The purpose of 'Barking' fishing nets was to preserve them during their life at sea. It was carried out until the introduction of synthetic fibre nets in the 1950 s. The 'barking' of nets was carried out in large cauldrons, or iron pots, which were filled with water. The bark substance was added, while a turf fire heated the container from underneath. The Barking Pan - Marie Coyne, Inishbofin Hertage Museum, Inishbofin, Connemara. The nets were immersed in the hot preservative substance for a few minutes and then spread out to dry. Barking was done at the start of the summer and regularly every few weeks during the fishing season. The Barking Pan at the Old Pier was used from the 1880 s until the arrival of synthetic fibre nets in the early 1950 s. It was used by the fishermen to bark their nets, to soak them in a tar like substance for a few minutes to preserve them, thus prolonging their life at sea. One would break up the bark with a hammer and add it to water in the pan, while a turf fire heated it from underneath and then soak the nets to preserve them.
After soaking the nets they would drape the large drift nets from the Nobbie boats along the sea wall to dry. In 1913 nets were purchased from the Barbour Threads Company in Lisburn, which was in operation until recently. On the west side of the barking pan there was a tap to let the liquid out when they were finished soaking the nets. ( The Nobby was introduced to Connemara in the late 1890s by the Congested Districts Board (C.D.B.) to provide a fully decked craft for more extended fishing trips than the hookers.). The sails of the Nobbie boats were spread out on the pier and the fishermen used a yard brush to paint the bark liquid on to them. They were folded up to soak the bark and were then spread out on the pier again to dry.
The CDB to the Congested Districts Board which was set up by Arthur Balfour in the West of Ireland to remedy the problems of isolation, poverty and unemployment introduced the Nobby to Bofin and rented them to the fishermen. Skippers came from Arklow to teach the local men how to sail them. Their headquarters were in Cork /Kerry.
During the Second World War, some fishermen would bark their nets east of the old pier in a big pot of water and bark. The bark was bought from McDonaghs in Galway. It came in Hemp sacks and was also named cutch.
A smaller round pot was used for barking just west of the main pan on the occasion where there were only a few smaller nets to bark.
A Barking Pan at the East End was located at the top of the pier, which was built in the 1890s by the C.D.B. A circle of grass marks the spot where it was located, which stands at the end of the pier. The fish curing station was built in 1897. A circle of grass marks the spot where it was located, which stands at the end of the pier. The fish curing station was built in 1897.
The Barking Pan at the North Beach was at the east end of the beach. In the early 1950 s the stones from it were used to build the present mountain wall. Beside the Barking Pan there was a sea rod-burning kiln. Sea rods (Kelp) were harvested from the sea and left to dry, before being burned in the kiln. The one at the north beach was the shape of a table and twice the size, though there were many different shapes and sizes. There were a number of holes to let the wind in to help the burning process. The kelp was transported to the mainland to factories where it was used in the production of soap and other commodities.
There are remains of a large cauldron - iron pot - at Cromwell's Barracks also on Inishbofin.
