Spillane's Tower, Limerick

 

The small Gothic tower on the southern shore of the Shannon heading south out of the city of Limerick, was originally erected at the end of 1870 to commemorate William Spillane's year in the office of Mayor. It was designed as a finishing touch to the embankment whereon the gentle folk of Limerick could walk on a fine evening, which had been completed that year. Dublin had its Phoenix Park and Belfast had its Queen's Island - the embankment was a place for the citizens and their families to escape the industrialisation of the city and breathe some fresh air. Ironic it is now subsumed by an industrial estate!

The tower originally had seats inside (no idea whether it still does) where the citizenry could cough their brains out after such healthy exercise. There was also a suggestion at this time that it might have a light for navigation purposes (the Shannon Estuary was in the middle of a mad craze for erecting lights) but this was not adopted. Yet.

View from the Corkanree Business Park

The tower itself has three storeys and stands thirty-six feet tall. According to "The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage," it tapers slightly to the top and is constructed of square-cut limestone blocks. In addition, it boats a battlemented parapet, machicolations and a bartizan in north-west corner which housed the harbour light.

The Spillane family were the largest importers of tobacco in Munster and, with snuff a popular by-product, the tower became known as The Snuff Box. The harbour light, safely ensconced in its bartizan - presumably the sticky-up bit on the top corner - was finally lit in 1885, providing great benefit to the merchants of the city, not least Spillane's. William Spillane died in 1897 but the firm thrived, only selling to Messrs. Murray of Dublin in 1956.

Photo courtesy Bunratty Search and Rescue FB page

I cannot find when the light was transferred from the Spillane family firm to the ownership of the Limerick Harbour Commissioners. Presumably when the firm got sick and tired of maintaining it. In 1938, the tower was guinea-pigged into trialling a new 'automatic change-flasher' type of light, the cost of which was £150 but given free for the trials.

Photo courtesy Bunratty Search and Rescue FB page

In case one believes that rampant vandalism  began in this generation, the poor old tower has a history of abuse by the citizenry of Limerick. In its early days, young bucks used to take pot-shots at the light for fun, probably with a few pints in them. In 1945, one councillor reported that 

In 1961, the Limerick Harbour Commissioners won a claim for malicious damage to the light. Not only was the light extinguished, with its potential consequences for local shipping, but 200 cubic feet of acetylene gas escaped, hopefully making the perpetrators violently sick. 

Despite all this, the light is still active, flashing white every three seconds. Long may she continue to do so.

The light is easy found. Go to the Greenpark Roundabout on the N69 and turn into the Corcanree Business Park. Keep going until you can go no further. You'll see a gate with a sort of lane leading out towards the river. Park up, vault the gate with agility and 'tis but a short walk to the tower.