County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in Ireland, in the
Southern Region and the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...
of
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 t ...
, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean.
Clare County Council is the
local authority
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
. The county had a population of 118,817 at the 2016 census.
[ The county town and largest settlement is ]Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
.
Geography and subdivisions
Clare is north-west 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 Sha ...
covering a total area of . Clare is the seventh largest of Ireland's 32 traditional counties in area and the 19th largest in terms of population. It is bordered by two counties in Munster and one county in Connacht: County Limerick
"Remember Limerick"
, image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland
, subdivision_type1 = Provinces of Ireland, Province
, subd ...
to the south, County Tipperary
County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after ...
to the east and County Galway
"Righteousness and Justice"
, anthem = ()
, image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg
, map_caption = Location in Ireland
, area_footnotes =
, area_total_km2 = ...
to the north. Clare's nickname is ''the Banner County''.
Baronies, parishes and townlands
The county is divided into the baronies of Bunratty Lower, Bunratty Upper
Bunratty Upper is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient geographical division of land is in turn divided into six civil parishes.
Legal context
Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions of counties and w ...
, Burren, Clonderalaw
Clonderalaw is an historical barony in County Clare, Ireland. Baronies are geographical divisions of land that are in turn is divided into civil parishes.
Legal context
Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as administr ...
, Corcomroe, , Inchiquin, Islands
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
, Moyarta, Tulla Lower
Tulla Lower (or Tullagh Lower) is a barony in County Clare, Ireland. This ancient geographical division of land is in turn divided into eight civil parishes.
Legal context
Baronies were created after the Norman invasion of Ireland as divisions ...
and Tulla Upper. These in turn are divided into civil parishes, which are divided into townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
s. These divisions are cadastral
A cadastre or cadaster is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref>
Often it is represented graphically in a cad ...
, defining land boundaries and ownership, rather than administrative.
Towns and villages
* Ardnacrusha
Ardnacrusha ( ga, Ard na Croise) is a village in County Clare, Munster, Ireland, located on the northern bank of the River Shannon. By road, it is north of Limerick. The name derives from the phrase ''Ard na Croise'' meaning "the height of th ...
* Ballynacally
Ballynacally () is a village and townland situated southwest of Ennis, on the R473 coast road to Kilrush in the civil parish of Kilchreest, County Clare, Ireland. It lies near the bank of the River Shannon.
History
Ballynacally derives from ...
* Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan () is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the N67 road on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. This position on the coast road and the close proximity ...
* Barefield
Barefield or Gortlumman () is a village and townland in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the R458 road, with the M18 national primary road between Ennis and Gort skirting it.
Barefield is in the Catholic parish of Doora-Barefiel ...
* Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
* Bridgetown
Bridgetown ( UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the parish of Saint Michael. Bridgetown is sometimes locally referred to as "The ...
* Broadford
* Bunratty
* Carrigaholt
* Carron
* Clarecastle
Clarecastle (''An Clár'' or ) is a village just south of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland. From 2008 to 2016 the village saw a significant population increase due to its proximity to Ennis, Shannon, and Limerick.
Name
The town is named after ...
* Clonlara
* Connolly
* Coolmeen
Coolmeen ( ga, Cúil Mhín), formerly called Kilfiddane ( ga, Cill Fheadáin), is a Roman Catholic parish in County Clare, Ireland.
Location
The parish lies in the southeast of the barony of Clonderalaw. It is southwest of Kildysart.
The pari ...
* Cooraclare
Cooraclare () is a village near Kilrush, in County Clare, Ireland, and a Catholic parish by the same name.
Location
The village of Cooraclare is in the parish of Cooraclare (Kilmacduane) in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.
It is from K ...
* Corofin
* Cranny
Cranny () is a small village in County Clare, Ireland.
Location
Cranny lies on the banks of the Cloon River, which flows into the estuary of the River Shannon at Clonderlaw Bay.
Facilities
There is a local Gaelic Athletic Association club ...
* Cratloe
* Cree (Creegh)
Cree or Creegh () is a small village in County Clare in Ireland. It is situated at a crossroads near the towns of Doonbeg and Cooraclare In the west of the county. The nearest large towns are Kilrush and Ennis which are away respectively. The ...
* Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...
* Crusheen
Crusheen () is a small village in County Clare, Ireland, in the civil parish of Crusheen (Inchicronan).
Location
The village is 10 kilometres northeast of Ennis on the R458 road to Gort.
It is in the parish of Crusheen (Inchicronan) in the R ...
* Doolin
* Doonaha
__NOTOC__
Doonaha () is a small village on the Loop Head peninsula in County Clare, Ireland. It is located along the R487 road and close to the banks of the River Shannon.
The ''Doonaha Battery'' was the northern part of the defences of the Sha ...
* Doonbeg
Doonbeg () is a village in west County Clare, Ireland on the Atlantic coast. The surrounding natural environment has supported its development as a tourist resort. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht, an Iris ...
* Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
* Ennistymon
Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads ...
* Fanore
Fanore () is a small village in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht, an Irish-speaking community, until 1956.
Geography
Location
Lying on the road between Bally ...
* Feakle
* Inagh
* Inch
Measuring tape with inches
The inch (symbol: in or ″) is a unit of length in the British imperial and the United States customary systems of measurement. It is equal to yard or of a foot. Derived from the Roman uncia ("twelfth ...
* Kilbaha
Kilbaha () is a small fishing village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located close to the western end of the Loop Head peninsula on the R487 road.
History
According to ''Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland 1845'' the village had a populatio ...
