Ten photographs from Clare and Kerry in new visitor guides for tourists

The Cascades at Ennistymon … one of my photographs in the new ‘Co Clare Visitor Guide’ edited by Sally Davies (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

The site SmartTraveller365 is an online tourist service in Ireland providing tourists and visitors to Ireland with free online services and information on what to see and do in Ireland.

The SmartTraveller365 website and service include smart phone coupons that offer shopping and entrance discounts at many of Ireland’s top attractions, shops and experiences.

Sally Davies, Senior Manager of Irish County Visitor Guides with SmartTraveller365, is producing a new series of colourgul, slimeline, ocket-size and user-friendly visitor guides that now include: the Co. Clare Visitor Guide, the County Kerry Visitor Guide, the West Cork Visitor Guide and the West Cork Visitor Guide.

Nine of my photographs have been published as part of the Co. Clare Visitor Guide, and one more also appears in the County Kerry Visitor Guide.

The Harbour at Ballyvaughan … one of my photographs in the ‘Co Clare Visitor Guide’ edited by Sally Davies (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Initially, Sally Davies asked to use just one or two of my photographs from my blog. But eventually, she decided to use nine of my photographs in the 64-page Co. Clare Visitor Guide she has edited and one in her guide to Co Kerry.

I am reluctant to allow my photographs to be used commercially. Businesses need to be realistic about their costings and margins, and professional photographers need to be paid for their work, without being undercut by amateurs who use their phones for images on social media. I am also anxious to retain the copyright of my own creative work, and certainly do not want my work being used to promote religious, social, political or business values I would not otherwise endorse.

On the other hand, I firmly believe in promoting small, local enterprises of the sort that are facilitated by guides like guidebooks such as these new publications, and it is a pleasure to be involved in areas that I know so well.

During my five years in parish ministry in west Limerick and north Kerry, living in the rectory in Askeaton, my parochial areas included parts of the River Shannon and some of the islands in the estuary – although I was never quite sure which islands, such as Scattery or Canon Island were in my parishes and which were linked with my colleagues.

Tarbert in Co Kerry was at the heart of Kilnaughtin parish, and the ferry across the mouth of the Shannon to Killimer brought me directly to many of the places described in the latest Co. Clare Visitor Guide.

My role as Precentor in the chapters of the Diocesan Cathedrals also made me familiar with the two cathedrals in Co Clare, in Killaloe and Kilfenora. In addition, I was eager during those years to explore Comerford family stories in many parts of Co Clare, including Miltown Malbay, Spanish Point and Ballyvaughan.

So I was delighted that Sally Davies has used nine of my photographs in her Co. Clare Visitor Guide, which arrived a few days ago. These photographs are of:

• the Duck Inn in Sixmilebridge (p 7)

• the Teardrop Memorial, Kilkee (p 26)

• the Cascades at Ennistymon (p 36)

• Quin Abbey (p 38)

• Canon Island Abbey (p 38)

• Canon Island (p 46)

• Scattery Island (p 47)

• and two photographs of the beach and harbour at Ballyvaughan (p 49).

Georgie Comerford is remembered as Miltown Malbay’s greatest-ever footballer … he played for four counties and two provinces

In addition, the pages on Miltown Malbay in this new publication include the story of Georgie Comerford (p 31), a sporting star in the 1930s, drawing on biographical details and images on my blog:

Teenage Years
Underage Success

• In 1929 George captained Clare to win the inaugural All Ireland minor championship

.. In the Munster final Clare defeated Waterford 1-6 to 0-4

.. In the All-Ireland final Clare defeated Longford 5-3 to 3-5, with George scoring 1-2 of the Clare total from full forward

.. This remains Clare’s only All-Ireland title at this grade.

• In 1930 George was on the Clare minor team that retained the Munster title defeating Tipperary 2-1 to 1-3, but Clare were unable to repeat success at All-Ireland level.

Georgie Comerford is remembered as Miltown Malbay’s greatest ever footballer and played for four counties and two provinces …

In addition, Sally Davies has used one of my photographs in another guide to Co Kerry. My photograph of the Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church in Cahersiveen appears on p 42 in the 76-page County Kerry Visitor Guide.

The ‘Duck Inn’ at Sixmilebridge … one of my photographs in the ‘Co Clare Visitor Guide’ edited by Sally Davies (Photograph: Patrick Comerford,)

• The SmartTraveller365 guides are available to read online and to download HERE

Ieverstown House is 250 years old and needs a little imagination

Ieverstown House on Fair Green, Sixmilebridge … now on the market but in need of restoration (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)

Patrick Comerford

Ieverstown House, facing the Fair Green in Sixemilebridge, Co Clare, is a fine old town house, built around 1730-1770, and standing on a prominent corner site in a pretty market town.

