Shannon Estuary
Encyclopedia
The Shannon Estuary is a large estuary
where the River Shannon
flows into the Atlantic Ocean
. The estuary has Limerick
at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head
to the north and Kerry Head
to the south. The estuary defines the main boundary between County Kerry
/County Limerick
to the south and County Clare
to the north.
as a first landfall or kayla point in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1945, Shannon Airport
opened on the northern shores and the estuary as a landing site gradually fell into disuse. The estuary is still used by tankers
to deliver fuel to the Shannon Airport Jetty.
, Limerick City
and at airport jetty. It provides marine services, including pilotage
and towage
to privately owned facilities at Moneypoint
, Tarbert Island and Aughinish
.
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
where the River Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
flows into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. The estuary has Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head
Loop Head
Loop Head , is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland.Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head...
to the north and Kerry Head
Kerry Head
Kerry Head is a headland located in County Kerry, Ireland that stretches into the Atlantic Ocean just north of Banna Strand. On the southern edge of the headland sits Ballyheigue....
to the south. The estuary defines the main boundary between County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
/County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
to the south and County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
to the north.
Aircraft
Historically, the estuary was used by transatlantic seaplanesFlying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
as a first landfall or kayla point in the 1930s and 1940s. In 1945, Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport
Shannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
opened on the northern shores and the estuary as a landing site gradually fell into disuse. The estuary is still used by tankers
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
to deliver fuel to the Shannon Airport Jetty.
Port
Shannon Foynes Port Company is the port authority for the entire estuary. It owns facilities at Foynes DockFoynes
Foynes is a village and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. The population of the town was 606 as of the 2006 census.-Foynes's role in aviation:...
, Limerick City
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
and at airport jetty. It provides marine services, including pilotage
Pilotage
Pilotage is the use of fixed visual references on the ground or sea by means of sight or radar to guide oneself to a destination, sometimes with the help of a map or nautical chart. People use pilotage for activities such as guiding vessels and aircraft, hiking and Scuba diving...
and towage
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
to privately owned facilities at Moneypoint
Moneypoint
Moneypoint is Ireland's largest electricity generation station and only coal-fired power station. It is located on the River Shannon near Kilrush, County Clare and was constructed at a cost of more than £700m, in one of the largest capital projects in the history of the Republic of Ireland...
, Tarbert Island and Aughinish
Aughinish, County Limerick
Aughinish is an island in the estuary of the river Shannon, located in County Limerick near Foynes.The island is famous as the seat of Rusal Aughinish, the largest refinery to process bauxite into alumina in Europe....
.