Mayo musicians to present show remembering Achill shark industry

A Mayo traditional Irish music group have produced a musical response to the Achill's Basking Shark fishing industry with shows to take place over the Halloween Bank Holiday weekend.

The group known as the Achill Sound have produced 'Achill Island, Basking Shark Fishermen' which is focused on preserving the oral history and stories of the basking shark industry on Achill Island during the 20th century.

The Achill shark fishing industry was at its height throughout the 1950s and '60s with hundreds of sharks killed off the coast every year for their liver which contained valuable oil.

Keem Bay which is now known as one of the world's best scenic and beautiful beaches was at the heart of the industry with boats launched from the beach to hunt the shark.

The hunting of the world's second largest shark ended over 40 years ago and the Basking Shark is once again a common sight around the waters of Keem Bay and a major tourist attraction.

Achill-based musician Graham Sweeney and Glasgow-based producer John Michael Berry, whose family also hails from the island, are the duo behind The Achill Sound. Following the release of their first album Isle of the Eagle in August 2023, their aim with this project is to continue their shared objective of keeping Achill's history and culture alive.

Graham Sweeney explained that his family had a large involvement in the industry, which is why I viewed it with a heavy heart and anger.

“It is only in recent years that I see both sides of the story; on a quiet island with little industry, forcing many people to leave home for work, you cannot blame them for wanting to survive and support their families. There was not a great understanding of damaging a species towards extinction. All that the local people knew was survival. I want to shine a light on the days gone by by recording as many first-hand accounts and stories as possible. While some community members recall 'the glory days of shark fishing', others mourn the loss of these magnificent, harmless giants of the ocean,” he explained.

Proudly supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, the live presentation of the Achill Island, Basking Shark Fishermen project will include audio-visuals by producer John Michael Berry, and traditional and newly composed Irish music by Graham Sweeney (guitar and vocals), Lisa Fukuda (fiddle) and Johnny Butler (uilleann pipes).

These musicians are part of The Achill Sound collective and have a personal connection to keeping history and culture alive. This unique approach will be a woven piece of traditional art forms into immersive live musical performances.

Achill Island, Basking Shark Fishermen will be presented in Grove House, Westport as part of Westival on October 26 at 6pm and the following day, October 27 in The Wavecrest, Dooagh, Achill Island at 7.30pm.