The "Shannon Drowning" occurred in 1893AD. (It is also known as the "Drowning at Moyne"). A group of boys and girls from Kerry were travelling by boat to Kilkee on that fateful day. The boat's number of passengers was 21 and its owner's name was John Murphy. The passengers decided to make the return trip on the coming night. However, some of the locals considered it inadvisable to cross the Shannon that particular evening and attempted to persuade the would-be travellers to postpone their trip until next day. Unfortunately, all of them with the exception of one girl decided to make the night crossing. The girl stayed at the home of Johnny McDonaldl.

The boat set out and by 8pm was halfway across the Shannon when the accident happened. Nobody knows for certain the exact circumstances of the accident. However, the inhabitants on the Clare side heard crying and shouting coming from the general location ofMurphy's boat. There were no survivors. Some of the bodies were eventually washed up on the Clare shore. All of the dead was accounted for in terms of their corpses with the exception of five individuals.  The bodies of those individuals washed up on the Clare side was identified by locals and relatives of the dead. Bill Naughton's body was found at Carradotia. John Murphy's corpse was discovered near Querrin. Both Nora Fitzgerald and Patrick Linden were located in the vicinity ofKilrush Quay. Tom Gleasure's body was washed up near Ryan's Point. Catherine Scanlan was found near Carrig Castle. The body of Tom Borbenizer was located near Tarbert lighthouse and his brother's corpse was found on the Tarbert shore.  The locals did not account for five of the dead. Their names were Mary Linden, Johanna McGrath, Patrick Murphy, Bridget and Michael Scanlan. Tarbert was declared a town in mourning for a period of six days while the burials were taking place one by. one. This tragedy gave rise to songs and poetry. The best ­known example of this outpouring was a song that is often attributed to a Protestant named Borbenizer .  It should be noted that aside from the girl who refused to make the night-trip there was another individual who did not travel on that fateful evening. Tom Gleasure's brother Samuel wished to travel with his brother and the others. However, he remained at home because his tailor had not completed the making of Samuel's new set of clothes. A daughter of Samuel Gleasure known as Mrs Sarah Johnson resided in the parish up to the time of her death some years ago.

The Shannon Drowning Poem

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