Cratloe () is a village in

County Clare County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,817 ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, situated between

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

and Shannon in the mid-west of

. It is possible that the name derives from ''Croit-shliabh'' meaning "hump-backed hill", referring to Woodcock Hill. The present-day parish of Cratloe consists of the former parish of

Kilfintinan Kilfintinan ( ga, Cill Fhiontanáin) is a civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is part of the Catholic parish of Cratloe. Name The name ''Cill Fintinan'' would mean "Church of Fintinan", but there is no known Irish Saint Fintinan. The name ...

and a portion of the contemporary parish of

Killeely Killeely ( ga, Cill Liaile) is a civil parish that lies partly in County Clare and partly in County Limerick in Ireland. Location Part of the parish lies within the north liberties of the city of Limerick, but most lies in the barony of Bunrat ...

. This was agreed upon by priests in the 18th century, who claimed there were not enough members of the clergy to operate fully in both parishes.

History

The area of Cratloe is first mentioned in the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

, where it is recorded that in 376 AD,

Crimthann mac Fidaig Crimthann Mór, son of Fidach , also written Crimthand Mór, was a semi-mythological king of Munster and High King of Ireland of the 4th century. He gained territory in Britain and Gaul, but died poisoned by his sister Mongfind. It is possible t ...

, King of Munster and High King of Ireland died in the Cratloe area from poison administered by his sister,

Mongfind Mongfind (or Mongfhionn in modern Irish)—meaning "fair hair" or "white hair"—is a figure from Irish legend. She is said to have been the wife, of apparent Munster origins, of the legendary High King Eochaid Mugmedón and mother of his eldest ...

, who wished for her son

Brión mac Echach Muigmedóin Brión (or Brían), son of Eochaid Mugmedón, was a legendary and possibly historical Irish king, fl. 4th/5th century. Biography The older half-brother of Niall Noígíallach ( Niall of the Nine Hostages) and one of the three brothers whose des ...

to be High King. Mongfind herself also died later, as she drank the poison to convince the king to take some. In the end, however, Brian had to settle for the Kingdom of Connaught, while the High Kingship went to his half-brother, who was later known as

Niall of the Nine Hostages Niall ''Noígíallach'' (; Old Irish "having nine hostages"), or Niall of the Nine Hostages, was a legendary, semi-historical Irish king who was the ancestor of the Uí Néill dynasties that dominated Ireland from the 6th to the 10th centuries. ...

. In the 9th century, when the McNamaras territory was invaded by warriors from the Kingdom of Aileach in

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

, the invaders chopped down oak trees in

Cratloe Woods Cratloe Woods is a forested area around the village of Cratloe in County Clare, Ireland. Much of the original oak forest has been replaced with coniferous softwoods during the past century; however, small pockets of native oak survive. The lar ...

and brought them back to Ulster for the roof of the Aileach Royal Palace. Cratloe Woods have since been known for their oak trees and their wood used in many important buildings throughout Europe. It was recorded in 940 that King Muirchertach of the Leather Cloaks and his forces, found that Cretshalach, as it was then known, was the worst passageway during their Circuit of Ireland. In ancient times the passageway through Cratloe ran over a steep hill, and was the main route from

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...

into

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

. The army stayed the night on top of the mountain where High King Crimthann was murdered, Sliabh-Suidhe-an-riogh, or in English, The Mountain Of The Death Of The King. In

1510 Year 1510 ( MDX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–June * January – Catherine of Aragon gives birth to her first child, a stillborn daughter. * ...

, an Anglo-Irish army led by Gerald Mór FitzGerald, the 8th earl of Kildare, marched on

Thomond Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nenag ...

, and was met and defeated near Cratloe by an army of the O'Brien, McNamara, Sil-Aedha and Clanrickard clans led by Turlough O'Brien, son of

Teige Mac Murrough O'Brien Teige is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Karel Teige (1900–1951), Czech graphic artist, photographer, and typographer * Lisa Teige Lisa Teige (born 19 January 1998)

Geography

Cratloe is bounded to the south by the tidal estuary of the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

, and to the west by the Ratty/ Uí gCearnaigh (Garney) river. A large part of the eastern boundary is formed by a creek known locally as the Sandy River, or the Cratloe Creek. With the exceptions of a few low hills, the portion of Cratloe south of the N18 dual-carriageway, and west of the R462 to Sixmilebridge mainly consists of the low lying flood plains of the tidal rivers. The farmlands in these areas are protected by levees. The remainder of the parish consists of the south-western and western portion of Woodcock Hill, which summits at 310 m (1,016 ft) just outside Cratloe's boundary. The western side of this hill is commonly known as Gallows Hill, named after the executions of rebels by Cromwellian forces that took place here around the year 1650.

Cratloe Woods

A state forest has been planted over a large portion of the Cratloe area, with mostly

Spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

and

Pine Trees A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

covering the 800 acre woodland. On the back road to

that passes through the village, the ancient oak trees of Garranon Wood are still visible, and the forest has been historically dated to exist from at least 700 AD. The oak trees from this forest provided the timbers for the roofs of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Westminster Hall The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...

and the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

. St Mary's Cathedral in Limerick city was also built using Cratloe timber.

