Tarbert, County Kerry
Encyclopedia
Tarbert is a town in the north of County Kerry
, with woodland to the south and the Shannon estuary
to the north. It lies on the N69 coast road
that runs along the estuary from Limerick
before turning inland at Tarbert towards Listowel, and has two schools Tarbert Primary and Tarbert Comprehensive.
The nearby island is linked to the mainland by a short isthmus
– the site of the boat portage that gave its name to both the island and the town. There is a car ferry
service from the island to the town of Killimer
, near Kilrush
in Clare
. This service, operated by Shannon Ferries Ltd, provides a link between the N69
in Kerry and the N68
in Clare.
Also on the island is a small lighthouse
and an electricity plant with four oil-fired turbines and a capacity of 640MW. This plant, opened in 1969, was the site of an explosion in 2003 that killed two workers and seriously injured another. The plant was due to be de-commissioned in 2010, with the loss of 130 jobs. However the plant was purchased by Spanish power company Endesa (Spain)
in January 2009 securing the jobs for up to 75% of the staff and the remaining 25% will be redeployed within the ESB. The new owners plan to convert the plant to gas turbine
s by 2012 , which should secure the future of the plant for decades to come.
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...
, with woodland to the south and the Shannon estuary
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...
to the north. It lies on the N69 coast road
N69 road (Ireland)
The N69 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It runs from Limerick to Tralee and passes though Mungret, Clarina, Kildimo, Askeaton , Foynes, Loughill, Glin, Tarbert and Listowel.-References:* – Department of Transport...
that runs along the estuary from 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...
before turning inland at Tarbert towards Listowel, and has two schools Tarbert Primary and Tarbert Comprehensive.
Tarbert Island
Isthmus
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas usually with waterforms on either side.Canals are often built through isthmuses where they may be particularly advantageous to create a shortcut for marine transportation...
– the site of the boat portage that gave its name to both the island and the town. There is a car ferry
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
service from the island to the town of Killimer
Killimer
Killimer is a village in County Clare, Ireland. The village is located at the northern banks of the Shannon and the N67 is passing through the village. Killimer is best known for the ferry Killmer-Tarbert, part of the N67. The ferry is operated by Shannon Ferries.According to the geographer Samuel...
, near Kilrush
Kilrush
Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
in 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...
. This service, operated by Shannon Ferries Ltd, provides a link between the N69
N69 road (Ireland)
The N69 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It runs from Limerick to Tralee and passes though Mungret, Clarina, Kildimo, Askeaton , Foynes, Loughill, Glin, Tarbert and Listowel.-References:* – Department of Transport...
in Kerry and the N68
N68 road (Ireland)
The N68 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It runs from Ennis to Kilrush. It is entirely in County Clare.-See also:*Roads in Ireland*Motorways in Ireland*National primary road*Regional road-References:* – Department of Transport...
in Clare.
Also on the island is a small lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
and an electricity plant with four oil-fired turbines and a capacity of 640MW. This plant, opened in 1969, was the site of an explosion in 2003 that killed two workers and seriously injured another. The plant was due to be de-commissioned in 2010, with the loss of 130 jobs. However the plant was purchased by Spanish power company Endesa (Spain)
Endesa (Spain)
Endesa, S.A. is the largest electric utility company in Spain. The firm, a majority-owned subsidiary of the Italian utility company Enel, has 10 million customers in Spain, with domestic annual generation of over 97,600 GWh from nuclear, fossil-fueled, hydroelectric, and renewable resource power...
in January 2009 securing the jobs for up to 75% of the staff and the remaining 25% will be redeployed within the ESB. The new owners plan to convert the plant to gas turbine
Gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
s by 2012 , which should secure the future of the plant for decades to come.
Tarbert Bridewell
The Tarbert Bridewell is a former courthouse and prison situated in the village. Built in 1831, it was used for trying local court cases and for holding prisoners awaiting transfer to the County Jail in Tralee. The jail closed in 1874 but the courthouse continued in use until the 1950s. In 1993 the complex was reopened as a museum and visitor centre.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland