The last voyage of the 'Naomh Oilibhear'.

I Came across this scene in the port of Arklow, which used to be one of the busiest ports in
Europe. Now it is full of ghosts, a graveyard of rusting trawlers, most of which have been decommissioned and are now awaiting destruction. This one is called the 'Naomh Oilibhear'
she has been fishing as far as the north sea for the last 35 years. As I stood and watched
this enormous boat being dismantled, I thought of what it had witnessed, the giant waves,
stormy weather, postcard sunsets, freezing winters and all those fish. How many fishermen
had walked its decks?. How many families had been supported by its catches? In a week it
would be reduced to piles of firewood, it would be nice to think that the ash from one of the
fires could be blown out to sea, home again.