Fishing
Alongside agriculture, fishing was for many centuries a mainstay of the Manx way of life, and many crofters alternated between the two according to the season. In 1883 it was estimated that some 3500 people were directly or indirectly employed in the fishing industry and overall perhaps a quarter of the Manx population depended upon fishing for its livelihood.
 | A Peel fishing vessel, around the end of the 19th Century |
At this time the chief catch was herring, which went to produce the world famous Manx kippers, and Manx boats would regularly make the long journey down to the herring grounds off Kinsale, Ireland. The life was arduous and full of risk. A stormy week could mean that the boat would return empty, and even if the catch were good, the crew faced the fury of the wind and the sea. With so much risk involved, it was little wonder that fishing was inextricably bound up with folklore and superstition.
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