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):  APRIL 26, 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 April 26, 2005, the stockholders of Kirby Corporation (together with its
subsidiaries,  referred  to  in  this  report  as  the  "Company")  approved the
Company's 2005 Stock and Incentive Plan (the "Plan").  The Plan had been adopted
by  the  Company's  Board  of Directors on March 3, 2005, subject to stockholder
approval.  The  following  summary  of  the  terms and conditions of the Plan is
qualified  in  its  entirety  by reference to the full text of the Plan which is
included  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  this  report.

Eligibility

     Employees  of  the  Company,  including  all  of  the  Company's  executive
officers,  are  eligible  to  participate  in  the  Plan.

Types  of  Awards

     The  Plan  authorizes  the  granting of incentive stock options ("Incentive
Options")  and  nonincentive  stock options ("Nonincentive Options") to purchase
common  stock  of  the  Company  to employees of the Company. Unless the context
otherwise  requires,  the  term  "Options"  includes  both Incentive Options and
Nonincentive  Options.

     The  Plan  also authorizes awards of restricted stock ("Restricted Stock").
The  vesting and number of shares of a Restricted Stock award may be conditioned
upon  one  or  a  combination  of:

     -    the  completion  of  a  specified  period of service with the Company;

     -    the  attainment  of  goals  related  to the performance of the Company
          or a division, department or unit of the Company;

     -    the  performance  of  the  Company's  common  stock;  or

     -    the  performance  of  the  recipient  of  the  Restricted Stock award.

     The  Compensation  Committee  of  the  Company's  Board  of  Directors will
determine whether a recipient of Restricted Stock will have the right to vote or
receive  dividends  before  the  Restricted  Stock  has  vested.

     The  Plan  also  authorizes  awards  intended  to  be  "performance-based
compensation"  which  are  payable  in stock, cash or a combination of stock and
cash  ("Performance  Awards"). Any Performance Awards granted will vest upon the
achievement of performance objectives. The Compensation Committee will establish
the  performance  objectives,  the length of the performance period and the form
and  time  of  payment  of  the  award.

Administration

     The  Plan  will  be  administered  by  the  Compensation  Committee.  The
Compensation  Committee  has  the  authority  to  interpret  and adopt rules and
regulations  for  carrying  out  the



Plan.  All  decisions  and acts of the Compensation Committee shall be final and
binding  on  all  participants  under  the  Plan.

Shares  of  Common  Stock  Subject  to  the  Plan

     A  total  of 1,000,000 shares of common stock may be issued under the Plan.

Granting  of  Awards

     The  Compensation Committee may from time to time grant Options, Restricted
Stock  or  Performance Awards in its discretion. No Options, Restricted Stock or
Performance  Awards  have  been  granted  under  the  Plan.

Exercise  Price  of  Options

     The  exercise  price  of  Options granted under the Plan shall be any price
determined  by  the  Compensation  Committee,  but may not be less than the fair
market  value  of  the  common stock on the date of grant. The exercise price of
Incentive  Options  shall  not be less than 110% of the fair market value on the
date  of  grant  if  the optionee owns, directly or indirectly, stock possessing
more  than 10% of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the
Company.

Price  of  Restricted  Stock

     The  price,  if any, to be paid by a recipient for Restricted Stock awarded
under  the  Plan  shall  be  determined  by  the  Compensation  Committee.

Exercisability  of  Options

     In  granting  Options,  the Compensation Committee, in its sole discretion,
may  determine  the  terms  and  conditions  under  which  the  Options shall be
exercisable.

     The  Compensation  Committee  also  has  the right, exercisable in its sole
discretion,  to accelerate the date on which all or any portion of an Option may
be  exercised  or otherwise waive or amend any conditions in respect of all or a
portion  of  the  Options  held  by  an  optionee.

     In  the  event of a Change in Control (as defined in the Plan), all Options
outstanding  at  the  time  of  the  Change  in  Control will become immediately
exercisable unless otherwise provided in the option agreement. In the event of a
merger,  consolidation  or  other  reorganization  of  the  Company in which the
Company  is not the surviving entity, the Compensation Committee may provide for
payment  of  cash  or  securities of the Company in satisfaction of the Options.

Vesting  of  Restricted  Stock

     In  granting  Restricted  Stock  awards, the Compensation Committee, in its
sole  discretion,  may  determine  the  terms  and  conditions  under  which the
Restricted  Stock  awards  shall  vest.



     The  Compensation  Committee  also  has  the right, exercisable in its sole
discretion,  to  accelerate  the  date  on  which  Restricted  Stock may vest or
otherwise  waive  or  amend  any  conditions in respect of a grant of Restricted
Stock.

     In  the  event  of a Change in Control, all shares of Restricted Stock will
vest  unless  the  restricted  stock  agreement  with  the  recipient  specifies
otherwise.

Terms  of  Performance  Awards

     In  granting  performance  awards, the Compensation Committee may determine
the target and maximum value of the performance award and the date or dates when
performance  awards  are  earned. However, for performance awards granted to the
chief  executive  officer  or  the  four most highly compensated officers of the
Company  other  than the chief executive officer, the Compensation Committee may
not  grant  performance  awards  after  the  earlier  of:

     -    90  days  after  the  beginning  of  the  performance  period;

     -    the  date  on  which  25%  of  the  performance period has elapsed; or

     -    the  date  on  which  the  satisfaction  of the performance objectives
          becomes substantially certain.


Item  9.01.  Financial  Statements  and  Exhibits.

(c)  Exhibits



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

  10.1   Kirby Corporation 2005 Stock and Incentive Plan

  10.2   Form of Nonincentive Stock Option Agreement

  10.3   Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement

  10.4   Form of Restricted Stock Agreement




                                    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:   April  29,  2005



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



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

  10.1   Kirby Corporation 2005 Stock and Incentive Plan

  10.2   Form of Nonincentive Stock Option Agreement

  10.3   Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement

  10.4   Form of Restricted Stock Agreement