Chris, believe it or not I was asking the same questions on behalf of a mate in Sligo (!) last week and the answer is yes, mainly on the southern coast of the UK and Ireland, from June to as late as December, later the further north you go, and ideally you need a bit of kit called a "murderer", which is akin to mackerel feathers except that it has a seires of small hooked spiked on the body of the lures rather than hooks... from what I can glean elsewhere it is very hit and miss but fishing very close to the the bottom and seemingly over sand also seems to be the best bet. Mackerel feathers will also take squid is they are there but they have a habit of falling off or letting go as they near the surface...