* Kilfenora
* Kilkee
* Kilkishen
* Kildysart
* Killaloe
* Killimer
* Kilmaley
Kilmaley ( ga, Cill Mháille) is a village situated west of the town of Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. The name "Kilmaley" came from the Irish language "Cill Mhaile" which translates to Church of (Saint) Maley.
Location
Kilmaley is in the b ...
* Kilmihil
Kilmihil () is a village in the Barony of Clonderlaw, west County Clare, Ireland. It is also a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare ...
* Kilmurry McMahon
Kilmurry McMahon (''Irish: Cill Mhuire Mhic Mhathuna''), also called Kilmurry-Clonderalaw, is a civil parish in County Clare in Ireland. It is also a Catholic parish in the Diocese of Killaloe.
Townlands
Townlands of the civil parish of Kil ...
* Kilnaboy
Kilnaboy or Killinaboy () is a village, townland and civil parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is located in the Burren, and as of the 2011 census the area had 347 inhabitants.
Civil parish
Kilnaboy is a parish in the historic Barony of Inch ...
* Kilnamona
* Kilrush
Kilrush () is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is also the name of a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the count ...
* Labasheeda
Labasheeda () is a village in the parish of Kilmurry McMahon in County Clare, Ireland. The village is set on a peninsula on the banks of the Shannon estuary.
Location
The village lies in an indentation of the Shannon Estuary.
It is in the civ ...
* Lahinch
Lahinch or Lehinch ( ''or'' ) is a small town on Liscannor Bay, on the northwest coast of County Clare, Ireland. It lies on the N67 national secondary road, between Milltown Malbay and Ennistymon, roughly by road southwest of Galway and no ...
* Liscannor
* Lisdoonvarna
* Lissycasey
Lissycasey () is a village in County Clare, Ireland. It forms one half of the parish of Clondegad-Kilchrist. The village straddles the N68 Ennis-Kilrush road for some 3.5 km. The area stretches east–west from Caherea to Crown and north ...
* Meelick
* Milltown Malbay
* Mountshannon
Mountshannon (, historically anglicised as ''Ballybolan'') is a village in east County Clare, Ireland. It is part of the Catholic parish Mountshannon-Whitegate. The village is on the western shore of Lough Derg, north of Killaloe. Mountshannon ...
* Mullagh
* Newmarket-on-Fergus
* O'Briensbridge
O'Brien's Bridge or O'Briensbridge () is a village in east County Clare, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Shannon, in a civil parish of the same name. It is named for the bridge across the Shannon at that point, built by Turlough O'Brie ...
* O'Callaghans Mills
O'Callaghan's Mills (), also O'Callaghansmills, is a village in County Clare, Ireland, and a Catholic parish by the same name.
It takes its name from the O'Callaghan family who were large landowners in the area and a corn and grist mill built ...
* Ogonnelloe
Ogonnelloe () is a civil parish in east County Clare, Ireland, situated on the R463 regional road between Scariff and Killaloe and in the surrounding hills. It forms part of the Catholic parish of the same name.
Location
The parish is in t ...
* Parteen
Parteen () is a village in County Clare, Ireland. It is situated in the townland of the same name that is part of the civil parish of St Patrick's. It is also part of an Ecclesiastical parish of "Parteen-Meelick" in the Roman Catholic Diocese ...
* Quilty
* Quin
* Ruan
Ruan may refer to:
Buildings
* Ruan Center, office building in Des Moines, Iowa
* John Ruan House, historic mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, t ...
* Scariff
* Shannon
* 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 ...
* Toonagh
* Tuamgraney
* Tubber
* Tulla
* Whitegate
Physical geography
Bodies of water define much of the physical boundaries of Clare. To the south-east is 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 Sha ...
, Ireland's longest river, and to the south is the Shannon Estuary
The Shannon Estuary ( gle, Inbhear na Sionainne) is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick City at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to th ...
. The border to the north-east is defined by Lough Derg which is the third largest lake on Ireland. To the west is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north is Galway Bay
Galway Bay ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south; Galw ...
. Loop Head
Loop Head (), is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland.
Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head. The ...
(Irish: Ceann Léime, meaning 'leap head') is the county's westernmost point of land.
County Clare contains The Burren
The Burren (; ) is a karst/ glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burr ...
, a unique karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, Dolomite (rock), dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathe ...
region, which contains rare flowers and fauna. At the western edge of The Burren, facing the Atlantic Ocean, are the Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, they ...
. The highest point in County Clare is Moylussa, , in the Slieve Bernagh
Moylussa ( ga, Maigh Lusa) is a mountainListed as an Arderin – a category of Irish mountains greater than 500m high with 30m prominence. in the Slieve Bernagh range in western Ireland, and the highest point in County Clare at .
Geography
...
range in the east of the county.
The following islands lie off the coast of the county:
* Aughinish
* Inishmore (or Deer) Island
Deer Island or Inishmore (derived from the Irish ''Inis Mór'' meaning 'the great island') is located in County Clare, Ireland.
Location
According to Clare County Library, Deer Island, or Innismore, is situated near the western bank of the Rive ...
* Inishloe
Inishloe or ''Low Island'' (Gaeilge: ''Inis Lua'') is an uninhabited island in the River Fergus and townland in the Kildysart
Kildysart, officially Killadysert (), is a village in County Clare, Ireland and a civil and Roman Catholic parish b ...
* Mutton Island
Mutton Island is an uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of County Clare, Ireland, about from the mainland. The nearest village is Quilty, which is roughly from the island.
It is used mainly for grazing sheep, and is host ...
* Scattery Island
Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland, off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery associated with Saint Senan, an Irish round tower and the remains of ...
