Sixmilebridge (Droichead Abhann Ó gCearnaigh in Irish) is a small village in County Clare, Ireland, population 1,327 (2002 Census). Located midway between Ennis and Limerick city, the town is a short distance away from the main N18 road, being on the old "back road" between the two. The town of Quin is also nearby. The Limerick–Ennis railway line passes through the town, but the station remains closed at present.

History

The odd English name of the village derives, as Thomas Dineley who visited Sixmilebridge in 1681 descibes: "From Bunratty, the seat of the Earl of Thomond , into the town of Sixmilebridge, belonging also to that noble family, is 3 miles; from whence to the city of Limerick, to which are two ways, namely by the oil mills and the seat of the Mc Namaras beyond it, or over the high mountain, famous for its admirable prospect, hanging as it were over Sixmilebridge town and commonly known as Gallows Hill ; this is the upper, the other the lower way to Limerick and from town to the city six miles either way, whence the town hath its name"

The original village grew up around a crossing place on the O'Garney River. By the end of the seventeenth century development was tied to the industrialisation of the area as people of Dutch origin found the river very suitable for milling. This ended abruptly with the building of a toll bridge on the river. William D'Ester's construction gained a profit from people crossing the river but halted the trading done with Holland. In a famous duel between Daniel O'Connell and D'Ester over O'Connell's refusal to pay the toll, D'Ester lost his life, but his toll bridge survived and remains standing to this day. Today the village partly serves as a dormatory town for workers in Limerick City and Shannon region.

Culture

Every year in January a diverse band of musicians invade the village as it plays host to a colourful selection of singers, instrumentalists, dancers and yarn spinners for the Sixmilebridge folk festival. The festival makes use of any pub back room or corridor to create a venue in which to perform. The event lasts one weekend and has wide-ranging acts and events including French streets groups, Irish/American/English singer-songwriters, oldtime bands, stand up comedians, singing and dancing workshops, blues singers and bluegrass bands. Some heavy weights on the Irish music scene usually headline. Kate Purcell, Johny Moynihan, Mick Hanly and Ger Wolfe have all played. The festival is unique for its open itinery and insistence on nearly all gigs being acoustic and wireless.

Loughy, an influencial traditional Irish musician, has made regular appearances at the Sixmilebridge Folk festival with his group 'Fada'. His brother Colm O'Loughlin who also grew up in Cappagh, in Sixmilebridge, is an up-and-coming rock pop musician who performs mainly in mainland Europe. Colm O'Loughlin wrote the Community Games theme song "We're singing as one" for the National Community Games in 2005.

A highlight in Sixmilebridge is on the river where a thriving population of ducks occupy a unique creation. They inhabit a highly decorated but functional "duck inn". This is a floating, thatched raft with glass windows and painted walls. It houses the ducks during winter and is also where their locally consumed eggs are hatched and collected. It forms part of the tourist trail of Sixmilebridge.

See also

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland

External link

• Clare Library Site
• www.fadasite.com
• www.colmoloughlin.com