When I visited Sixmilebridge about nine months ago [September 2017], I noted that this is a curious detached, five-bay, two-storey house with dormer attic, and while ‘it now seems to be crumbling, it must have been an attractive townhouse in the past.’

Now Ieverstown House has come on the market for sale by private treaty and with an asking price of €290,000.

Although the house was occupied until recently, it is in need of rextensive repair, restoration and renovation work. Yet, this is an interesting opportunity for someone to buy an interesting Georgian house in the heart of Sixmilebridge yet within commuting distance of Limerick, Shannon, Ennis or even Galway.

Sixmilebridge is half-way between Limerick and Ennis, just off the main N18 road, on the old ‘back road’ between Limerick and Ennis. You may think this is a pretty, sleepy village, but the commercial core of Sixmilebridge has tripled in size in recent years, with many new retail units and businesses, along with hundreds of new houses.

Sixmilebridge is often referred to locally as ‘The Bridge’ and the full time in Irish is Droichead Abhann Uí gCearnaigh (‘Bridge of the River of O’Kearney’). The ‘six-mile’ part of the name alludes to the fact that this place is about six Irish miles from Thomondgate in Limerick. Donough O’Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond, built the bridge in 1610 – and from then until 1804, when the bridge at Bunratty was built, traffic between Limerick and Ennis passed through Sixmilebridge.

The village has wide streets and large squares that were laid out by the O’Brien family from the 17th century. By the end of the 17th century, development was linked to the industrialisation of the area as people of Dutch origin found the river very suitable for milling. The east of the village was once its commercial part, with water powered mills, a brewery, a market house and a fair green.

Sixmilebridge became a river port where goods including rape seed oil and soap were exported and imported by boat from the mills just south of the village. Boats from Amsterdam sailed up the river almost as far as the town in the 17th and 18th centuries. But by the early 18th century the town had gone into decline and the river trade came to an end in 1784 when Henry d’Esterre built a toll bridge at Rosmanagher.

According to local tradition, the fatal duel between Daniel O’Connell and John d’Esterre in 1815 arose from Daniel O’Connell’s refusal to pay the toll. However, the duel arose from a speech by O’Connell to the Catholic Board in 1815, when he described the Dublin Corporation as beggarly. At the time, d’Esterre was near bankruptcy and took this as a personal insult. He challenged O’Connell, and died two days after the duel at Bishop’s Court, Kildare.

In 1852, a magistrate and eight soldiers of the 31st Regiment escorted 18 people to Sixmilebridge to vote for Colonel Vandeleur, the conservative candidate in the Co Clare. In the ensuing affray, six people were killed and eight were wounded, one of whom later died.

Many of the old buildings in Sixmilebridge have been preserved and have found new uses.

The former Church of Ireland parish church of Kilfinaghty, dating from 1810 and designed by the Pain brothers, was restored in 2001 and is now an award-winning library.

The Old House Bar, which stands opposite Ieverstown House on Fair Green, was built around 1775. This was the birthplace in 1917 of Dr Brendan O’Regan, who had the vision for developing much of the Shannon Region. The Mill Bar on Frederick Square dates from around 1770, but has a stone plaque reading ‘Frederick Square 1733.’ The former woollen mills are now apartments.

An attractive feature in Sixmilebridge is the highly decorated but functional ‘duck inn’ on the O’Garney River, close to Ieverstown House. This is a floating raft with glass windows and painted walls. It houses the ducks during winter and is also where their locally consumed eggs are hatched and collected. It forms part of the tourist trail of Sixmilebridge.

Ierverstown House is for sale through Sherry Fitzgerald O’Donovan of Shannon, Co Clare.

Ieverstown House … in need of restoration, but with potential (Photograph: Sherry Fitzgerald O’Donovan)

The old bridges, mills and ducks on the river at Sixmilebridge

Sixmilebridge, with it wide streets and large squares that were laid out by the O’Brien family from the 17th century (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017; click on image for full-screen view)

Patrick Comerford

On our way to Shannon Airport earlier this week to meet family members who are staying at the Rectory in Askeaton, two of us stopped for lunch in the pretty small town of Sixmilebridge in Co Clare, half-way between Limerick and Ennis.

The village is a just off the main N18 road, but is on the old ‘back road’ between Limerick and Ennis. If you think this is a pretty, sleepy village, then perhaps this is because Sixmilebridge is also a dormitory town for Limerick, Ennis and Shannon.