Climate
History
County Clare hosts the oldest known evidence of human activity in Ireland. The patella of a bear, which was subject to butchering close to the time of death, was found in the Alice and Gwendoline Cave
The Alice and Gwendoline Cave is a limestone cave in County Clare, Ireland. It is known as the site of brown bear bones bearing the mark of butchery, which have pushed back the first known human habitation of Ireland by over two thousand years.
...
, near Edenvale House, Clarecastle
Clarecastle (''An Clár'' or ) is a village just south of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland. From 2008 to 2016 the village saw a significant population increase due to its proximity to Ennis, Shannon, and Limerick.
Name
The town is named after ...
. The bone features a number of linear-cut marks, and has been dated to circa 10,500 BC, from the Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic (), also called the Old Stone Age (from Greek: παλαιός '' palaios'', "old" and λίθος ''lithos'', "stone"), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone too ...
era. This discovery, publicized in 2017, pushed back Ireland's occupation by 2,500 years - what was previously regarded as the oldest site of occupation was the Mesolithic
The Mesolithic ( Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymo ...
site of Mount Sandel, County Londonderry
County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. ...
. This bear bone was discovered in 1903 during an archaeological excavation but was not studied until over a century later.
There was a Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
civilization in the Clare area – the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...
peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were some ...
: single-chamber megalithic tomb
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
s, usually consisting of three or more upright stones. Clare is one of the richest places in Ireland for these tombs. The most noted one is in The Burren
The Burren (; ) is a karst/ glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burr ...
area; it is known as '' Poulnabrone dolmen'', which translates to "hole of sorrows".[ Retrieved on 2 October 2008.] The remains of the people inside the tomb have been excavated and dated to 3800 BC.
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
created a map of Ireland in his '' Geographia'' with information dating from 100 AD; it is the oldest written account of the island that includes geographical features. Within his map, Ptolemy names the Gaelic tribes inhabiting it and the areas in which they resided; in the area of Clare, he identified a tribe known as the ''Gangani''. Historians have found the tribes on the west of Ireland the most difficult to identify with known peoples; however, historians William Camden
William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Ann ...
and Charles O'Conor speculated a possible connection between the Gangani and the ''Concani'', one of the eleven tribes in the confederacy of the Cantabri
The Cantabri ( grc-gre, Καντάβροι, ''Kantabroi'') or Ancient Cantabrians, were a pre-Roman people and large tribal federation that lived in the northern coastal region of ancient Iberia in the second half of the first millennium BC. Thes ...
in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, def ...
.
During the Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...
, the area was part of the Kingdom of Connacht ruled by the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne
Uí Fhiachrach Aidhne (also known as Hy Fiachrach) was a kingdom located in what is now the south of County Galway.
Legendary origins and geography
Originally known as Aidhne, it was said to have been settled by the mythical Fir Bolg. Dubhalta ...
. In the Middle Ages, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Munster to be settled by the Dalcassian
The Dalcassians ( ga, Dál gCais ) are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent ...
s. It was renamed Thomond, meaning North Munster. Brian Boru
Brian Boru ( mga, Brian Bóruma mac Cennétig; modern ga, Brian Bóramha; 23 April 1014) was an Irish king who ended the domination of the High Kingship of Ireland by the Uí Néill and probably ended Viking invasion/domination of Ireland. ...
became a leader from here during this period, perhaps the most noted High King of Ireland
High King of Ireland ( ga, Ardrí na hÉireann ) was a royal title in Gaelic Ireland held by those who had, or who are claimed to have had, lordship over all of Ireland. The title was held by historical kings and later sometimes assigned an ...
.
From 1118 onwards the Kingdom of Thomond was in place as its own petty kingdom, ruled by the O'Brien Clan
The O'Brien dynasty ( ga, label= Classical Irish, Ua Briain; ga, label=Modern Irish, Ó Briain ; genitive ''Uí Bhriain'' ) is a noble house of Munster, founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais (Dalcassians). After becoming ...
. After the Norman invasion of Ireland
The Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland took place during the late 12th century, when Anglo-Normans gradually conquered and acquired large swathes of land from the Irish, over which the kings of England then claimed sovereignty, all allegedly san ...
, Thomas de Clare established a short-lived Norman lordship of Thomond, extinguished at the Battle of Dysert O'Dea
The Battle of Dysert O'Dea took place on 10 May 1318 at Dysert O'Dea near Corofin, Ireland. It was part of the Bruce campaign in Ireland. The Norman Richard de Clare attacked the Gaelic Irish chieftain Conchobhar Ó Deághaidh, chief of th ...
in 1318 during Edward Bruce's invasion.
There are two main hypotheses for the origins of the county name "Clare". One is that the name is derived from Thomas de Clare who was deeply embroiled in local politics and fighting in the 1270s and 1280s. An alternative hypothesis is that the county name ''Clare'' comes from the settlement of Clare (now Clarecastle
Clarecastle (''An Clár'' or ) is a village just south of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland. From 2008 to 2016 the village saw a significant population increase due to its proximity to Ennis, Shannon, and Limerick.
Name
The town is named after ...
), whose Irish name (plank bridge) refers to a crossing over the River Fergus
The River Fergus ( ga, An Forghas) is a river within the Shannon River Basin which flows in County Clare, Ireland. The river begins at Lough Fergus in north Clare and flows into the Shannon Estuary. The source is at Lough Fergus in the townlan ...
.
English colonization
In 1543, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland
The Tudor conquest (or reconquest) of Ireland took place under the Tudor dynasty, which held the Kingdom of England during the 16th century. Following a failed rebellion against the crown by Silken Thomas, the Earl of Kildare, in the 1530s, ...
