Roving Leader: Cast away with Cashel Angling Club

A club first formed in 2001 due to the long-held interest in fishing held by many members of the Newtowncashel locality, the Cashel Angling club has grown bigger and better every year and now boasts between 70-80 members.

“It was founded by a group of locals that were fishing for a number of years and decided to form a club,” James Flynn, PRO of the club told the Leader.

Their base is located at Barley Harbour on the banks of the beautiful Lough Ree in Newtowncashel and James says there is a real family feel about the club, having first joined himself alongside his father Seamus in 2003.

“Barley Harbour is where we run all of our competitions from,” James explained.

“My Dad Seamus and Myself purchased a boat and engine in 2003 when we joined the club and won a few competitions together, which was great.”

James explained it is not only men who join, with many competition partnerships made up of varying family combinations.

“Fishing is for people of all types, anybody can compete. It is nice to see.

“You see husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, all combinations of family members competing together. That is something you wouldn’t be able to say for every sport.”

The group not only host an annual open pike fishing competition every November, with€2,500 in prize money up for grabs, but also a number of trout fishing competitions throughout the year, not to mention the occasional social activity.

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James: “We try to run a competition every month. The trout season runs from the first of March to September 30th, so during those months we mainly hold trout competitions and then outside of the trout season it is pike competitions.”

The group are now friends rather than fishing colleagues and like to depart on many social fishing excursions to different places in Ireland during the year. They recently took a sea-fishing trip out to Inis Mór on the Aran Islands.

“It was fantastic,” said James of the fishing trip.

Anybody interested in joining the bustling angling club can do so by contacting chairman, Martin Casserly, on 083-8259465 or by email at cashelangling@gmail.com.

“For people from the area, it is right on our doorstep. Barley Harbour is only a few miles away from most places in Newtowncashel.

“It is something that if you have an interest in it, it stays with you forever and you can do it for a lifetime. Mothers and fathers, if they have a child with an interest in fishing, should bring them, as it might be something that stays with them for a long time,” James added.