ALAN KENNY
25th FEBRUARY 2021

It is hard to believe that Alan Kenny is no longer with us! Alan was a great guy, first and foremost a family man and then a fisherman. Alan was a great friend of the Irish Fly Fair, supporting the IFF, promoting the fly fair. Coming up to a fair, Alan would telephone just to make sure everything was going well, and to ask if there was anything he could do to help in any way .... anyone who knew Alan knew that he spoke very very fast ... and I would have to ask him to slow down so that I could understand him! I could only catch every other word ... I'd say slow down Alan ... he would say ... you need to listen a bit faster Elaine!!

Alan was so proud of his sons, Fionn and Lorcan, he really was a good Dad, taking them fishing, teaching them to tie flies, teaching them the skills of woodwork. At the 2019 Swords Fishing Show, which was in February I had the pleasure of tying in the same Fly tyers row as Alan and I commented on his beautiful fly box, when the Irish Fly Fair came round that year, in November, Alan and his sons presented me with a beautiful hand made fly box, Alan was so proud that his boys had helped him make it, its now one of my prized pocessions. For the Virtual Fly Fair in 2020 I asked the Fly Fishing Community to make short videos reaching out to say hello to everyone, when Alans arrived it was of Fionn and Lorcan sitting at their vices tying flies and shouting hello.

RIP Alan, you are missed by all your friends at The Irish Fly Fair.
Elaine Munn 2023



BELOW Alans Bio from 2019

My Father introduced my brothers and I to the waters edge, at a tender age five. ‘Fishing’ became my obsession, itis now was my passion. My heart is HOOKED. I grew up a stones throw away from my local river in north Kilkenny, Ireland, I have not moved! And I still fish these rivers with my Dad and my brothers. It was six years before I held my first ‘Fly Rod’ - This was for me the ‘True’ method of fishing. I was now, a student of nature. Surrounded by hatches… I looked and fell in love with the wonders of form and environment. The Hatches.

‘I started tying flies’ after studying the behaviour of various seasons, the appetite of fish. ‘Life’ on the river’s ‘life’ on the lakes. The birth of nature. As any ‘Fly Tyer’ would do with the creations on the vice… I matched the hatch as close as possible as I studied the real deal in the palm of my hand. There is a very special feeling when you ‘Strike’ a fish with a fly you have created! When someone reports back that they have success on a fly that you formed… that’s powerful. A smile beckons.

I am forever experimenting with new materials, creating patterns, improvising my tying for rivers and lakes. The results from others have been amazing… and I cherish every report! I do put in the hours on my Vice!

I am currently an Administrator of an exciting Facebook group called ‘Fishbook’ (Ireland) where I post my finished work, demonstration videos and offer advice to thousands of ‘Like- Minded’ members. My partner in this site is Sid Rainey.

We hope to grow the site over the next few years. But for now… I hope this short BIO serves as an introduction to what I love. Fly-fishing, fly-tying and the beauty of an amazing way of life. Alan will be tying at IDFFA (Irish Disabled Fly Fishing Association) stand. Call and have a chat.


Partridge, Cadence,  Fishpal, Veniard, Regal Vise, Ahrex Hooks & Semperfli Sponsors of The Irish Fly Fair 2023