Irvine & Jonathon's Itinerary

1.Enniskillen and the Butter Market
2.Flytying and Fishing Tackle
3.Lough Erne
4.Devenish Island

Meet Irvine & Jonathon | Q&A

Question: Irvine, Can you tell me about growing up living on an island?

Answer: The island I grew up on is known as the "Island of the Oaks." The winters were long and cold, and fishing was difficult but the summers were heaven. It was very peaceful, you never got annoyed by neighbours and if visitors were coming they would have to let you know by sending you a letter in advance. We used to fish on wooden boats built called clinker boats. My grandfather was a boat builder and he lived in another house on the other side of the island.
   
Question: Jonathon, you have a thorough knowledge of the history pertaining to Devenish Island. What did the monks essentially do during their time here?

Answer: Monks were the main source of photocopying back then (laughs). I suppose they were the pioneers of education on the island. Fair, to say they were providers of the earliest educational system in the country - about six hundred years ago.
   
Question: Irvine you're an avid lake angler for thirty or forty years, any legendary story you could share with us?

Answer: Well yeah, I've been a fisherman all my life and I could tell you dozens of stories, though I'm not sure if any of them are publishable. I'll tell you a story about a ghost who used to help me with my maths homework. The five of us kids would be sitting downstairs doing our homework on the kitchen table and one day my brother heard a knocking on the stairway above. It's a ghost he says (laughs), and I says, ask him is six plus six twelve and see if he'll tell you the answer? And right enough, he did. And so he did for years; long division, big sums, the whole lot. We would just try the sum and hold up the answer. If the sum was wrong we'd hear one knock on the stairs, if right, we'd hear one.
   
Question: I could do with going out there; I'm terrible at maths. So tell me a little more about island life Irvine.

Answer: Making that film was the first time I was ever actually on Devinish Island, and you know, it's so peaceful, your imagination could run away with you. And there's ferries go out to that island regularly. And if you would prefer, you can charter your own boat and take your own tour of the islands. But after my grandmother was drowned in that lake at only thirty three, you'd be advised to wear a life jacket.