them all.
Like seamen everywhere, they have their lucky and unlucky days and woe to him who dares to cast a line on an unpropitious morning. Formerly, they would not on any account start a fishing season unless a priest went out with them and in regular form, pronounced a blessing on the bay. Some of the old hands will not put to sea if a hare appears to them and the whole fleet has been known to return home because a boy yelled out that he had seen a hare. No boat goes to sea without oat-cake, salt and ashes. They consider that there is a blessing in these things.
The Claddagh men have a belief that if a crow flies over the boat and croaks as he passes overhead, it is a good omen. The crow says in Irish “fish I give ye, fish I give ye”. When a boat comes in with fish, the boatman gives a fish to every beggar who may be there to ask; it would be most unlucky, in their opinion, to refuse charity out of what God sent to the net. This time-honoured custom has been dying out with the increase of pauperism.
When a ‘boy’ goes to pay homage at the shrine of some clear-eyed sweet-lipped girl, he seats himself “when the coast is clear” at the fireside opposite to the object of his affections. He never says a word – this is the invariable rule, to sit in silence. He commences the siege by throwing sparks at her from the hearth. She is thus kept busy for some time shaking the live coals from her dress. If she disdains the suitor, she allows him to fire away or she rises up from the fireside: but if she desires to carry on the war, she tosses back the sparks at the loving foe. Then they get the use of speech, and there is a remonstrance, and parley and negotiation and amicable arrangement. Ultimately, the lover goes to the father of his bride-elect and addressing him in all his bashfulness says “Will you marry your daughter to me?” The father, if agreeable replies in this set form of speech (in Irish ): “May I be smothered and drowned if I marry my daughter until she marries herself;” thus indicating that he would give his daughter but that she is perfectly free to choose for herself.
Claddagh people call every one not of their own community ‘a stranger’. Here is a useful lesson for the historian and ethnologist. The necessity of circumstances which have long passed in to oblivion, probably created a division in a people ultimately leading to complete alienation, distinct habits and peculiarities of language. They have come to regard their native countrymen, of the same blood as ‘strangers’ and these countrymen look upon the people of the Claddagh as a distinct race.
Our two drawings, which illustrated the article are portraits of Claddagh fishermen as drawn by J McE. They are 1. Murphy, 2. O’Donnell, 3. Mulally, 4. O’Flaherty, 5. Tierney, 6. O’Hanlon, 7. Rainey, 8. Bradley, 9. Murphy, 10. Moran, 11. Barrett, 12. Grainey, 13. Arran man (Danish type ), 14. Arran man (Celtic type ). These last two are to distinguish them from the Claddagh men.
Many years ago I met an American man who told me all he knew of his antecedents was that his great-great-grandfather had left the Claddagh and that his name was Rainey. I produced these drawings and we all got a shock when drawing number 7 turned out to be a perfect portrait of my American friend. Do you recognise anyone in these drawings?
Listen to Tom Kenny and Dick Byrne discussing this article on the Old Galway Diary podcast
