CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF THE HERRING-FISHERY. 333 



trawling within a line from Barna Pier on the north, to 

 Gleninagh Castle on the south. The people became a 

 little tranquillised after this, though they still urged a 

 greater extension of the line ; until 1852, when further 

 breaches of the law occurred, and such threats were held 

 out, to destroy all the trawlers in the bay, that it was 

 judged expedient again to have a war-vessel to protect 

 those who were pursuing their lawful avocations. At 

 that time the Board held further investigations into the 

 matter, to ascertain whether a greater restriction should 

 be put on trawling ; and in 1854 the Board caused certain 

 by-laws to be made, prohibiting trawling, when shoals of 

 herrings had set in, and while boats were at such times 

 engaged in drift-net fishing ; and prohibiting trawl boats 

 coming within three miles of herring boats. It appears 

 these by-laws have been a dead letter, as it is alleged 

 they could not be carried into effect, from the fact that 

 herring boats only fish at night ; and it would be impos- 

 sible to ascertain whether trawl boats were within three 

 miles or not of herring boats. After the inquiry in 1852, 

 nearly all the Claddagh fishermen adopted trawling, but 

 practised it only for a short time (about a year, or a year 

 and a-half), and then abandoned it, although, I believe, 

 from the inquiries I made, they made money by it ; but 

 the fact is, their small boats were not able to compete 

 with the large trawlers employed by private enterprise ; 

 and the people were full of prejudices and improvident, 

 and when their trawl nets were worn out, they had no 

 means of buying others. 



" The Claddagh men are a very peculiar race of people, 

 living exclusively amongst themselves, depending solely 

 on fishing for their livelihood, and are full of prejudices. 

 Amongst the many, they will not allow any boat to go 



