Fenit

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Fenit (Irish: An Fhianait, meaning The Wild Place) is a village in County Kerry, Ireland, with a mixed function sea port, about 10kw West of Tralee. Fishing, freight import and export, and a 136 berth marina account for the main areas of business. Fenit Harbour, located in Tralee Bay, includes Fenit pier and marina, and is connected to the land by a causeway and viaduct, totalling 800m in length. Fenit has a population of 433 (CSO 2002).

Contents 1 Location 2 Port Uses 3 History 4 Transport 5 References 6 See also

[edit] Location

Located on the North side of Tralee Bay, the R551 & R558 roads lead to Tralee Town. Kerry Regional Airport is approximately thirty minutes away by car. Both Shannon and Cork Airports are two hours away by car.

[edit] Port Uses

Traditionally Fenit served as the merchant's port for Tralee. Coal, grain timber, etc., were landed during the 20th century with oil and cranes becoming the main cargo until the fuel distribution base was dismantled in the late 1990s The port was a major port for landing fish in the 1970s. The local fishing industry has all but ceased due to EU quota limits and competition from larger fleets from Spain and France. Until 2006, French companies still used the port to land fish which was then transported directly to the European mainland.

The oil industry has, in the past, used Fenit as a base for their supply boats on several occasions when exploring off the west and southwest coast of Ireland. The deep water port is a major asset to the County of Kerry and caters for vessels up to 17,000 Dwt. It is mainly used by Liebherr (Ireland) Ltd, to export container crane parts. The marina has 136 berths for leisure boats of varying sizes and combined with the local boat club contributes to the economy and the amenity provision of the locality and the broader local region.

Recreational angling is a popular activity in Fenit where many visitors fish from the viaduct. Tralee Bay Sea Angling Club, the largest angling club in Ireland, have their clubhouse on the marina breakwater in the harbour. Tralee Bay Sailing Club have a slipway and clubhouse building on a prominent point overlooking the harbour and bay.

In 2008, the Harbourmasterand Chief Executive Officer was Michael O'Carroll.

There are plans to further increase the size of the marina and develope the pier.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] History

The Tralee Harbour Board was established in 1840. Commercial shipping started to use Blennerville, at the head of Tralee Bay, as the access point for the town of Tralee. Prior to this cargo for Tralee was transported through Barrow Harbour, a natural sea inlet, just north of Fenit. Barrow Harbour was, historically, the port used to service Ardfert, now a village but, in the monastic era, it was a major ecclesiastical centre with students and monks from many parts of Europe. In 1880, Fenit harbour was built and the Harbour Board took on the name "Tralee and Fenit Pier and Harbour Board". In 1851 a lighthouse was built on the little Samphire Rock, located a few hundred meters west of Fenit Pier. The railway serviced Fenit for leisure and commercial transport until 1977 when all services ceased and the track has fallen into disrepair.

The village and environs were the scene of the ill-fated attempt of Sir Roger Casement and cohorts to land arms at Banna Strand [to aid the 1916 Easter Rising] The ship, 'Aud' never landed at Fenit and was scuttled in Cork Harbour by the German captain lest the British forces take possession of the arms cache. History repeated itself when in 1984, the 'Marita-Ann' a Fenit registered boat, attempted the same operation on behalf of IRA terrorists. They suffered the same fate being discovered by the authorities and thwarted. This operation had the present TD for North Kerry, Martin Ferris caught and prosecuted for gun-running. On 8 August 1922, during the Irish Civil War, Fenit was the scene of a major seabourne landing by 450 Free State troops, as part of an offensive to re-take Kerry and the Republican held province of Munster The republican forces had intended to blow-up the pier if an attack was launched but the charges were rendered inoperable by unknown persons in an attempt to minimise damage to the port.^[1].

A large bronze sculpture of Saint Brendan, the Navigator, was erected in 2004 on Great Samphire Island, the rock around which the harbour was built. This island has been utalised as part of the port development and its name of 'Great Samphire Island' appears to refer to the height when compared to its much flatter twin Little Samphire Island. 'Samphire' is a small flowering plant used in cookery and lends its name to the twin islands in the bay. The local soccer team now bears the name 'Fenit Samphires' which were established in 1992. Saint Brendan was probably born on Fenit Island just north west of the village.^[2] Fenit Castle, a tower house, was built in the sixteenth centuries to protect the entrance to Barrow Harbour. This was built by the FitzMaurice clan and still commands a dominant position over the surrounding landscape.

Tralee Golf Club had their original course situated on Fenit Island at the end of the 19th Century and it now exists across the straits of Barrow Harbour, having also been located at two locations in Tralee; Mounthawk and Lis Beg,Oakpark in in the interim period. Other notable buildings include the customs house, now derelict, the redbrick RIC barracks buildings, now private houses, the stone built lifeboat house that is now disused and the large estate of 'Fenit House'.

Fenit House and its grounds dominate the village on the shore-side of the main road into the village. Formerly the Fuller's and Hurley estate, it was built in 1910.

[edit] Transport

A railway once serviced Fenit and freight trains travelled over the viaduct which allowed transfer of freight between ship and train. In 1887 the railway line was built, but by the 1970s the service ceased. Fenit railway station opened on 5 July 1887, closed for passenger traffic on 31 December 1934 though it was still used for ad hoc day-tripper excursions from Tralee and closed for goods traffic until 2 June 1978.^[3] The track has fallen into disrepair. The station and sidings were located where the new playground and car park are located. CIE used to operate three buses per day in and out of Fenit in the 1980s. Bus services are virtually non-existent and primarily service the school-going populace during term time.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
• List of RNLI stations

Coordinates: 52°17′N, 9°52′W