The Rathlacken Shoreline extends from the pier to Creevagh townland. The pier was built around the 1890's and was part of the development of the congested areas of the west brought in by Prime Minister Balfour around 1891.

The shoreline north of the pier has a few slate names. A river, known as Fiodán a' Mhúilinn (the Stream of the Mill), runs into the sea under Bauvin, which is located east of the old Rathlacken School.

The slate on the south of this is called Inniœn. Inniún Ard is on the north side of it. This could be a corruption of inneoin, which means anvil. The field along the shore on the south side of the stream here is called Gort a' Mhuilinn - The Field of the Mill.

The stream probably powered a corn mill here maybe going as far back as the time of the 'Baile Biatach'. Leac A'Chapaill is the next slate and it means the flag of the horse. Béal a dTrí bPoll is just north of this - meaning the mouth of the three holes. There are three caves here, said to extend about twenty yards under the land, which can be entered when the tide is out. Locals, some fifty years ago, used to take up shells from here as fertilizer for turnips and mangolds.

North of this is Háraí Caolach. Háraí means a hurricane or a rainstorm. Caolach means narrow. Leac Ronnach is the next slate - it means the flag of the mackerel. Fishermen often fished mackerel from here. On the north side of this is Ard na Loinge - the height of the ship. Further north along the shore is Háraí. Further along is a ledge of rock in the cliff face called Inch. Further along is Coiscéim - meaning footstep. All these places were used by fishermen when they sat and fished from there.

The land along the cliff is called Falamogue - some kind of old enclosure.

Extract from The Civil Parish of Kilcummin by Sean Lavin. Reproduced by kind permission of the author.