Moyne Quay

You now come to the first turn in our trail. You will notice one of our townland markers on the wall for Ballymacrinan, Clooneylissane and Moneen. From this spot you can see where Moyne Quay would have been on your right of the bay which you can see on the map below and in our wonderful drone footage.

The Shannon Drowning of 1893 was often known as the Moyne Quay Disaster.

The 15^th of August, a church holiday, was known as Lady Day and the summer of 1893 was a scorching one and harvesting would have been completed early, all the more reason to go on a day out. Following early Mass on August 15^th 1893, many young people made their way to the quay in Tarbert where Maurice Murphy’s boat lay at anchor to transport the young local people across the Shannon on their annual outing to Kilkee. The Bovenizer brothers brought their violins with them on that beautiful sunny day. The music drifted back across the river as they rowed out, innocent of what fate had in store for them.

The boat was beached at Moyne Quay from which they walked to Kilrush and travelled via the West Clare Railway to Kilkee. (Moyne Quay was dismantled during the Civil War by farmers who wanted the stone). No doubt they had an enjoyable day in Kilkee and were ready to make their way home in the evening from Moyne Quay to Tarbert. It emerged afterwards that some of them were unhappy and reluctant to board on the return journey, as they had taken in some water on the original crossing. A local man Michael McDonnell, who lived beside the quay, was not happy with the condition of the boat either and offered to take them across on his own 40-50 passenger hooker, but they declined his offer. One lucky lady, a Miss Holly, refused to travel on the boat and stayed at the McDonnell’s home.

Murphy’s boat finally left Moyne Quay at approximately 7pm for the one and a half hour journey. It is understood that they had practically reached Tarbert; family members having heard voices were preparing for their return. What exactly happened no one can definitely say. It’s assumed that freak conditions overturned the boat and all were drowned. The currents dispersed the bodies which were found at various locations between Rinn Point, Labasheeda and Carrigaholt on the Clare side and some more on the Kerry side; five bodies were never recovered.

Darragh Kelly recites some of the song written by a surviving member of the Bovenizer family commemorating the event.

Bill Naughton was recovered at Carradotia, John Murphy near Querrin, Nora Fitzgerald and Patrick Lynden near the entrance to Kilrush Quay, Tom Gleasure(26) near Rinn Point and Catherine Scanlon(22) near Carrig Castle. The body of Tom Bovenizer(22) was recovered near Tarbert lighthouse, also recovered were Michael Bovenizer(24), Bridgie Sullivan, John Connors, Johnny Holly(26), Ritchie Allen(25) and Mary Scanlon(31). The bodies of Bridget Scanlon(20), Michael Scanlon(28), Mary Lynden(24), Patrick Murphy(21) and Johanna McGrath were never recovered.

Tarbert was declared a town of mourning for six days following the drowning, while the funerals were being held. Locally people began avoiding going out on water on this date following the tradgedy. Samuel Gleasure, brother of Tom who was drowned, was to have travelled also. He remained at home because the tailor had not finished making his suit of clothes. Samuel, later married in Kilcarrol, was father to Sara who later married Dick Johnson and resided in Kilcarrol until she died in the late 1990s.

A commemoration for this was held at the Ferry on September 22nd 2019 with both the local community and those from Tarbert coming together to mark the occasion and to unveil a memorial to those lost.