Scattery Island River Pilots 1953

Scattery Island River Pilots were renowned for their skill and knowledge of the Shannon Estuary, and in the the 1950s, a canoe was used to transport Pilots from Scattery Island to an awaiting vessel in the River so he could then safely Pilot her to her destination port. Piloting was a way of life in the Scattery Island community, a way of life that has been passed down from generation to generation. Many descendants of the Scattery Island River Pilots continue to have careers as Pilots today,locally and further afield.

Pictured here is Felix Brennan Scattery Island Pilot,boarding a vessel near Scattery in 1953. Two oarsmen and colleagues can be seen aboard the canoe, skillfully keeping the canoe alongside the vessel, as Felix ascends the Pilots ladder. Three of Felix Brennan’s sons were also Pilots and another served with the Merchant Navy and later skippered the Shannon Ferries in Killimer, Co. Clare.

 

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