72 PAPERS ON TRANSATLANTIC COMMUNICATION
Horse Rock,
Waller Bank.
Pickett Island,
The Bridges.
Middle Ground.
Carrig-keal.
Bridge.
Bird Rock,
Sod Island.
North Channel,
River Maigue,
side of these again are other rocks, which only uncover at low-water springs, called Mylaun's Children.
From the Beeves to Beagh Castle (an old ruin), on the next point, called Ballyvoher, the distance is 2| miles.
Beagh Castle bears from the Beeves Tower E.S.E.
f E.
This portion of the river is clear of danger, taking care not to stand so far to the northward as to bring a farm-house on the profile of Aughinish Island in one with the Beeves Tower, which will keep you clear of the tail of the Plorse and Mylaun's Children at the entrance of the Fergus.
Just below Beagh Castle is the termination of the three fathoms line, except in a few spots above.
Being abreast of Beagh Castle, steer up for Sod Island, which will be seen bearing^E.
h N.
distant four miles, but keeping Aughinish Point just on with Ballyvoher Point W.
| N.,
till Pickett Island is in one with a large white house, called Castletown, bearing S.
by W.
J W.,
when you will be clear of Waller Bank, a rocky patch with only three feet about a cable in length.
There is a passage with nine feet between it and the low line of mud, which runs in a straight line from a little outside Beagh Castle to a little outside Ringmoylan Quay, bearing E.S.E.
| E.
2| miles from the castle.*
The best water, however, lies to the northward of Waller Bank, and having passed it, keep Bunker Hill half way between the south bluff of Cain Island, and the houses on that island E.S.E.
i E.
which will lead about three-quarters of a cable's length to the southward of Sod Island, which is 1 J miles from Ringmoylan Quay.
In this part, from the Quay nearly to Sod, is a kind of bar over which there is not more than six and seven feet, so that no heavy vessel can pass this reach till nearly high water.
To the N.W.
of Ringmoylan Quay there are several very dangerous detached rocks, called the Bridges, which only uncover about the last quarter spring ebb, and extend three cables' lengths from the end of the quay; but keeping the N.
point of Foynes, just shut in behind Ballyvoher Point till abreast of the quay, will lead to the northward of them.
From about a mile above Beagh Castle to beyond Sod Island the river is divided into two channels by the Middle Ground, formed by a series of rocks connected by mud and sand-banks, which dry at low water.
The westernmost of them, Carrig-keal, or the Narrow Rock, bears from Beagh Castle E.
§ S.
11 miles, and uncovers at the last quarter ebb; the next, about half a mile higher up, called the Horse, shows itself at the first quarter ebb.
About half a mile above is the Bridge (opposite the Bridges before noticed), which only covers at high springs ; and at a quarter of a mile farther up is the fourth patch of rocks, called Little Limerick, which begins to bare at half tide.
The Middle Ground continues to the Bird Rock, the last patch, which lies 700 yards E.S.E.
of Sod Island.
It is a large mass of limestone rock, which uncovers at the last quarter ebb, and around it for about half a cable's length other rocks show at low water.
Sod Island itself is very small and narrow, only 350 feet in length, and probably will ere long wash away to the state of a rocky shoal similar to the others on this middle ground, as the rocks at present uncover to the distance of more than half a cable's length all round it.
It is cliffy to the westward.
The channel to the northward of the middle ground is now never used.
It is the narrower of the two, averaging only from 400 to 500 yards in width, but it has three feet more water, the least water being nine feet.
It commences abreast of Rynany Point, and leaving on the left, or to the northward, Fergus and Saints Islands (at about a cable's length) unites with the south channel to the eastward of Bird Rock.
A mile above Sod Island is the river Maigue, which flows into the Shannon from the south.
At its confluence it is about 150 yards wide between the low-water lines, with a depth of seven and eight feet, but there is a bar of only four feet, gradually decreasing from Grass Island to Court Bridge, the high road from Limerick to Askeaton, where at low-water it is very narrow and nearly dry.
This bridge is four miles from the mouth in a direct line, and a portion of it is made to swing so as to admit turf-boats, which are almost the only vessels navigating the river, to the town of Adare about three miles further up.
Off See Chart of the Shannon, Sheet VI.
