Three New Irish Record Fish smash existing records

It’s just been confirmed by the Irish Specimen Fish Committee that Sean Bannon, Co. Cork, who caught a Thick Lipped Mullet of 5.24 kg at Cork Harbour in May 2025, has smashed the existing record Thick Lipped Mullet by over 1 kg. Another record breaker is fellow Corkman  Clinton Rachman, who caught a superb 41.5 cm Shore Rockling in the Ballycotton area in February 2025. Slea Head produced a record Corkwing Wrasse of 26.5 cm for Dubliner Ronan Doherty. The just-published Irish Specimen Fish Committee report also celebrates anglers fishing Irish waters who caught hundreds of huge fish in 2025.

Over 500 exceptionally large fish of different species were caught by anglers from venues throughout Ireland in 2024. All fish were caught, weighed, measured and released. The main species were smaller shark species like Spurdog and Tope, large Skate, Thick Lipped Mullet and several species of Wrasse. In freshwater, Tench and River Pike dominated.

Details of all of these fish and current Irish record fish are in the Irish Specimen Fish Committee Report 2025, which has just been released. The Irish Specimen Fish Committee, which is supported by Inland Fisheries Ireland, is an independent all-Ireland voluntary body which verifies and records the capture of large fish caught on rod by anglers in freshwater and marine waters.

The report is available as a digital download for the moment, but hard copies will be available free of charge from Inland Fisheries Ireland offices nationally in the coming weeks.

The ISFC Awards Day, when anglers will be presented with their awards and certificates, will be held on 14^th February 2026 in Dublin.

Meanwhile, anglers both at home and abroad will be reading the report carefully to plan their angling trips to catch the big fish in Ireland in 2026.

View a copy of the 2025 report by clicking this link.

• ← ISFC awards day scheduled for for February 14, 2026

The Irish Specimen Fish Committee have announced that the awards ceremony for the 2025 season will be held in the Clayton Hotel Leopardstown on the 14th of February 2026 at 14.30.

You’re invited

All anglers who caught a specimen fish will be invited to attend to claim their cert and award.

Please note that the venue is Leopardstown (not the Airport Clayton where the event has been held in recent years).

Venue

Clayton Hotel, Leopardstown, Dublin, D18 K2P1

You can find us in Central Park, Sandyford – one of South Dublin’s largest business districts. It is easily accessible by car and is just off junction 14 of the M50. We are also the closest hotel to the Leopardstown Racecourse. It has great transport links around the city and surrounding areas. The Luas Green line is only a two-minute walk from the hotel. Taxis are available outside the main door most of the time. You may also book a taxi with our reception team.

Luas

The Luas Green line is only a two-minute walk from the hotel. The stop is ‘Central Park’ and can take you directly into Dublin City Centre in just 20 minutes.

• ← ISFC awards day scheduled for for February 14, 2026
• 2025 Irish Specimen Fish Committee Annual Report Published →