, Murrough O'Brien, by surrender and regrant to Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
, became Earl of Thomond
Earl of Thomond was an hereditary title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created twice for the O'Brien dynasty which is an ancient Irish sept native to north Munster.
History and background
First creation
Under the Crown of Ireland Act 1542 ...
within Henry's Kingdom of Ireland
The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label= Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
. Henry Sidney
Sir Henry Sidney (20 July 1529 – 5 May 1586), Lord Deputy of Ireland, was the eldest son of Sir William Sidney of Penshurst, a prominent politician and courtier during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI, from both of whom he recei ...
as Lord Deputy of Ireland
The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland. The plural form is ' ...
responded to the Desmond Rebellion
The Desmond Rebellions occurred in 1569–1573 and 1579–1583 in the Irish province of Munster.
They were rebellions by the Earl of Desmond, the head of the Fitzmaurice/FitzGerald Dynasty in Munster, and his followers, the Geraldines an ...
by creating the presidency of Connaught in 1569 and presidency of Munster in 1570. He transferred Thomond from Munster to Connaught, which he shire
Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the begin ...
d, Thomond becoming County Clare.
About 1600, Clare was removed from the presidency of Connaught and made a presidency in its own right under the Earl of Thomond. When Henry O'Brien, 5th Earl of Thomond
Henry O'Brien, 5th Earl of Thomond PC (Ire) (1588–1639), styled Lord Ibrickane until 1624, was summoned to the House of Lords of the Irish Parliament of 1613–1615.
Birth and origins
Henry was born the eldest son of Donogh O'Brien and ...
died in 1639, Lord Deputy Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford
Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford, (13 April 1593 ( N.S.)12 May 1641), was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to the English Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I. From 1 ...
decreed Clare should return to the presidency of Munster, but the Wars of the Three Kingdoms
The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of related conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, then separate entities united in a personal union under Charles I. They include the 1639 to 1640 Bi ...
delayed this until the Restoration of 1660.
Clare's county nickname is the ''Banner County'', for which various origins have been suggested: the banners captured by Clare's Dragoons at the Battle of Ramillies
The Battle of Ramillies (), fought on 23 May 1706, was a battle of the War of the Spanish Succession. For the Grand Alliance – Austria, England, and the Dutch Republic – the battle had followed an indecisive campaign against the Bourbon a ...
; or the banner of Catholic emancipation
Catholic emancipation or Catholic relief was a process in the kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, and later the combined United Kingdom in the late 18th century and early 19th century, that involved reducing and removing many of the restricti ...
raised by 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 ...
's victory in an 1828 by-election for County Clare that led to Parliament passing the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.
Scattery Island
Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland, off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery associated with Saint Senan, an Irish round tower and the remains of ...
, in the Mouth of the Shannon
The Shannon Estuary ( gle, Inbhear na Sionainne) is a large estuary where the River Shannon flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary has Limerick City at its head and its seaward limits are marked by Loop Head to the north and Kerry Head to th ...
off the Clare coast, was transferred to Limerick Corporation and the county of the city
A county corporate or corporate county was a type of subnational division used for local government in England, Wales, and Ireland.
Counties corporate were created during the Middle Ages, and were effectively small self-governing county-empower ...
of Limerick after the dissolution of the monasteries in the mid-16th century. It was assigned to County Clare after the Municipal Corporations (Ireland) Act 1840
The Municipal Corporations Act (Ireland) 1840 (3 & 4 Vict. c. 108), ''An Act for the Regulation of Municipal Corporations in Ireland'', was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 10 August 1840. It was one of the Municipal Corporati ...
. Under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, ...
, part of the judicial county of Galway (Drummaan, Inishcaltra North and Mountshannon electoral divisions) was transferred to county Clare. This area contains the village of Mountshannon
Mountshannon (, historically anglicised as ''Ballybolan'') is a village in east County Clare, Ireland. It is part of the Catholic parish Mountshannon-Whitegate. The village is on the western shore of Lough Derg, north of Killaloe. Mountshannon ...
on the north-western shore of Lough Derg.
Governance and politics
Local government
The local authority for the county is Clare County Council.
Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
lost its overall majority on the council in 2004. As of the 2009 local election, Fianna Fáil is the largest party, with 13 of the 28 seats.
The county seat is at Ennis, which also serves as a major regional hub for County Clare. Among its emergency services, it contains the Ennis Hospital
The Ennis Hospital ( ga, Ospidéal Inis) is a public hospital located in Ennis, County Clare, Ireland. It is managed by UL Hospitals Group.
History
The hospital was officially opened as the Ennis County Hospital on 4 October 1940. It became th ...
, the HQ of the Clare Divisional Garda, the Clare Fire Brigade and Civil Defence.
The council has two representatives on the Southern Regional Assembly, where it is part of the Mid-West
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of the United States. I ...
strategic planning area.
Former districts
Prior to 2014, there were four town councils
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural council ...
in Clare: Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
, Kilrush
Kilrush () is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is also the name of a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the count ...
, Kilkee and Shannon. All town councils in Ireland were abolished under the Local Government Reform Act 2014
The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 local elections. It merged some first-tier county and city councils, ...
.
National politics
Since 1921, County Clare has been represented in Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann ( , ; ) is the lower house, and principal chamber, of the Oireachtas (Irish legislature), which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann (the upper house).Article 15.1.2º of the Constitution of Ireland rea ...
by the constituency of Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
, which currently has four Teachtaí Dála (TDs). Since 2020, the whole of the county has been in the constituency. At various times, portions of County Clare have been in other constituencies: Clare–South Galway (1969–77), Galway West (1977–81), Limerick East
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 ...
