Cappa Pier

Cappa Pier sits on the Shannon Estuary at the small harbour village of Cappa, about a kilometre from the heritage town of Kilrush in County Clare. The oldest part of the pier dates from the eighteenth century and it played an important role in the growth of Kilrush, providing a landing point for the steam vessels that once ran regularly between west Clare and Limerick.

More than two and a half centuries after it was first built, the pier remains in everyday use and is a well-loved gathering place for locals and visitors. The adjacent Cappa beach is a stony, rocky strand that holds Blue Flag status, one of several such beaches in County Clare. During the summer bathing season lifeguards are on duty, and the pier itself is a popular spot for swimming and jumping into the waters of the estuary.

Cappa is also known for birdwatching, and there is a children’s playground close to the pier. A short distance offshore lies Scattery Island, site of an early Christian monastic settlement associated with St Senan, which adds to the appeal of this quiet corner of the west Clare coast.