Carrigaholt on the south-facing shore of the Outer Shannon Estuary is one of the sweetest places in all Clare, a refreshingly leisurely contrast to the over-busy northwest of the county, where the once tiny port of Doolin finds itself swamped with tourists expecting to do a one-day box-ticking exercise on the Cliffs of Moher, the shortest boat-hop out to the Aran islands, and the marvellous mystery of The Burren.
CARRIGAHOLT GIVES PEACE OF MIND
But Carrigaholt is what passes for the capital of the remote-feeling Loop Head peninsula, which is as much an attitude as a place. It has a strong sense of community that manifests itself in many ways, not least in the people of Querrin along the south shore getting together a decade and more ago to build the Sally O’Keeffe, the gaff-cutter-rigged Myles Stapleton-designed interpretation of the classic Shannon Estuary Hooker. These were traditional boats that used to carry passengers and cargo from Limerick the length and breadth of this magnificent 60-mile waterway.
The Querrin boatbuilders created the Sally O’Keeffe under the guidance of master boat-builder Steve Morris, the New Zealander who was enticed to Ireland by his wife, a Kilrush girl, and has been an asset to that developing port and its larger community ever since. His work in the boatyard is of such a high quality that he was the natural choice to re-build the Dublin Bay 21s for Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra, and there are always other fascinating projects under way in the busy sheds.
Yet despite high quality boat-building being the day job, his enthusiasm is such that he gave over his evenings to guide Seol Sionna in their building of the Sally O’Keeffe, and more recently he did the same to help them build an Ian Oughtred-designed St Ayles skiff, that handy team-rowing boat which is of a more manageable size for shore transport than the hefty traditional Irish coastal rowing skiff.
ST AYLES SKIFFS GET ABOUT
One of the attractions of the St Ayles skiff is the opportunity for international competition, as they have now spread worldwide. But more importantly for Steve Morris and his friends, whose boat Ealu went to last year’s Morbihan Festival in South Brittany as well as doing the Sea to the City fleet row in Cork Harbour, they are now spreading westward into the Loop Head peninsula.
Last Saturday – Storm Isha’s approach notwithstanding – building work was started on another St Ayles skiff - with support from Limerick & Clare Education Board - by Loop Head Rowing Club in a handy shed at Kilrush’s Outer Pier, right beside the ancient stronghold of the Mac Mahons.
CARRIGAHOLT AND THE ILEN
Its eloquent presence ensured that in the days when Gary Mac Mahon was running the Conor O’Brien trading ketch Ilen in the years immediately after her restoration under his inspiration, there were several memorable occasions when Ilen was anchored in stately style below the castle. And though all sorts of chicanery resulted in the Mac Mahons not being the occupants of the 15th Century castle in its final residential days, it’s right and proper that the newly-formed skiff-build team of 16 Loopers not only includes six female boat enthusiasts, but as well Marcus McMahon and two of his children are involved.
Saturday visitors are welcome at the Loop Head Rowing project, and with several notably hospitable establishments in the main part of the village beside the inner harbour known to Shannon sailors as the Long Dock, with the Long Dock pub itself being renowned for it excellent food, there are now even more reasons for visiting Carrigaholt by sea or land.