(1992–2011) and Limerick City
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 201 ...
(2011–20).
The constituency was historically a Fianna Fáil
Fianna Fáil (, ; meaning 'Soldiers of Destiny' or 'Warriors of Fál'), officially Fianna Fáil – The Republican Party ( ga, audio=ga-Fianna Fáil.ogg, Fianna Fáil – An Páirtí Poblachtánach), is a conservative and Christia ...
stronghold. Prominent former TDs for Clare include Éamon de Valera
Éamon de Valera (, ; first registered as George de Valero; changed some time before 1901 to Edward de Valera; 14 October 1882 – 29 August 1975) was a prominent Irish statesman and political leader. He served several terms as head of govern ...
, who became Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legislature) and the of ...
and President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
and former president Patrick Hillery
Patrick John Hillery ( ga, Pádraig J. Ó hIrghile; 2 May 1923 – 12 April 2008) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the sixth president of Ireland from December 1976 to December 1990. He also served as vice-president of the Eur ...
.
It is part of the European Parliament constituency
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are elected by the population of the member states of the European Union (EU). The European Electoral Act 2002 allows member states the choice to allocate electoral subdivisions or constituencies (, ...
of South
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
(5 seats).
Demography
The population of Clare was 118,817 people at the 2016 census.[ The main urban areas are ]Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
with a population of 25,276 and Shannon with 9,729.
The demographic profile for Clare in general is fairly young: 22% are under age 14, while 12% are over 65, compared to the national average of 20% and 11%, respectively. There is a slightly higher percentage of males with 50.5%, while females number 49.5%.
English is the main language spoken in Clare. The vast majority of the population are Irish people
The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has bee ...
, accounting for 86%. Most immigrants are Europeans, totalling an additional 7,520; there is also a small African minority of 1,124 people, while other ethnic groups are very small in number.
In addition, Clare had a large diaspora
A diaspora ( ) is a population that is scattered across regions which are separate from its geographic place of origin. Historically, the word was used first in reference to the dispersion of Greeks in the Hellenic world, and later Jews after ...
due to vast emigration during the 19th century. There are millions of people around the world who can trace their family background to Clare; such descendants are found mostly in North America, Great Britain, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand. Many people from the Irish diaspora visit the Clare area to trace their family roots and background.
Most of the names in Clare are derived from sept members of the Dalcassian
The Dalcassians ( ga, Dál gCais ) are a Gaelic Irish clan, generally accepted by contemporary scholarship as being a branch of the Déisi Muman, that became very powerful in Ireland during the 10th century. Their genealogies claimed descent ...
race of Gaels
The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic langua ...
. Some of the most common examples are O'Brien, O'Dea, McMahon
McMahon, also spelled MacMahon (older Irish orthography: ; reformed Irish orthography: ), is a surname of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Mac'' ''Mathghamhna'' meaning 'son of the bear'.
The surname came into use around the 11th ce ...
, McInerney, McNamara
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 famili ...
, McGarry, Moloney, O'Grady
''O'Grady'' (stylized as ''O*gRAdY'') is an American animated television series created by Tom Snyder, Carl W. Adams, and Holly Schlesinger for Noggin's teen-oriented programming block, The N. The show was animated at Snyder's Soup2Nuts studio. ...
, Hogan
A hogan ( or ; from Navajo ' ) is the primary, traditional dwelling of the Navajo people. Other traditional structures include the summer shelter, the underground home, and the sweat house. A hogan can be round, cone-shaped, multi-sided, or squ ...
, Considine, Griffey/Griffin and Lynch
Lynch may refer to:
Places Australia
* Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica
* Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica
* Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia
England
* River Lynch, Hertfordshire
* The Lynch, an island in the Rive ...
. Names of assimilated Norman origin include Burke
Burke is an Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman Monarchy of Ireland, Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Normans, Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (–1206) had ...
, Dalton, and Comyn.
Religion
The great majority of the population follow Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
; at least 92% of the people in the area polled as part of the Ireland Census 2006 identified as Christians. There are numerous abbeys and priories in Clare. Some of the ruins of such structures, such as Scattery Island
Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland, off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery associated with Saint Senan, an Irish round tower and the remains of ...
, Bishop's Island, and Drumcliff monasteries, are ancient, dating to the sixth century when Christianity was first introduced to Ireland. The former was founded by Saint Senan
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Orth ...
, who was born locally near Kilrush in 488 and is counted amongst the Twelve Apostles of Ireland
The Twelve Apostles of Ireland (also known as Twelve Apostles of Erin, ir, Dhá Aspal Déag na hÉireann) were twelve early Irish monastic saints of the sixth century who studied under St Finnian (d. 549) at his famous monastic school Clona ...
.
Numerous other saints came from Clare, such as Flannan, Mochulleus, Moula, Caimin, Maccreiche
Mac Creiche (or Maccreehy, MacCrecius) of Liscannor is described by various old texts as an early Irish saint, a hermit who slew monsters and persuaded kings to submit to him through miracles. He was probably not a historical figure. The stories ...
, Munchin and more. In the present day, the Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
still commands a large majority, with 88% of the populace declaring themselves as followers of the religion. This percentage is slightly higher than the national average.
Most of Clare falls under the Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
The Diocese of Killaloe ( ) may refer either to a Roman Catholic or a Church of Ireland (Anglican) diocese, in Ireland.
Roman Catholic diocese
The Diocese of Killaloe is the second largest Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.
It comprises the ...
