A WOMAN from the Netherlands has contacted Northside People to tell us of how she and her husband came across a fish box belonging to a Howth family.
Martina and Paolo Strada found the fish box from the Eblana fishing trawler while out walking on the beach in Noordwijk, a little coastal village where they live.
“It must have fallen off the boat quite some time ago,” said Ms Strada.
“We did not know how to get in touch with the Eblana but we discovered that Northside People published an article about the Eblana on March 13, 2013 with the title: ‘Deadliest catch arrives in Howth’.
“You wrote about the trawler Eblana and about their owners Peter and Brendan Lynch so we figured you should be able to get in touch with them.”
Ms Strada said she and her husband were “amazed” at the distance the fish box had travelled.
“I am sure it will be surprising also for Peter and Brendan,” she said.
“We would appreciate if you (Northside People) could contact Peter and Brendan and convey to them the picture attached, showing my husband with their fish box.
“Please let them know that we keep their fish box safe and they can pick it up any time.”
When contacted, John Lynch, who works on the Eblana alongside his brothers, said he wasn’t too surprised to hear of the find.
“Fish boxes go all over the world and this wouldn’t be that unusual,” he said. “We have an agent who sells our fish in the UK and we send ray and black sole to Belgium. You never know where they (fish boxes) could end up.
“I wouldn’t be sure how this one ended up there (the Netherlands). It’s a long way alright. It’s possible that it fell off our boat during one our journeys and found its way up the channel.”
Although fish boxes cost around €12 each Mr Lynch said the couple in the Netherlands who found this one can keep it.
“We won’t be looking for it back!” he joked.