Rush

A harbour still in use

Rush belongs to the chain of historic harbours along Fingal’s coast. Fingal County Council identifies it among the working harbours that continue to connect the present shoreline with its maritime past. The council’s coastal project places shore facilities alongside boats, cargoes and wrecks in its account of maritime heritage. ^[2]

Defending the strand

A different coastal story appears at Drumanagh, north of Rush harbour. The headland contains a major promontory fort, and a Martello tower was later built there during preparations against a possible Napoleonic attack. The council records that the tower’s defensive position covered Rush Strand, the river and the pier. The prehistoric earthworks and the nineteenth-century artillery tower belong to widely separated periods, despite sharing the same prominent coastal position. ^[3]

Luke Ryan, shipwright and privateer

Luke Ryan was born in Rush in 1750, the son of a farmer at nearby Kenure. After early boatyard work at Skerries, he became an apprentice shipwright in Ringsend and later joined Rush’s smuggling trade. His career grew out of practical knowledge of boats and coastal routes. The Dictionary of Irish Biography places that activity within a network moving tea, spirits and tobacco between French ports, Ireland and Britain. ^[4]

By 1779 Ryan captained the cutter Friendship. After the authorities seized the vessel, his associates recovered it and sailed to Rush, where he joined them before leaving for Dunkirk. The ship was subsequently renamed Black Prince and operated as a privateer under an American commission. ^[4]