UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549



                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


         DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED):  MAY 31, 2005



                                KIRBY CORPORATION
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)


           Nevada                    1-7615                 75-1884980
 (State or other jurisdiction     (Commission             (IRS Employer
     of incorporation)            File Number)          Identification No.)



                           55 WAUGH DRIVE, SUITE 1000
                              HOUSTON, TEXAS  77007
                    (ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)

       REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE:  (713) 435-1000

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to
simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions:

[_]  Written  communications  pursuant  to  Rule  425  under  the Securities Act
     (17 CFR 230.425)

[_]  Soliciting  material  pursuant  to  Rule  14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17
     CFR 240.14a-12)

[_]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to  Rule  14d-2(b)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[_]  Pre-commencement  communications  pursuant  to  Rule  13e-4(c)  under  the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item  1.01.  Entry  into  a  Material  Definitive  Agreement.

     On  May  31, 2005, Kirby Corporation (the "Company") issued $200,000,000 of
unsecured  Floating Rate Senior Notes, Series 2005-A, due February 28, 2013 (the
"Series  2005-A  Notes") to a group of institutional investors.  Interest on the
Series  2005-A  Notes  is  payable quarterly at a rate equal to LIBOR plus .50%.
The  Series  2005-A  Notes  are  prepayable,  at  the  Company's  option, with a
prepayment  premium equal to 2% of the principal amount prepaid during the first
year  and  1%  of  the  principal amount prepaid during the second year, with no
prepayment  premium  after  the second year.  No principal payments are required
until  maturity  in  2013.  The proceeds of the Series 2005-A Notes were used to
repay  the  Company's  $200,000,000  of  outstanding Floating Rate Senior Notes,
Series  2003-A,  due  February  28,  2013  (the  "Series  2003-A  Notes").

     The  Series  2005-A  Notes were issued pursuant to the existing Master Note
Purchase  Agreement  dated  as  of  February  15, 2003 among the Company and the
Purchasers named therein (under which the Series 2003-A Notes were also issued),
as  supplemented  by the First Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement dated as of
May  31,  2005  among  the Company and the Purchasers named therein.  The Master
Note  Purchase  Agreement,  as  supplemented  (the  "Note  Agreement"), contains
certain  covenants  on  the  part  of the Company, including a debt covenant, an
interest  coverage  covenant  and  covenants  relating to liens, asset sales and
mergers,  among  others.  The  Note  Agreement  also specifies certain events of
default,  upon  the  occurrence of which the maturity of the Series 2005-A Notes
may be accelerated, including failure to pay principal or interest, violation of
covenants  or  default  on  other  indebtedness,  among  others.

     The  foregoing summary of the terms of the Series 2005-A Notes and the Note
Agreement  is qualified in its entirety by reference to the Master Note Purchase
Agreement  dated  as  of February 15, 2003 which was filed as Exhibit 4.3 to the
Company's  Annual  Report  on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and
the  First  Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement dated as of May 31, 2005 which
is  filed  as  Exhibit  4.2  to  this  report.

Item 2.03.  Creation  of  a  Direct  Financial Obligation or an Obligation under
            an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant.

     See  Item  1.01 for a description of the Company's issuance of $200,000,000
of  Floating  Rate  Senior  Notes,  Series  2005-A,  due February 28, 2013. That
description  is  incorporated  by  reference  into  this  Item  2.03.

Item 7.01.  Regulation FD Disclosure.

     On  May  31,  2005,  the  Company  issued  a  press  release disclosing the
financing  described  in  Item  1.01 and providing additional information on the
anticipated  effect  of  financing  costs  on  the  Company's published earnings
guidance  for  the  second quarter of 2005 and for the full year.  A copy of the
press  release  is  furnished  as  Exhibit  99.1  to  this  report.



Item  9.01.  Financial  Statements  and  Exhibits.

(c)  Exhibits



      
EXHIBIT
NUMBER                 DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
-------                ----------------------

  4.1    Master Note Purchase Agreement dated as of February 15, 2003 among
         Kirby Corporation and the Purchasers named therein (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
         for the year ended December 31, 2002).

  4.2    First Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement dated as of May 31, 2005
         among Kirby Corporation and the Purchasers named therein.

 99.1    Press Release dated May 31, 2005.




                                    SIGNATURE

     Pursuant  to  the  requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has  duly  caused  this  report  to  be  signed on its behalf by the
undersigned  hereunto  duly  authorized.

                              KIRBY CORPORATION



                              By /s/ NORMAN W. NOLEN
                                 -------------------------------------
                                 Norman W. Nolen
                                 Executive Vice President,
                                 Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer




Date:     June  2,  2005



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



      
EXHIBIT
NUMBER                 DESCRIPTION OF EXHIBIT
-------                ----------------------

  4.1    Master Note Purchase Agreement dated as of February 15, 2003 among
         Kirby Corporation and the Purchasers named therein (incorporated by
         reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K
         for the year ended December 31, 2002).

  4.2    First Supplement to Note Purchase Agreement dated as of May 31, 2005
         among Kirby Corporation and the Purchasers named therein.

 99.1    Press Release dated May 31, 2005.