One of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most beloved songs, Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s, written by native son Otto Kelland in 1947, will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (CSHF) at the 37th East Coast Music Awards Gala at Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s on Thursday, May 8.
 
Performing the ballad as part of the induction ceremony will be well-known and multi award-winning Newfoundland and Labrador Irish folk group, The Irish Descendants, who are celebrating 35 years this year.

“Let Me Fish Off Cape St Mary’s is the quintessential NL folk song! It embodies all the elements of this place that we cherish and hold dear,” says Con O’Brien, lead singer of The Irish Descendants. “Of all the songs we have sung there is none more powerful than what we affectionately call The Cape. And I’m proud to say that Otto Kelland always said that The Irish Descendants version of his song was his favourite.” 
 
The Irish Descendants’ version was a duet with Con O’Brien and John McDermott and was included on the 1997 Certified Gold, JUNO award-winning recording, Gypsies and Lovers. 

“A masterwork of Canadian songwriting, Let Me Fish Off Cape St. Mary’s so vividly captures the identity, pride, and resilience of Newfoundland and Labrador’s outport communities,” says Nick Fedor, Executive Director of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. “Otto Kelland’s deeply poetic lyrics and haunting melody have become part of our national musical fabric, passed down through generations and resonating far beyond the Atlantic coast. We are honoured to celebrate this timeless ballad and Kelland’s enduring legacy at the East Coast Music Awards in St. John’s, the place that inspired it all.”