, which is part of the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly. The Bishop of Killaloe is seated at the St Peter and Paul Cathedral in Ennis. A small portion of the north-western part of Clare falls under the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora ( ga, Deoise na Gaillimhe, Chill Mhic Duaich agus Chill Fhionnúrach) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the west of Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Tuam and is subjec ...
.
As part of the local council's architectural conservation project, around eighty Christian churches have been designated as protected structures. Among the more notable structures are the ruins of Corcomroe Abbey, Quin Abbey
Quin Abbey (Irish: ''Mainistir Chuinche''), in Quin, County Clare, Ireland, was built between 1402 and 1433 by Sioda Cam MacNamara, for Fathers Purcell and Mooney, friars of the Franciscan order. Although mostly roofless, the structure of the a ...
, and Dysert O Dea Monastery
Dysert O'Dea Church (Irish: ''Díseart Uí Dheá'' - "the hermitage of Deá") near Corofin in County Clare, Ireland stands on the site of an early Christian monastery which was reportedly founded by St. Tola in the 8th century. Most of the ...
.
The largest religious minority is the Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the sec ...
, which is part of the Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Founded in 1867 in London, the communion has more than 85 million members within the Church of England and other ...
. It has just under 2000 adherents in Clare. The county is part of the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe, one of the three cathedrals of the diocese being St Flannan's Cathedral in Killaloe. Other religious communities in Clare are very small in comparison. In 2016, about 11% of the population reported no religion. Up from 5% in 2011
Places of interest
Places of interest include:
*Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher (; ) are sea cliffs located at the southwestern edge of the Burren region in County Clare, Ireland. They run for about . At their southern end, they rise above the Atlantic Ocean at Hag's Head, and, to the north, they ...
* Doolin
*Inis Cealtra
Inis Cealtra, also known in English as Inishcaltra or Holy Island, is an island off the western shore of Lough Derg in Ireland. Now uninhabited, it was once a monastic settlement. It has an Irish round tower, and the ruins of several small chu ...
(Holy Island) in Lough Derg
*Kilbaha
Kilbaha () is a small fishing village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located close to the western end of the Loop Head peninsula on the R487 road.
History
According to ''Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland 1845'' the village had a populatio ...
* Kilkee
*Loop Head
Loop Head (), is a headland on the north side of the mouth of the River Shannon, in County Clare in the west of Ireland.
Loop Head is marked by a prominent lighthouse. The opposite headland on the south side of the Shannon is Kerry Head. The ...
*Scattery Island
Inis Cathaigh or Scattery Island is an island in the Shannon Estuary, Ireland, off the coast of Kilrush, County Clare. The island is home to a lighthouse, a ruined monastery associated with Saint Senan, an Irish round tower and the remains of ...
* Spanish Point
*The Burren
The Burren (; ) is a karst/ glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burr ...
* Bunratty Castle
Gaeltacht
West Clare and some pockets in East Clare were recognised as part of the Gaeltacht
( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home.
The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...
, or Irish-speaking area, by the Irish Free State
The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
government in the original ''Coimisiún na Gaeltachta
Coimisiún na Gaeltachta ( en, Gaeltacht Commission), abbreviated CnaG, was an Irish government agency which worked from 2000 to 2002 to draft recommendations to strengthen the role of the Irish language in the Gaeltacht, the Irish-language-spea ...
'' in 1926. The most prominent of these areas with native Irish language
Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
speakers were west of Ennis
Ennis () is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in County Clare, with a population of 25,27 ...
in Kilmihil
Kilmihil () is a village in the Barony of Clonderlaw, west County Clare, Ireland. It is also a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare ...
, Kilrush
Kilrush () is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is also the name of a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the count ...
, Doonbeg
Doonbeg () is a village in west County Clare, Ireland on the Atlantic coast. The surrounding natural environment has supported its development as a tourist resort. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht, an Iris ...
, Doolin, Ennistimon
Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads ...
, Carrigaholt, Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan () is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the N67 road on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. This position on the coast road and the close proximity ...
. However, by the time of the second ''Coimisiún na Gaeltachta'' in 1956, the decline in the number of Gaelic speakers had been such that West Clare was removed from the list. It remained covered by the Gaeltacht (Housing) Acts until 2001.
Close geographic proximity to the Aran Islands
The Aran Islands ( ; gle, Oileáin Árann, ) or The Arans (''na hÁrainneacha'' ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony of Aran i ...
(which were once part of Thomond) and local trade with fishermen from there meant that the language was used by residents of Fanore
Fanore () is a small village in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland. The area was officially classified as part of the West Clare Gaeltacht, an Irish-speaking community, until 1956.
Geography
Location
Lying on the road between Bally ...
, Murroogh
Murroogh (), sometimes named ''Murrooghtoohy'' or ''Murroghtwohy'', is a hamlet in County Clare, Ireland. It covers the townlands of Murrooghtoohy North and Murrooghtoohy South. It is within the civil parish of Gleninagh, in the Barony of Burre ...
, Doolin and Quilty more than in other places. The last native Clare Irish speaker, the '' seanchaí'' Paddy Pháraic Mhíchíl Ó Sionáin (Shannon) of Fisherstreet, Doolin, died in the early 1990s.
In the early 21st century, the pressure group ''Coiste Forbartha Gaeltachta Chontae an Chláir'' has sought to restore the official status of West Clare as a Gaeltacht area. They are encouraging immersion classes to revive use of the language.
Music
County Clare has a strong history of Traditional music. It is the home of the Kilfenora Céilí Band, the Tulla Céilí Band
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" ...
, Stockton's Wing
Stockton's Wing is an Irish band formed in 1977 by four All-Ireland champion musicians; Paul Roche on flute/whistle, Maurice Lennon on fiddle, Tommy Hayes on bodhran, and Kieran Hanrahan on banjo/mandolin, along with Tony Callinan on guitar an ...
