placenamesKillimer
Cill Íomaí
Killimer’s ferry terminal links Clare with Kerry, while its church and holy well preserve an older local religious landscape.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Cill Íomaí · Irish · main form
- Killimer · English · main form
Place & story
The first commercial crossing
The Shannon Heather began its commercial service from Killimer on 30 May 1969. Leaving at half past eight in the morning, it reached Tarbert twenty minutes later. Bishop Harty blessed the ferry and Patrick Hillery launched the service. Killimer Local History Group records the later addition of the Shannon Willow, allowing two boats to operate during summer and strengthening the connection between the Clare and Kerry shores. [2]
A church with an uneven plan
St Imy’s Church began as a cruciform building erected on Chapel Hill by Father John Kenny around 1829. Its unequal aisles reflect another local use: a former schoolroom was incorporated into the church, making the left aisle longer. The parish history draws attention to the timber roof, whose trusses rest on projecting limestone supports. Renovation in 1959 and reconstruction beginning in 1969 added further layers to the building’s history. [3]
The well at Lower Burrane
St Imy’s name also survives at Tobereemy, the holy well recorded in Eantymore, or Lower Burrane. Michael Houlihan’s field account for the Clare Holy Wells Project describes a restored well with stone surrounds and a sign. At the research visit the well itself was dry, although springs remained active in the surrounding marshy ground. The report records a particular observation rather than suggesting that the water had permanently disappeared. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Killimer. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Shannon Ferry · Killimer Local History Group
- St Imy’s Church · Killimer Parish, drawing on Killimer Local History Group
- Tobereemy, Tober Imy, Tobar Iomaigh, Eantymore · Michael Houlihan, County Clare Heritage Office
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2017-12-01. How this page was prepared.