A PASSIONATE Limerick angler, who has been fishing from the bridges in the city for almost all of his 77 years, has recreated a moment captured in time from 1959 and brought it into the 21st century.
Seanie Quinlivan from St Mary’s Park was entranced by a picture which used to hang in Treacy’s Shop in Nicholas Street, depicting a group of men fishing off Thomond Bridge in 1959.
“I recognised two of the men – my father, John ‘Jackie’ Quinlivan, and my uncle, Willie Quinlivan,” Seanie told the Limerick Post.
“When the shop was closing, Mike Treacy brought the picture down to me and gave it to me to keep.
“Limerick is the only city in the country that I know of where people fish off the bridges in the middle of town.
“When Ed Sheeran played a big concert in Thomond Park recently, the crowds were coming back over the bridge and hundreds of people asked me about the fishing. They were from all over the country, so it’s not something you see anywhere else. It’s special to Limerick.
“I’ve fished the bridges since I was a child and I’m doing it still. My two sons, John (Hulla) and Paul, fish with me now. It’s a passion of mine and it’s been a passion of Limerick people for generations.”
Seanie wanted to recreate the picture of his father to capture another moment in time and arranged for a group of fishing pals to join him and his sons in the same place 64 years later.
“I’ve had both of the pictures framed and now they will hang in St Mary’s Community Centre,” he says proudly.
“We’re unveiling the pictures on Wednesday October 18at 5.30pm and it would be great if anyone who thinks they might know anyone in the original picture were to come and see it.”
Anyone who recognises a face from 1959 can ring Seanie on 086 3027250