, Elizabeth Crotty
Elizabeth Crotty, better known as Mrs. Crotty (née Markham; 6 December 1885 – 27 December 1960), was an Irish concertina player.
Crotty began gaining traction in the 1950s in the wake of the Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. She participated i ...
, Sharon Shannon, Noel Hill, Peadar O'Loughlin
Peadar O'Loughlin (6 November 1929 – 22 October 2017) was an Irish fluter, fiddler, and piper from Kilmaley County Clare, Ireland who had been a fixture in Irish music since the late 1940s and was best known for having played on the highly i ...
, Martin Hayes and legendary tin-whistler Micho Russell
Micho Russell (25 March 1915 – 19 February 1994) was an Irish musician and author best known for his expert tin whistle performance. He also played the simple-system flute and was a collector of traditional music and folklore.
Biography
Ru ...
. Ennis in County Clare is also the birthplace of Grammy-nominated songstress Maura O'Connell whose grandmother started a fish market in the town. The county has many traditional music festivals and one of the most well known is the Willie Clancy Summer School, which is held every July in the town of Milltown Malbay in memory of the renowned uilleann
The uilleann pipes ( or , ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland. Earlier known in English as "union pipes", their current name is a partial translation of the Irish language terms (literally, "pipes of the elbow"), from their ...
piper, Willie Clancy.
Andy Irvine has written two songs celebrating County Clare: one is "West Coast of Clare" (recorded with Planxty
Planxty were an Irish folk music band formed in January 1972, consisting initially of Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guit ...
in 1973), in which he mentions Spanish Point and Milltown Malbay. The other is "My Heart's Tonight in Ireland" (recorded on his solo album '' Rain on the Roof'' in 1996, and again on ''Changing Trains
''Changing Trains'Mozaik – Changing Trains'', Compass Records 744682, 2007. is the first studio album recorded by Mozaik in Budapest during November 2005, and for which they had rehearsed new material a few months earlier, in January and Ap ...
'' in 2005), in which he mentions several towns and villages in County Clare: Milltown Malbay, Scariff, Kilrush
Kilrush () is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is also the name of a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the count ...
, 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 ...
, Kilkishen, Lahinch
Lahinch or Lehinch ( ''or'' ) is a small town on Liscannor Bay, on the northwest coast of County Clare, Ireland. It lies on the N67 national secondary road, between Milltown Malbay and Ennistymon, roughly by road southwest of Galway and no ...
, Ennistymon
Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads ...
, Liscannor and Kilkee, and also makes two references to the music of Willie Clancy:
In the town of Scarriff the sun was shining in the sky
When Willie Clancy played his pipes and the tears welled in my eyes
Many years have passed and gone since the time we had there
But my heart's tonight in Ireland in the sweet County Clare.
...
Lahinch and Ennistymon, Liscannor and Kilkee
But best of all was Milltown when the music flowed so free
Willie Clancy and the County Clare I'm ever in your debt
For the sights and sounds of yesterday are shining memories yet.
Milltown Malbay is home to Oidhreacht an Chlair, an institute for higher education in all aspects of Irish tradition, history and literature.
Sport
The Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
hurling
Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
team has one of the best records of success in the country in recent years with many cups such as the Liam MacCarthy Cup having been won in 1914, 1995, 1997 and 2013 and also finalists in 2002. Clare won the Munster Final in football in 1992 beating Kerry. There is a strong Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...
(GAA) presence in County Clare with the founder of the GAA, Michael Cusack, having been born in Carron which is situated in the heart of The Burren
The Burren (; ) is a karst/ glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burr ...
in North Clare. Irish rugby internationals from Clare include Keith Wood, Anthony Foley & Marcus Horan.
Transport
Clare is served by two national primary road
A national primary road ( ga, Bóthar príomha náisiúnta) is a road classification in Ireland. National primary roads form the major routes between the major urban centres. There are 2649 km of national primary roads. This category of ro ...
s—a classification referring to the major routes between major urban centres in Ireland. This includes the N18 connecting 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 2 ...
to 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 ...
, which passes through Ennis and by route of the N19—Shannon. These two roads are part of the wider Western and Southern Corridor connecting many of the major settlements right across the island in these areas. There are also some significant national secondary road
A national secondary road ( ga, Bóthar Náisiúnta den Dara Grád) is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national ...
s—across the coast, stretching from Ballyvaughan
Ballyvaughan or Ballyvaghan () is a small harbour village in County Clare, Ireland. It is located on the N67 road on the south shores of Galway Bay, in the northwest corner of The Burren. This position on the coast road and the close proximity ...
, through Ennistymon
Ennistymon or Ennistimon () is a country market town in County Clare, near the west coast of Ireland. The River Inagh, with its small rapids known as the Cascades, runs through the town, behind the main street. A bridge across the river leads ...
and Kilkee, before arriving at Kilrush
Kilrush () is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is also the name of a civil parish and an ecclesiastical parish in Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the count ...
is the N67. In addition to this the N68 connects Kilrush to Ennis, while Ennis is connected to Ennistymon via the N85.
Mainland public transport is mostly limited to buses ran by Irish Government
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The gover ...
owned company Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidi ...
; there are around 25 buses running frequent routes which pass through the majority of large settlements in Clare. Clare Bus, runs a limited number of "accessible buslines". The Ennis railway station
Ennis railway station serves the town of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland.
