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): July 28, 2004


                                Kirby Corporation
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                        Nevada                          74-1884980
            (State or other jurisdiction of         (I.R.S. Employer
             incorporation or organization)        Identification No.)

             55 Waugh Drive, Suite 1000                   77007
                     Houston, Texas                    (Zip Code)
            (Address of principal executive offices)

               Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
                                 (713) 435-1000

Item 7.   Financial  Statements  and  Exhibits
          (c)  Exhibits:
               99.1  Press release dated July 28, 2004

Item 12.  Results  of  Operations  and  Financial  Condition

     On  July  28,  2004,  Kirby  Corporation  ("Kirby")  issued a press release
announcing  earnings for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2004.  A
copy  of  the  press  release  is  attached  as  Exhibit  99.1  to  this report.

     EBITDA,  a non-GAAP financial measure, is used in the press release.  Kirby
defines  EBITDA  as  net  earnings  before  interest  expense,  taxes on income,
depreciation  and  amortization.  Kirby has historically evaluated its operating
performance using numerous measures, one of which is EBITDA. EBITDA is presented
because  of  its  wide acceptance as a financial indicator. EBITDA is one of the
performance  measures  used in Kirby's incentive bonus plan. EBITDA is also used
by  rating  agencies  in  determining  Kirby's  credit  rating  and  by analysts
publishing  research  reports  on  Kirby, as well as by investors and investment
bankers  generally in valuing companies. A quantitative reconciliation of EBITDA
to  GAAP net earnings for the 2004 and 2003 second quarters and first six months
is  included  in  the  press  release.



                                   SIGNATURES

     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  thereunto  duly  authorized.

                                      KIRBY  CORPORATION
                                      (Registrant)

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

Dated:  July 29, 2004



                                  EXHIBIT INDEX



Exhibit 99.1   Press release dated July 28, 2004