One of the oldest residents of Fermanagh’s islands has died.

Aged in his nineties, Eric Cathcart, of West Island, Belle Isle, Lisbellaw died on Tuesday, August 27.

The Cathcart family have lived on the shores of Lough Erne for more than 300 years and have long been associated with the lough and its islands.

The family has a strong history associated with commercial fishing and boat building, with one passion being the building of traditional Lough Erne cots.

In an article for this newspaper in 2022, memories of Mr. Cathcart's time as a boat builder were shared, including how he joined with his brother to cut down oak and larch trees to build a cot.

The tree trunks were then towed to Enniskillen where they would be loaded onto a horse and cart and transported to sawmills.

After being planked to various sizes, the planks were placed on a boat, and the Cathcarts would then row back upstream – not using engines then – to the West Island, where the boat building was carried out.

Cot racing played a huge part in the lives of the people of Lough Erne at the time, with hundreds of spectators turning up to watch them when the tradition was at its fore.

Mr. Cathcart had the honour of cutting a ribbon when two community groups launched new hand-built traditional Fermanagh cots onto Lough Erne in 2022.

Mr. Eric Cathcart’s funeral will take place on Thursday, August 29 at St. Michael’s Parish Church, Derrybrusk, Lisbellaw at 2pm, followed by interment in the adjoining churchyard.

He is survived by his children, Ian, Denis, Helen and Andrew; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mr. Cathcart was predeceased by his wife, Jean Rachel, and by his siblings, Victor, Maggie, Sadie, Ernie, Eric, Alfie and Ina.