The village of Kilmurry is also part of the Sixmilebridge parish. But the commercial core of Sixmilebridge has tripled in size in recent years, with many new retail units and businesses, along with hundreds of new houses too.

Sixmilebridge is often referred to locally as ‘The Bridge’ and the full time in Irish is Droichead Abhann Uí gCearnaigh (‘Bridge of the River of O’Kearney’). The ‘six-mile’ part of the name alludes to the fact that this place is about six Irish miles from Thomondgate in Limerick.

Archaeological evidence points to prehistorical settlement here from as early as the Bronze Age, with ringforts, mounds, enclosures and wedge tombs in the area.

The Mills on the O’Garney River at Sixmilebridge (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

The original village grew up around a crossing place on the O’Garney River, which flows through the village. Donough O’Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond, built the bridge in 1610 – and from then until 1804, when the bridge at Bunratty was built, traffic between Limerick and Ennis passed through Sixmilebridge.

The village has wide streets and large squares that were laid out by the O’Brien family from the 17th century. By the end of the 17th century, development here was linked to the industrialisation of the area as people of Dutch origin found the river very suitable for milling. The east of the village was once its commercial part, with water powered mills, a brewery, a market house and a fair green.

Sixmilebridge became a river port where goods including rape seed oil and soap were exported and imported by boat from the mills just south of the village. Boats from Amsterdam sailed up the river almost as far as the town in the 17th and 18th centuries. But by the early 18th century the town had gone into decline and the river trade came to an end in 1784 when Henry d’Esterre built a toll bridge at Rosmanagher.

According to local tradition, the duel between Daniel O’Connell and John d’Esterre in 1815 arose from Daniel O’Connell’s refusal to pay the toll. However, the duel arose from a speech by O’Connell to the Catholic Board in 1815, when he described the Dublin Corporation as beggarly. At the time, d’Esterre was near bankruptcy and took this as a personal insult. He challenged O’Connell, and died two days after the duel at Bishop’s Court, Kildare.

In 1852, a magistrate and eight soldiers of the 31st Regiment escorted 18 people to Sixmilebridge to vote for Colonel Vandeleur, the conservative candidate in the Co Clare. In the ensuing affray, six people were killed and eight were wounded, one of whom later died.

One side of Sixmilebridge is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, while ‘the Little Church’ on the Limerick Road is in Cratloe Parish and the Diocese of Limerick.

The remains of the quay walls, warehouses, soap factory and stone mill wheels can still be seen. Many of the old buildings in the village have been preserved and have found new uses.

Kilfinaghty Church, with a tower designed by the Pain brothers, is now a library (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

The former Church of Ireland parish church of Kilfinaghty dates from 1810. It has a four-bay nave and a later three-stage entrance tower designed by the Pain brothers. It was restored in 2001 and is now an award-winning library.

The Old House Bar … the birthplace of Dr Brendan O’Regan (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

The Old House Bar on Fair Green is a corner-sited detached three-bay two-storey house, built around 1775, with gablets over the first-floor windows. A plaque on the wall is inscribed ‘George’s Street 1733.’

This was the birthplace in 1917 of Dr Brendan O’Regan, who had the vision for developing much of the Shannon Region.

Ieverstown House on Fair Green was built around 1730-1770 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

Ieverstown House, on the opposite corner of Fair Green, is a detached five-bay two-storey Georgian townhouse with a dormer attic. It was built around 1730-1770, and although it now seems to be crumbling it must have been an attractive townhouse in the past.

The Mill Bar on Frederick Square dates from around 1770 (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

The Mill Bar on Frederick Square dates from around 1770, but has a stone plaque reading ‘Frederick Square 1733.’

The former woollen mills are now apartments.

The Miller Returns, a sculpture by Shane Gilmore, stands in the O’Garney River below the bridge (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)

The Miller Returns, a sculpture by Shane Gilmore, stands in the O’Garney River below the bridge. The sculptor claims this ‘is probably the manliest sculpture in Ireland.’ This is a shirtless, limestone man marching unimpeded through the waters of the river, carrying the heavy tools of millwork, recalling the 17th century settlers of Dutch origin who started the mill on the river.

Shane Gilmore points out that the strongman proved his brawn in 2009 when the statue held its ground as flood waters threatened to take the artwork downstream.

An attractive, novel feature in Sixmilebridge is the highly decorated but functional ‘duck inn’ on the O’Garney River. This is a floating raft with glass windows and painted walls that houses a large population of very happy ducks during winter. This is also where their locally consumed eggs are hatched and collected, and it forms part of the tourist trail of Sixmilebridge.

The ducks and the ‘Duck Inn’ on the O’Garney River (Photograph: Patrick Comerford, 2017)