Ennis is the terminus station of the to Ennis Commuter service (intermediate stop ) and a station on the Limerick to Galway intercity service. Passengers for Dublin/C ...
operated by government owned Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal InterCity, Commuter, DART and f ...
is the most significant railway station in Clare today; it was opened on 2 July 1859. By route of 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 2 ...
the trains run from Ennis to Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
and it generally takes 3 hours to complete the journey. There was previously a far more extensive local railway network in Clare, laid while part of the United Kingdom, the West Clare Railway was in existence from its opening in 1887 by Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell (27 June 1846 – 6 October 1891) was an Irish nationalist politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1875 to 1891, also acting as Leader of the Home Rule League from 1880 to 1882 and then Leader of t ...
until 1961 covering much of the county. It was quite inefficient however, leading Percy French
William Percy French (1 May 1854 – 24 January 1920) was an Irish songwriter, author, poet, entertainer and painter.
Life
French was born at Clooneyquinn House, near Tulsk, County Roscommon, the son of an Anglo-Irish landlord, Christopher F ...
to write the song '' Are Ye Right There Michael?'' about his experience. Much of it was dug up and dismantled by the Irish government from the 1950s—1970s after being deemed uneconomic, however there remains local advocacy group
Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the develop ...
s who wish to conserve and restore parts of it.
The third busiest airport in Ireland is located in Clare with the Shannon Airport, which officially opened in 1945. Along with Dublin Airport
Dublin Airport ( Irish: ''Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath'') is an international airport serving Dublin, Ireland. It is operated by DAA (formerly Dublin Airport Authority). The airport is located in Collinstown, north of Dublin, and south o ...
and Cork Airport
Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cro ...
it is one of the three primary airports in the country, handling 3.62 million passengers in 2007. Shannon was the first airport in Ireland to receive transatlantic flight
A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East to North America, Central America, or South America, or ''vice versa''. Such flights have been made by fixed-wing air ...
s. Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier founded in 1984. It is headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland and has its primary operational bases at Dublin and London Stansted airports. It forms the largest part of the Ryanair Holdings famil ...
is the main airline handling flights with Great Britain and Continental European countries such as Spain, France, and Germany as the primary destinations. Much traffic from the United States is received, which Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus ( ; an anglicisation of the Irish , meaning "air fleet" compare Welsh 'llynges awyr') is the flag carrier of Ireland. Founded by the Irish Government, it was privatised between 2006 and 2015 and it is now a wholly owned subsidiar ...
mostly handles; it is sometimes used as a military stopover which has caused some controversy in the country, but nonetheless has generated significant revenue for the airport. There are some local ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...
services as much of the county is surrounded by water; there is one from Killimer to Tarbert Island
Tarbert (, from an Old Irish term meaning "draw-boat", i.e. portage) is a town in the north of County Kerry, with woodland to the south and the Shannon estuary to the north. It lies on the N69 coast road that runs along the estuary from Limeri ...
in Kerry and also from Doolin to the Aran Islands
The Aran Islands ( ; gle, Oileáin Árann, ) or The Arans (''na hÁrainneacha'' ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony of Aran i ...
of Inisheer and Inishmore
Inishmore ( ga, Árainn , or ) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of and a population of 762 (as of 2016), it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast (after Achill) a ...
.
People
* Gerald Barry, composer
* Pat Breen
Patrick Breen (born 21 March 1957) is an Irish former Fine Gael politician who served as a Minister of State from 2016 to 2020. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Clare constituency from 2002 to 2020.
Having been a member of Clare Count ...
* Joe Carey
Joseph Carey (born 24 June 1975) is an Irish Fine Gael politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Clare constituency since the 2007 general election.
Early life
Carey is the son of Donal Carey who was a TD and Senator. He was ed ...
* Tony Killeen
* Timmy Dooley
Timmy Dooley (born 13 February 1969) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has served as a Senator since June 2020, after being nominated by the Taoiseach, and previously from 2002 to 2007 for the Administrative Panel. He served as a Teachta ...
* Síle De Valera
* Shane O'Donnell
Shane O'Donnell (born 15 June 1994) is an Irish hurler who played as a forward for the Clare senior team.
Born in Ennis, County Clare, O'Donnell first arrived on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he first linked up with the ...
* Naomi Carroll
Naomi Carroll (born 13 September 1992) is an Irish Olympian and Ireland women's field hockey international. In 2015–16 Carroll won a Women's Irish Hockey League title with Hermes. Carroll has also played both camogie and ladies' Gaelic foot ...
* Edna O'Brien
Josephine Edna O'Brien (born 15 December 1930) is an Irish novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer. Elected to Aosdána by her fellow artists, she was honoured with the title Saoi in 2015 and the "UK and Ireland Nobel" ...
* Brendan O'Regan
Brendan O'Regan CBE (1917–2008) was an Irish businessman responsible for developing Shannon Airport, inventing the concept of the duty-free shop and transforming the Shannon Region of Ireland. He was involved in promoting peace in Northern Ire ...
See also
* High Sheriff of Clare
* List of rivers in County Clare
List of rivers in County Clare is an overview of the named rivers and stream flowing (wholly or partly) through County Clare, Ireland.
95% of County Clare is located within the Shannon River Basin with the remainder in the so-called "Western Rive ...
* Lord Lieutenant of Clare
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of County Clare.
There were lieutenants of counties in Ireland until the reign of James II, when they were renamed governors. The office of Lord Lieutenant was recreated on 23 August 1831.
...
* Wild Atlantic Way
Notes
References
*
*
*
External links
War Of Independence in Clare
Clare County Council
Clare County Library
Tourist Attractions
{{Coord, 52, 50, N, 9, 00, W, type:adm1st_region:IE_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...