Albert Annett pictured here in the 1930s with his Morris 8 car. Albert had a natural talent with engines and started business based around the small but growing fleet in Kilkeel harbour.
1910 – Present Day
Albert Annett pictured here in the 1930s with his Morris 8 car. Albert had a natural talent with engines and started business based around the small but growing fleet in Kilkeel harbour.
The Annett family have played an important part in the history of Kilkeel harbour. As the harbour began to develop over time, so did the secondary industries. In 1942 Albert Annett was a fitter in the Ulster Transport Authority, the forerunner to Ulsterbus, the regional transport company. In the evenings, Albert would return from his work in Newry and go down to the harbour and use his experience with engines on the fishing boats performing maintenance and fitting part for the various skippers.
Albert went to work with Grahams who owned a workshop at the top of the harbour road. Hubert would go on to own the business with his brother Brian, at the height of the business their workshop employed 15 people.
Hubert’s sons have followed their father into maritime careers. The eldest Geoffrey had worked with his father in the family business until it closed. He then got a berth as Engineer on the M.V. Voyager, one of the largest fishing vessels in Europe, owned by the Mc Cullough family of Kilkeel. Andrew Annett is still fishing from Kilkeel on his vessel the ‘Careen’, and the youngest David works for the University of Liverpool. There he is Captain of the R.V. ‘Marisa’, a research vessel that is used by various departments of the University, and is also hired out for scientific research trips. Hubert’s son Richard was Engineer on Andrew Orr’s Havilah for a while but did not enjoy it, and three years ago immigrated to Saskatchewan in Canada, where he works as an Engineer maintaining the fleet of Plant Hire vehicles for Hertz.
Hubert’s Brother Brian almost ended up in Canada. He had spent two years fishing, but was not enjoying it and was at the point of leaving. He ended up staying at home and joined the family firm in 1970, where he stayed until he and his brother sold the business in 2000. Brian’s son Trevor is the skipper of the ‘Atlantic’ fishing boat, which has Kilkeel as its home harbour.
Their story is very much reflective of the close relationship between the fishing boats and the rest of the businesses at the harbour. It is a dual relationship, and as fishing has changed and declined over the years, so too has engineering, processing, selling. It is still living though, and will continue to change through the years.
THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN PART-FINANCED BY THE