Whitegate (An Geata Ban)

The name An Geata Ban translates quite literally-The village of Whitegate is situated close to a particularly scenic area of Lough Derg where, just 2 miles away, Williamstown harbour looks out over the lake to the Corrikeen Islands. The pier at Williamstown was built in the 1840s and was the departure point for many of the region's emigrants during famine times. Today the area is popular as a base for tourists cruising on The Shannon and as a consequence, boat building has grown to become an important local industry. Mountshannon (Baile Ui Bheoliin) A few miles to the south of Whitegate on the shore of Lough Derg lies Mountshannon with its fine harbour and modem marina. The village dates back only as far as 1742 when Limerick linen manufacturer Alexander Woods undertook to build 50 houses, a church, a schoolhouse and the Market House. The Gaelic name translates as Boland's Town but traditionally the area where the village now stands would have been know by the parish name of lnis Cealtra (Holy Island). The island itself is easily reached from Mountshannon and has a Pagan and early Christian history which can be traced back to the 6th Century when St. Colum Mac Cremthainn established a monastry here. The successful trading years of the early 18th Century had collapsed by 1800 and it was local barrister, Philip Reade (1793-1883) who revived the village's fortunes. Navigation of the Shannon to steamships and the construction of two piers allowed the village an important part in the growth of passenger services in the mid 19th Century and opened up further opportunities for trading.