Tralee Bay Sea Angling Club

We have had close to 450 people view the content of this string in the Forum.

What are your views? What has been the impact of the closure of the Island been on you and your family? Are you a visitor to the area - if so what has been the impact on you? Do you own a business which is dependent upon visitors/ anglers - if so how has this affected you?

Please try to be objective in your comments - this website is visited by hundreds of people from all around the world each week.

Already we have had a number of very supportive emails wishing us success in the campaign to regain access to the Island.

This message from one of our regular UK website visitors is typical:

'Good luck with your Fenit island campaign.

Used to fish there thirty years ago when the weather was to wild too get out in the boat'.

Thanks Dave - and everyone else who has contacted us - please keep those messages coming.

Can I wish you all the very best for your protest walk to Fenit Island on the 13th. If I were able to be there I would, one of the most memorable shore fishing days of my life was spent there, and it is criminal that access is denied, who can seroiusly own a shoreline ?

Good luck to you all from the UK.

I think what is been done on Fenit island is a disgrace. Just because some person owns

a few fields they think they have the right to stop people walking around the

shoreline. Nobody wants to roam true fields just around the shoreline

and with the fences that have been put up all over the island make it so dangerous as I have seen for myself from going back there to do a bit of fishing one dayonly to be confronted by someone I did not know and was threatened that if I did not get off the island I would end up in the

water. I said nothing to this man as all I was doing was a bit of fishing and was not even in a field I was on the rocks. I feared for my life as the man got more and more aggressive. Eventually I left. The more I think about the fences being so dangerous one day they might prevent emergency crews getting to the back of the island to save a life if someone was washed ashore from a boat.

Just to say to you all on the protest good for you if I was a little bit closer I would be with you ,as it is I feel as one of the gang and believe give them an inch they take a mile . Once the mark is lost we will never get it back good luck lads and lasses.:P

ps see you  in September

The response to the community protest has been amazing. We have had expressions of support not only from Ireland but from all over Europe and beyond. Many - such as Matty above - are regular visitors to Kerry. Matty and his buddies from the North East of England are typical of the anglers who visit us on a regular basis and contribute significantly to our local economy. They also become good friends who really care about the place and issues like the denial of traditional access rights. Thank you all for your much valued support.

Many thanks to all those who have been in touch with the club pledging their support for the protest walk on Sunday - it has been overwhelming.

Everything is now in place for the walk and it looks like the weather will be kind to us on the day.

See you all on Sunday - then back to the Tankard for refreshments and the Ireland v France match.

It makes me very angry to think that one man can stop everyone going onto fenit island, i used to play on the island when i was young, what a great place for famlies to spend a day. Its hard to believe given the history and importants the village of fenit  has played down the years in our independents that this person can get away with taking a piece of it for himself.  Well done to everyone who is fighting to get it back.

Frank - thank you for your support Frank. Thank you also for your insightful comments regarding the part that Fenit has played throughout recent history to ensure freedom for all of its citizens. The protest today was a testiment to how valuable freedom is to the good people of Fenit and their hundreds of supporters. Thank you again.

Website 'traffic' has increased by a phenomenal 850% this week with the Fenit Island Community protest being the hot topic. Many hundreds of people have viewed the forum pages indicating a high degree of interest in this issue. Most traffic is from all around the Island of Ireland but we have had hundreds of 'hits' from supporters from all around the world. The struggle continues.

We are receiving loads of messages of support through our website - far too many to publish. This message from a regular visitor to the area for more than 10 years is typical of the mail we are receiving. "I think its great what you are doing down there in Kerry - standing up rights. Fenit Island access is so important - keep fighting - it's your rights."

martin mc gowan at February 5, 2011 at 4:32 PM

I think what is been done on Fenit island is a disgrace. Just because some person owns

a few fields they think they have the right to stop people walking around the

shoreline. Nobody wants to roam true fields just around the shoreline

and with the fences that have been put up all over the island make it so dangerous as I have seen for myself from going back there to do a bit of fishing one dayonly to be confronted by someone I did not know and was threatened that if I did not get off the island I would end up in the

water. I said nothing to this man as all I was doing was a bit of fishing and was not even in a field I was on the rocks. I feared for my life as the man got more and more aggressive. Eventually I left. The more I think about the fences being so dangerous one day they might prevent emergency crews getting to the back of the island to save a life if someone was washed ashore from a boat.

Martin - your experience is not untypical. We have had very many people report being confronted by an aggressive landowner when peacefully walking around the coastline of the Island. It is completely unacceptable to intimidate people - including elderly women walking alone - in this awful manner.