The Fishing Daily Podcast – Series 5, Episode 04
The Fishing Daily Podcast features Managing Editor Oliver McBride in conversation with Director/Producer Maggie Breathnach of Red Shoe Productions and boat owner Johnny Walsh, discussing the new bilingual TV series Tarrac na Farraige, which explores the lives, challenges, and culture of Ireland’s fishing industry.
A new RTÉ documentary series, “Tarrac na Farraige,” is drawing praise from Ireland’s fishing industry for its honest, human portrayal of life at sea — and for raising long-overdue questions about political support, public education, and cultural value.
The four-part series, created by award-winning producer Maggie Breathnach, offers an intimate look at coastal Ireland through the eyes of fishermen like Johnny Walsh, who features prominently. Breathnach, speaking on The Fishing Daily podcast, said the series was driven by “passion more than anything else” and the desire to ensure the story of Ireland’s fishing industry is told by those who live it — not, as she put it, by “fancy wellies from Dublin.”
“We’re an island nation. Fishing is part of our culture,” said Breathnach. “And yet, there’s a lack of education and political understanding of what this sector means — not just economically, but socially and historically.”
The series, which airs Thursdays on RTÉ and is also available on RTÉ Player, was shot with a single cameraman, Seamus, whose background in fishing was considered essential to capturing the subject authentically.
Johnny Walsh, skipper and lifelong fisherman, echoed these sentiments. “The media usually brings a negative view of the fishing industry,” he said. “But this was different. Maggie and the team did it right. They listened, they understood.”
He also pointed to the chronic impact of Brexit and quota cuts. “We lost 25% of our quota, just like that. Our politicians weren’t even at the table. It’s been death by a thousand cuts ever since.”
Walsh emphasised the ripple effects of vessel decommissioning: “When boats go, so do the jobs in engineering, welding, and the boatyards. We’re losing the next generation — not just fishermen, but skilled trades.”
Both Walsh and Breathnach made a passionate case for including fishing in the national education system. “Get us into schools,” said Walsh. “Let the kids handle fish, learn the anatomy, see a working harbour.”
Breathnach called for a nationwide campaign to bring the documentary into classrooms and communities: “If even ten schools start something, we’ve made a difference. If we can get someone in the Midlands worried about fishing policy, then we’re doing our job.”
The series also highlights the disconnect between Ireland’s role as a major seafood provider and its political marginalisation in Europe. “We don’t have a permanent seat on the EU Fisheries Committee,” said McBride. “Even Turkey has one.”
Breathnach concluded: “This is just the start. We hope for a second series — and maybe a campaign to go with it. Because once people see it, they care. And if they care, they fight.”