Member Stories
Áine
Áine
Fleet Development
The Doherty family from Cruit Island in Co. Donegal has been part of the local and national fishing community for almost fifty years, with all seven brothers involved. Keeping the family tradition, the sons and grandsons of the Doherty family are now working in the industry. Joseph Doherty started fishing in 1966, aged 15, with his twin brother Michael, crewing on their older brother Seamus’s vessel. By the age of 19, Joseph had bought his first boat, ‘The Mary Buchán’. The family business developed through the purchase of the Serene and then the Frances Maria. The company was upgraded by the commission of his first steel hull in 1981. This ship, the Áine, then became the key pillar of the business.
The progression to the steel vessel was a critical step in the development of the Irish RSW fleet. The vessels being built at this time secured the track record and quotas that Ireland holds today on herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting.
Family Legacy
As a child, Ciaran Doherty, Skipper and KFO Chairman, was absorbed within the culture of fishing, going to sea with Joseph as a four-year-old. “My teenage years were spent cycling to the harbours to await the arrival of the boat to land fish and in 1992 I joined as a crew member aged 18”.
Ciaran completed his Skippers Ticket in 1995, enabling a natural progression to more responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the vessel. This helped him develop insight on quota utilisation to maximise best quality and price.
Generational Commitment
Aboard the current vessel, there is a crew of 11 with years of service from 20-40 years.Many of the crew are part of the Doherty family, while the remainder are with the company for such a lengthy period that they are considered family. Ashore there is a staff of four, with the eldest of the Doherty sisters, Joanne, managing administrative operations assisted by Helen and Marie. Like their brother, the sisters have grown up immersed in the culture of fishing and are now witnessing the development of an interest in fishing among their children. Joseph’s eldest grandson, Dean, is the first of the grandchildren to start fishing.
