Linking the City to Estuary and Sea
One of our objectives is to facilitate Limerick City and County’s embracing the splendour and vitality of the estuary in a dynamic and imaginative way, with an outreach even to distant Kerry and Clare. Already, and particularly since the Limerick Floating Dock was built in 1853, sea going trading ships, up to 4,000 tons, come up river to a few hundred metres of O’Connell Street. We join with the port authorities in making this maritime engagement more celebratory and widely shared.
Estuary routes that could be restored include the riverine connections between Limerick City and Askeaton, Loghill, Foynes, Adare, Coonagh, Shannon Airport, Bunratty, Ennis (Clarecastle), Killadysert, Labbasheeda, Kilrush, Scattery Island, Kilbaha, Kilkee, Ballylongford, Tarbert, and Glin, as well as the connections between each of these places with each other. There are many more stone piers along the Estuary, like Ringmoylan and Ballysteen Piers, which could also be used. The strong tidal ebbs and flows, when skilfully managed, continue to offer a great energy subsidy to such a venture, and further emphasise the elemental dimension of Limerick’s unique, theatrical and commanding position on sea, river and land, as Ireland’s Midland Seaport. We need to go with the flow, and all the riches of the earth will come to us. The magic and buoyancy of water are no strangers in places where decisions are made on hard currency flows and buoyant economies.
Settle in to your Gandelow in Limerick City with the ebbing tide, be at the mouth of the Maigue as it turns, and come up to Adare on the rising tide to be in time for dinner. Stay the night and come back to Limerick as your mood or the Moon decrees.