By Brian McDaid
THEY were teenagers the last time they were here together.
Fifty years on, as they talked of the happiest of family days spent on this very spot, the Saturday morning sun appeared briefly and cast their shadows on the jetty below them.
It’s as if their fathers, all fishermen, all the best of friends and all long passed on, had returned to this spot to listen to the stories they were recalling of great days on Glen Lake.
Michael Chance, Sean McIntyre, Billy Roarty and Peter McLoone had arranged to meet up last Saturday morning down at Glen Lake.
Billy now lives in Dublin and Peter lives in Co. Clare. Both regularly make the journey home and on one such journey back they happened to meet up in Mac’s Deli and struck up a conversation about childhood days spent fishing.
Then Sean McIntyre, who regularly frequents his brother Eunan’s cafe, joined in the conversation and the three Burma boys were soon hatching a plan to head down to Glen Lake.
Their fathers, Liam Roarty, Peter McLoone and John McIntyre, fished together for years. Billy had an old photo belonging to his father featuring the group, along with Major Neville Chance from Drumbarnett.
So the three sons decided to contact the Major’s son Michael Chance to take the trip down memory lane.
A photo of the late Liam Roarty all set for a day’s fishing.
As they arrived at Glen Lake it wasn’t long until the stories were flowing. The jetty has changed but the old fishing hut is still there.
Michael Chance talked about the first hut that his late father built which was made of turf, before it was rebuilt using blocks.
Michael had a box of old keys with him but none fitted the padlock on the door. In a way it worked out better because everyone took their turn to look in through a small louvred window, spotting the old kettle sitting by the fireplace, the old red faded formica-covered table, a small wooden pew and an old dresser with the glass reflecting their grown image of childhood memories.
Thirty-three years ago our photographer, Brian McDaid, covered the refurbishment of the new jetty and extended car park as a favour to his uncle Fr Mark Coyle.
Fr Mark, himself a keen fisherman, can be spotted in the back row of a photo which is almost 50 years old. It features the group of friends all geared up for a day’s fishing. Among them is the late Bishop Seamus Hegarty.
On the pier last Saturday morning, along with all memories recalled of fly fishing on the lake, taking care to navigate safely out past ‘Preacher’s Rock’ the photo from 50 years ago was recreated by the present day generation with our photographer Brian standing in for his late uncle Fr Mark.
One of the extra stories to be shared that morning was how Liam Roarty, Peter McLoone and Fr Mark all worked together in the old post office in Letterkenny which was located below where the Four Lanterns is at Lower Main Street.
An old photo taken at Glen Lake of the group of friends, including Bishop Seamus Hegarty, Peter McLoone, John McIntyre, Major Neville Chance, Fr Mark Coyle and Liam Roarty.
Fr Mark was then Nelius Coyle who worked as a telegram boy before moving up to the rank of postman.