Overview
Killimer is a ferry port, and that’s the reason to come. The Killimer–Tarbert car ferry, run by Shannon Ferries, is the busiest domestic ferry in Ireland: a 20-minute crossing of the Shannon Estuary from the Clare bank to Tarbert in Kerry that saves you driving the long way round through Limerick. If you’re following the Wild Atlantic Way between the two counties, it’s the obvious link.
The village itself is tiny – a few hundred people, the parish church of St Imy, and the Moneypoint power station looming on the shore just to the east, Ireland’s largest electricity station. The actual attractions are 7 km up the road in Kilrush. Treat Killimer as the crossing and the stop, not the day out.
The crossing
Two boats work the route, the Shannon Dolphin and the Shannon Breeze, sailing every day except Christmas Day, with both running half-hourly through the peak summer day. There’s no booking – it’s first come, first served, so at busy times you may wait a sailing or two. Buy on board, or online for a discount.
The 20 minutes are genuinely pleasant rather than just functional. Dolphins are often about in the estuary in summer and will sometimes come in close to the boat. There’s free Wi-Fi and, in summer, a small shop on board doing tea, coffee, snacks and ice cream.
One honest note on access: the visitor centre and the ferry are wheelchair accessible, but the boats have no wheelchair-accessible toilet and no baby-changing facilities. Guide dogs are fine.
At the terminal
The Killimer Visitors Centre sits beside the ramp, open 9am to 9pm in summer and 9am to 7pm in winter. It has a shop and a bureau de change, free parking for cars, coaches and motorbikes, and a 47kW EV fast charger (Eircode V15 FK09) if you need a top-up while you queue.
Around Killimer
Most people roll off the boat and keep going, but Kilrush, 7 km north, is worth the short detour: Cappa is a Blue Flag beach, the Vandeleur Walled Gardens are a sheltered spot in any weather, and boat trips run from Kilrush Marina out to the monastic ruins on Scattery Island. The ferry is also a leg of the Shannon Estuary Way, a 207 km loop drive that takes in Limerick, Bunratty, Listowel and Kilrush.
Killimer has its own quiet history under the surface. Flagstone quarrying was the main employer here between the 1850s and 1950s, often the line between a living and emigration, and the local history group set it all down in a 2017 book, Living on the Wild Atlantic Way: The History of Killimer Parish. The estuary musician Pecker Dunne is among the parish’s better-known names.
Practical information
- Operator: Shannon Ferries, +353 65 9053124.
- Crossing: about 20 minutes, Killimer (Clare) to Tarbert (Kerry).
- Hours: summer 9am–9pm, winter 9am–7pm; daily except Christmas Day, half-hourly at peak.
- Tickets: on board or online (online is cheaper); no advance booking.
- Parking: free for all vehicles; 47kW EV charger on site.
Check the live timetable before you set off, especially out of season or in rough weather, when sailings can change.