Places of interest

The area around Cratloe village contains several

ancient Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...

and medieval sites. One of the oldest historic sites in the village itself is in the Craughaun Cemetery, where a megalithic

wedge tomb A gallery grave is a form of megalithic tomb built primarily during the Neolithic Age in Europe in which the main gallery of the tomb is entered without first passing through an antechamber or hallway. There are at least four major types of galler ...

, known as the ''Ballinphunta Dolmen'', was discovered. This tomb was excavated in 1990 during an enlargement of the graveyard and a replica erected some time later in the newer section of the graveyard. Also in this graveyard is a vault to the Blood family, dating to 1738 when the first member of the family, Robert Maghlin, was buried. The ruins of the old Craughaun Church, dating from 1418, are also present. D'Esterre Bridge, built in 1784, crossing the Ratty/O'gChearnaigh River between

Bunratty Bunratty (, meaning "end of the Raite") is a village in County Clare, Ireland, near Bunratty Castle. It is connected by the N18 road to Limerick and Galway. The Raite river defines the parish's eastern boundary and flows into the Shannon Estua ...

and

Sixmilebridge Sixmilebridge (), is a large village in County Clare, Ireland. Located midway between Ennis and Limerick city, the village is a short distance away from the main N18 road. Sixmilebridge partly serves as a dormitory village for workers in the ...

, is characterised by the ruins of the gate-towers remaining from its days as a toll-crossing. Henry D'Esterre built this bridge at his own expense as he wanted a crossing close to his own estate. The famous duel in February 1815 between

Daniel O'Connell Daniel O'Connell (I) ( ga, Dónall Ó Conaill; 6 August 1775 – 15 May 1847), hailed in his time as The Liberator, was the acknowledged political leader of Ireland's Roman Catholic majority in the first half of the 19th century. His mobilizat ...

and Henry D'Esterre's son, John Norcot, arose in local tradition because O'Connell refused to pay the toll, although this conflicts with the conventional account of the duel. Within the Garranon Oak Wood, a roadside well known as the ''Squire's Well'' can be found. The novelist and travel writer

Georgiana Chatterton Georgiana, Lady Chatterton, later Mrs Dering (''née'' Iremonger; 11 November 1806 – 6 February 1876) was an English aristocrat, traveller, and author. Her first travelogue, ''Rambles in the South of Ireland,'' was published in 1839. Life Hen ...

stated in 1841 that it flows from a clear stream, but over the time it has not been used, it has nearly been swallowed up in foliage and natural growth. The remnants of several small

ráth Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...

s, or ring-forts are located in various fields around Cratloe, although several of these forts were destroyed when the

Western Railway Corridor The Western Railway Corridor is a term, used since , for a partly disused railway line running through the west of Ireland. Currently two sections of the line, from Limerick via Ennis to Athenry and from Collooney to Sligo, see regular services ...

was built in the late 19th century.

Castles

Cratloe is the location of several ruined castles and

tower houses A tower house is a particular type of stone structure, built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. Tower houses began to appear in the Middle Ages, especially in mountainous or limited access areas, in order to command and defend strateg ...

, including Cratloemoyle Castle (sometimes referred to as 'Cratloe Castle'), located just to the north of the N18 road on the approach to Limerick. The castle is 5 stories high and was built sometime in the early 1500s. John McNamara, who died in 1780, was the last occupant of the castle and as he had no one to pass the castle onto, the castle was sold and for the first time in 700 years the land around the castle was not in the possession of the McNamara family. Less than half a mile away, on the opposite side of the road, Cratloekeel Castle sits on a low outcrop, and can be just discerned from the road through the surrounding trees. This castle was built by Sean McNamara in the latter part of the 15th century, but by 1641 it had passed out of the McNamara family and was owned by a

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Protestant. Further south, on the banks of the River Shannon, is the site of Castle Donnell or Cratloemore Castle, though now little of the ruins are left. This was once one of the biggest castles in Cratloe, being used by the McNamaras as a trading post because of its location on the

and its proximity to both

and

. In 1730 most of this castle was destroyed and the stones were used to build Cratloe Wood House, the only example of an Irish longhouse still lived in by a family. On the western slopes of Woodcock Hill, towards

, the ruins of Ballintlea Castle lie in a farmyard. All of these castles are recorded as being built by the

MacNamara Mac Conmara (anglicised as MacNamara or McNamara) is an Irish surname of a family of County Clare in Ireland. The McNamara family were an Irish clan claiming descent from the Dál gCais and, after the O'Briens, one of the most powerful families ...

clan, one of the most powerful families in the

Kingdom of Thomond Thomond (Classical Irish: ; Modern Irish: ), also known as the kingdom of Limerick, was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, associated geographically with present-day County Clare and County Limerick, as well as parts of County Tipperary around Nenag ...

