Council removes rat-ridden trawler from scenic Waterford pier

Boat at Tinabinna pier had become badly deteriorated and a target for fly-tippers, many of whom would arrive in the dead of night with bags of domestic refuse

The abandoned trawler at Tinabinna pier in Waterford.

Waterford City and County Council has removed an abandoned trawler from a scenic pier-side location where it had been berthed for over 20 years.

The short pier, at Tinabinna, some 60m from Youghal bridge, offers a panoramic view of the Blackwater estuary and is a popular spot for tourists attracted to the view, as well as being a popular fishing spot.

The boat had become badly deteriorated and a target for fly-tippers, many of whom would arrive in the dead of night with bags of domestic refuse.

Former Coastguard officer and renowned Youghal ‘Town Crier’ Cliff Winser, who lives on the pier, said rats were “frequently seen scuttling about the wreck”.

The trawler was one of a fleet of 88 BIM ‘50-footers’ that were promoted by the Irish Sea Fisheries Association and Bord Iascaigh Mhara to enhance Ireland’s struggling fishing fleet between the 1950s and 1970s.

The boats were credited with boosting the fishing industry and creating a surge in employment amidst a time of massive emigration from coastal communities.

A Waterford council spokesperson said efforts to trace the boat’s last owner had “proved unsuccessful” and the council “under statutory requirements” had placed notices on the craft advising that it would be removed unless claimed within a certain timeframe.

Youghal engineering company B & C Services, on contract to the local authority, used a JCB to demolish the trawler before removing it and clearing the area.

Mr Winser, 78, says he was “very grateful” to have the boat gone. 

“It had become very difficult to deal with the sight of it every day”, he says.