The Mayo News

A 95-year old Castlebar man is the talk of the county after making it to the World Cup fishing finals in Ballinrobe. 95-year-old Tom reels in the years


Veteran angler defies age to make World Cup fishing final

Edwin McGreal

NINETY-FIVE year old Castlebar man Tom Ketterick is the talk of Mayo today after getting the better of many men less than half his age to qualify and compete in yesterday’s (Monday) World Cup fishing finals in Ballinrobe.
And Tom has proven that age should be no barrier to success - this weekend was the first time he made it to the finals after competing in the prestigious competition on Lough Mask in every decade since the 1950s.
The great-grandfather competed in Friday’s heat - described by organisers as the worst day of the weekend - and qualified thanks to his quarry of a 1lb 14oz trout. That was enough to put him in the top 25% of catches from the day and send him into yesterday’s final of one of Europe’s premier fishing events.
His success has made Tom something of a local celebrity and the National Grandparents Pilgrimage (NGP) are planning to invite ‘the inspirational grandfather’ as a guest of honour to the third annual Pilgrimage at Knock Shrine on Sunday, September 13.
“Tom is an inspiration to all grandparents and what he has done this weekend sets a terrific example,” said NGP founder Catherine Wiley.
And Tom’s formula for long-life? Fairly straightforward actually.
“I never drank or smoked. I eat plenty of fruit and I go to bed early and get up early. I go to bed around 11 o’clock, unless I’m playing cards,” he reveals.
The card playing takes up a fair bit of his time - Tom manages to fit in four card games a week. Whist and 25 are his games choice and he plays three times in Ballina - where he now lives with his daughter Gaye Hendry, her husband Liam and their son Colm - and once in Crossmolina.
And to add to his remarkable story Tom is still driving as good as ever. He made the 80 mile round trip to Ballinrobe in his Opel Astra twice over the weekend and regularly goes to Sligo to watch Sligo Rovers play.
Sports people in Mayo might be familiar with Tom - he was involved in the formation of Castlebar Celtic in the 1920s - and his passion for football remains unquenched over 80 years later.
He’s a Vice-President of Sligo Rovers and President of Castlebar Celtic and actively supports both clubs. He asks could he be the oldest active fisherman and football supporter in the country?
“I wonder am I the oldest football supporter and oldest fisherman in the country? I’d be curious to find out if there’s anyone as old as me but I’d be close enough to being the oldest,” chuckles the man who turns 96 on September 5.
Tom has been a guest of the Ballinrobe-based World Cup Trout Angling Championships for the past number of years - an invitation he is very grateful to Paddy Burke Snr for offering and his achievement this year have delighted organisers.
“What he has done is utterly amazing for a man of 95 years of age,” said Denis Kelleher, PRO of the Ballinrobe World Cup Committee.
Yesterday afternoon his daughter Gaye, was waiting to hear how Tom had fared in the final when The Mayo News caught up with her.
“He has never been into mobiles so it won’t be until later tonight that we find out how he did. He’s been lucky in life but not lucky when it comes to winning things,” she chuckled.
Tom, who has lived in Ballina with Gaye, his only child, since 1973 shortly after his wife died, is ever active according to his daughter.
“He’s on the go all the time. He is up early every day and goes to 9.30am Mass every morning during the week and then he goes and does his own thing and I don’t see him until dinner. He plays cards locally, whist and 25 would be his games. He’s quite the card player - he’s not slow in telling people how to play,” she added with a laugh.
A total from 564 competitors from at least seven different countries are taking part in the event and 116 of those qualified for yesterday’s final.

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