Fail We May, Sail We Must
Fail We May, Sail We Must – the story of how a chance meeting in 2008 between Andrew Weatherall, the world-renowned DJ, producer and remixer, and Gerard Sheehy, a Co. Cork fisherman inspired Weatherall to use the phrase “Fail We May, Sail We Must” as a personal mantra and get it tattooed on his arms. The documentary tells how the phrase, in turn has become an inspiration for thousands of others. It details how in 2021, on the first anniversary of Weatherall’s death, Sheehy was identified as the source of the phrase and tells how the two disparate worlds of the music and fishing industries collided. First broadcast on UCC98.3FM, 17 February 2022.
Produced by Paul McDermott for Learn and Sing Productions
Sound Supervision by Kieran Hurley for UCC98.3FM
Featuring recollections from people who worked with Weatherall in Ireland over the years, the documentary also details how the phrase has encouraged others creatively and philosophically and has seeped into popular culture - inspiring everything from tattoos, art prints, t-shirts, graffiti to memes and murals. Listen to the documentary below Soundcloud:
Fail We May, Sail We Must — interviewees
Gerard Sheehy (fisherman)
Cian Ó Cíobháin (DJ and Broadcaster)
Greg Dowling (DJ and producer)
Stevie G (DJ and Broadcaster)
Joe Kelly (music promoter)
Tristan Orpen Lynch (manager of 90s Irish dance act Bumble)
Janet Keating (who was inspired to get a Fail We May tattoo)
Jack Collins (designer of a Fail We May print)
Archive interviews
Andrew Weatherall in conversation with Johnno Burgess
(courtesy of Johnno Burgess, Disco Pogo/Jockey Slut)
Kevin Shields in conversation with Karen Leng
(courtesy of Karen Leng, broadcaster and producer with ABC digital radio station Double J)
Background: In late February 2021, on the eve of Weatherall’s first anniversary, the social media hashtag #failwemaysailwemust once again began trending as people shared memories of Weatherall. An effort was launched online by DJ and broadcaster Cian Ó Cíobháin to try to track down the anonymous fisherman that Weatherall had credited with the inspiration for the phrase. A community of music fans, West Cork inhabitants, the Irish fishing community and local and National media shared news of the search far and wide. Eventually Gerard Sheehy, the captain of a trawler from Baltimore in Co. Cork came forward and revealed that he was the fisherman who had inspired the famous mantra “Fail We May, Sail We Must”.
The search for the mysterious fisherman was started by Cian at 10.45am on the 15 February 2021. Cian’s search played out on Twitter over 30 hours with hundreds of Tweets, replies, likes and shares. The identification of Gerard Sheehy as the fisherman made headlines nationally and internationally on Weatherall’s first anniversary. Below the search is summarised in 15 screenshots.
“McDermott’s documentary is about Weatherall and about his journeys with Sheehy, who drove him to and from Skibbereen to Cork Airport in exchange for a ticket to the festival. However, it is also about the wisdom of “Fail We May, Sail We Must” aphorism – and how that the truth to which it speaks only becomes obvious once you’ve been knocked around by life a little.
And it is a pilgrimage of sorts, as McDermott travels to meet Sheehy in his home of Baltimore. Afterwards, the narrator stops off at the famous white-painted stone beacon overlooking the harbour. And he reflects on all that has happened in his life since he last visited it at age seven, with his parents.” Ed Power
Fail we may, Sail we must
Ed Power in the Irish Examiner - 16 February 2022
Artwork by Jack Collins - based on his print which is available here.
Fail We May, Sail We Must
The documentary’s narrative arc concludes with a visit to Baltimore to meet Gerard Sheehy and a hike up to the Beacon.
The Baltimore Beacon
Photograph by Paul McDermott
In August 2022 Fail We May, Sail We Must was broadcast on the Australian radio station RBM89.1FM. As part of the broadcast Australian radio presenter Axel Moline interviewed me all about the production of the documentary.
Fail We May, Sail We Must ends with the Two Lone Swordsmen mix of Smokebelch - known as Smokebelch (for Ali) - from the Back to Basics Cut the Crap 3CD set. Alistair Cooke was one of the founders of Back to Basics, he died in a car crash in 1993. This mix is just stunning!
“If you’re not on the edge, you’re taking up too much room” - Andrew Weatherall.
As referenced in the documentary - Stevie G’s Screamadelica autographed by AW.
Photograph by Stevie G.
As part of “Love is a Stranger” at Ballymaloe Estate, Co. Cork on 19 March 2022 Siobhán Kane hosted a Fail We May, Sail We Must listening session.
After the playback Siobhán interviewed me about producing the documentary and a whole lot more.
