Causeway

The National Monuments Service's description

Modern road bridge connecting Carrig Island to Carrigafoyle may have been built on site of earlier causeway. The Minute Book of the Co. Kerry Field Club recorded the following details about a causeway known locally as 'St. Senan's Road', during a site visit carried out on 02/10/1943; 'from the site of the chapel (KE002-008001-) above mentioned the people still point to a pathway through the fields & connecting Carrig Island (An tOileán Beag/Little Island) (KE002-008003-), turning East it dips into an estuary of the Shannon where some stretches of stone are visible at low water, and connects up with Aughavallen which was the old parish of Ballylongford. This pathway is named St Senan's Road. The party visited Aughavallen and found the place of wildness of decaying masonry & decaying vegetation' (SMR File; Tralee Library Volume 1 Minute Book of Co. Kerry Field Club, page 428).
A second site visit on the 05/04/1952 by the Kerry Field club recorded that; 'the causeway to Carrig Island was dry as the party were able to proceed' (SMR File). Cross-reference with KE002-010---- which is also part of the road known locally as 'Saint Senan's Road'. Folklore collected in 1938 from Ballylongford School recorded the following tradition about this road; 'In the time that St. Seanan lived in Scattery Island, he ordered that a road should be made all the way from where he was which was Scattery Island to Carrig Island which was about six miles.
The road was started in Carrig Island but it is not known whether it was then when the saint ordered it or later on it was started. The road goes out about one mile and a half and can be seen to the present day (Toal 1995, 208, no. 830).
The old people say that the reason why it was not finished was that one morning when the men were at work a red haired woman passed them and said nothing. At that the work was stopped because they thought it would not be right to finish it. It can be seen every day when the tide goes out, and it is called "St. Seanan's Road" (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0403, Page 098; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4666583/4663949).

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 30 December 2021

References

Toal, C. 1995 North Kerry Archaeological Survey. Dingle. Brandon in association with FAS Training and Employment Authority.

ASIAP - Archaeological Survey of Ireland Aerial Photographs (c. 1996 - c. 2010).