Churches and graveyards

In addition to the parish church, the Church of St. John, Cratloe, there is another church within the parish, on the approach to the village of

. This church is known locally as "The Little Church", and is unusual in that it is not dedicated to any particular saint. This church was built in the late 1700s but was demolished in 1858 and replaced with a new edifice. Again this church was renovated in 1988, with the Bishop of Limerick calling it "the little gem of the Limerick Diocese". The ruins of several other chapels and churches can be found in the area. As mentioned above, there is one such ruin within the cemetery at Craughaun, and there is another near Cratloemoyle Castle, which was not really a church but an oratory for the owners of the castle. This oratory, together with the nearby well, were dedicated to St. John. In his 1893 work ''The History and Topography of the County of Clare'', James Frost mentions that one Augustus Stafford O'Brien MP removed the ruins of a friary from the grounds of his residence, Cratloe Woods House, apparently because it interfered with the view. The ruins of the medieval parish church and cemetery of Kilfintenan can be found in the townland of Carrowmore on the road from Sixmilebridge to Gallows Hill. Kilfintenan graveyard is known as the smallest graveyard in Ireland. This graveyard was reserved for burying children and strangers who were travelling though the parish. The ruins of Cill an Bothair, or the Church of the Road, can also be found in the north of the parish. The graveyard of this church was again specifically used as a burial grounds for children. Kilcredaunnadober Graveyard in the townland of Cratloemore was a small burial ground for unbaptised children.

Transport

The largest road that passes through Cratloe is the N18 national primary road that connects Limerick and

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

. The road splits in two at Cratloe, with one direction going towards Limerick and the other bypassing the city via the

Limerick Tunnel The Limerick Tunnel () is a , twin bore road tunnel underneath the River Shannon on the outskirts of Limerick city. The tunnel forms part of the N18 Limerick Southern Ring Road. The tunnel is tolled. Construction Construction was carried out b ...

, changing into the M7 motorway to

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

just outside the City. The R462 regional road, which begins as the Cratloe exit from the N18, connects the towns of

and

Tulla Tulla () is a market town in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated in the east of the county, on the R462 and near its junction with the R352, 18km from Ennis. Etymology Tulla is generally translated as ''An Tulach'', meaning "round hill". ...

and the villages of

Kilkishen Kilkishen () is a village in southeast County Clare, Ireland. The village is east of Quin and north of Shannon. Demographics According to a report by Samuel Lewis in 1837, Kilkishen had a population of 519. At the 2006 Census the population ...

and Kilmurry to Limerick.

Shannon Airport Shannon Airport ( ga, Aerfort na Sionainne) is an international airport located in County Clare in the Republic of Ireland. It is adjacent to the Shannon Estuary and lies halfway between Ennis and Limerick. The airport is the third busiest ai ...

and the

Shannon Free Zone The Shannon Free Zone is a , international business park adjacent to Shannon Airport, County Clare, in Ireland. It is 18 km from Ennis and 20 km from Limerick. It was established in 1959, as the world's first "modern" free-trade zone ...

are located just 15 km away from the village. The

railway line Rail terminology is a form of technical terminology. The difference between the American term ''railroad'' and the international term ''railway'' (used by the International Union of Railways and English-speaking countries outside the United Sta ...

from Limerick to Ennis also passes through the village, although the station remains closed at present. Cratloe railway station opened on 17 January 1859, but finally closed on 17 June 1963. As of 2008 it was hoped, with the re-opening of the

in 2010, that Cratloe Station would again be operational in the future. As of 2022, the station is still closed.

Education

The local primary school is St. Johns National School, located just across the road from Cratloe Church. There were two previous schools before this school was built in 1980, the first one was built in 1849 and is now the local community hall and the second was built in 1965 and is now a small shopping area. Both these schools were built because of the expanding population and the present school, St. Johns, is now applying for an extension. Approximately 280 pupils attend the school.

Sport

The most played sports in Cratloe are

Gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the ...

, although sports such as

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

have been catching up. In terms of Gaelic games, 2014 was the most successful year for

Cratloe GAA Cratloe GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club located in the village of Cratloe, County Clare, Ireland. The club deals with both Gaelic football and hurling and basketball. The club competes in Clare GAA competitions. In November 2013, Cra ...

club, as the

Clare Senior Hurling Championship The Pat O'Donnell & Co. Senior Hurling Championship, more commonly known as the'' Clare Senior Hurling Championship ''or'' Clare SHC, ''is an annual hurling competition organised by the Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association. It ...

and the

Clare Senior Football Championship The Clare Senior Football Championship is an annual Gaelic Athletic Association club competition organised by Clare GAA between the top twelve gaelic football clubs in County Clare, Ireland. The winners represent the county in the Munster Senior ...

was won, making Cratloe the first club in 85 years to win both senior county titles since Ennis Dalcassians achieved it in 1929. This year also marked Cratloe's second Clare Senior Hurling Championship title, with the first coming five years earlier in 2009.

References

External links

Clare Library Article
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Clare

History

Geography

Cratloe Woods

Places of interest

Castles

Churches and graveyards

Transport

Education

Sport

See also

References

External links