Ringmoylan Pier.
The sturdy concrete structure of Ringmoylan Pier juts into the
Shannon Estuary a few kilometers North of the Co. Limerick village
of Pallaskenry, about 24 km West of Limerick city.
Built in the 1830s, the pier was used to discharge turf from boats
originating across the estuary in Co. Clare. Local people
escaping poverty and hunger were taken from here in small skiffs to
ships waiting in the estuary, bound for the U.S.A and Canada.
One of these, a 16 year old youth, Thomas Feigh, began his journey
to America from here and made a fortune investing in land and mines
from Minnesota to California in the latter half of the Nineteenth
Century.
The pier's commercial life is long over and what remains is a gaunt
reminder of other, busier times. It is still frequented by visitors
who savour the broad scenic sweep it offers of the middle section
of the Shannon estuary. Across the expanse of water to the right,
is the Clare village of Cratloe, nestled on the slopes of Gallows
Hill and to the left of it is Bunratty Castle. Opposite the pier is
Shannon Town and to its left Shannon Airport. The silence of this
place is broken only by the lapping of water and the
occasional distant roar of jet engines taking modern passengers to
other European destinations or across the Atlantic.
Warning!
The pier stands in deep water during high tides and there is no
protection on two sides. The off-road terrain is rough and slippery
in some places and boggy and wet in others. Be careful if
bringing children.
The cache is a small snap-lock box. Please replace
carefully.