Kilmaley ( ga, Cill Mháille) is a village situated west of the town of
Ennis,
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 118,81 ...
, Ireland. The name "Kilmaley" came from the Irish language "Cill Mhaile" which translates to Church of (Saint) Maley.
Location
Kilmaley is in the
barony of
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 ...
, southwest of
Ennis.
It is and covers .
Much of the land is moor or mountain.
Every hill in the parish holds the remains of an ancient fort or rath, over 30 in total.
The Kilmaley Parish area is the largest in County Clare.
A river called Kilmaley river runs through the village. There is forestry, in which you can go on short trails and many lakes for fishing.
There was a castle at Ballymacooda that in 1580 belonged to the Baron of Inchiquin.
The parish is crossed by the road from Ennis to
Milltown Malbay
Milltown Malbay (), also Miltown Malbay, is a town in the west of County Clare, Ireland, near Spanish Point. The population was 829 at the 2016 Census.
Name
There is a townland on the southern edge of the town called Poulawillin or Pollawillin ...
.
In the 1830s fairs were held at Cornally four times a year.
In 1841 the population was 4,908 in 758 houses.
Sports
The Kilmaley
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
(GAA) club was senior champions of Clare in 1985 and 2004.
There two sport fields in Kilmaley.
The main field is a GAA field and the second is located behind Kilmaley National School and is used for hurling and camogie.
Athletics is also very prominent where St. Cronans Athletic club lead the way in activities.
Religion
Kilmaley church was established in 1195 by
Domnall Mór Ua Briain
Domnall Mór Ua Briain, or Domnall Mór mac Toirrdelbaig Uí Briain, was King of Thomond in Ireland from 1168 to 1194 and a claimant to the title King of Munster. He was also styled King of Limerick, a title belonging to the O'Brien dynas ...
, King of Limerick and Thomond.
He placed it in the charge of the
Augustinians.
In 1893 only part of the old church was still standing. Nearby there was a large cemetery and not far away two holy wells.
The modern Catholic parish of Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly is in the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
The Diocese of Killaloe ( ; ga, Deoise Chill Dalua) is a Roman Catholic diocese in mid-western Ireland, one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly.
The cathedral church of the diocese is the Cathedral of ...
, and has its parish office is in the Parochial House, Kilmaley.
Churches in the parish include Our Lady of the Wayside in Inch, St John the Baptist in Kilmaley and St Michael the Archangel in Connolly.
Amenities
There are three primary schools in the parish of Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly: Kilmaley National School, Connolly National School and Inch National School. Two other schools, Kinkurk National School and Lisroe National School, closed in 1969 and 1970 respectively due to low class numbers. There is also a playschool or crèche located adjacent to Kilmaley National School and the main parish church (St Johns Church).
There are three pubs and three shops in the Kilmaley Parish area. Other local businesses including a number of local tractor and car repair garages.
Townlands
![Old Kilmaley Graveyard, rings for horses](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Old_Kilmaley_Graveyard%2C_rings_for_horses.jpg)
There are 54
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 in the parish, these are Ailldavore, Balleen, Ballydonohoe, Ballyillaun, Ballymacaula, Ballymacooda, Ballyvoe, Bealcragga, Booltiagh, Boolybrien, Boolynaknockaun, Boolynagleragh, Boolyneaska, Caherea, Cahermore, Cappalea North, Cappalea South, Carncreagh, Cloonlaheen, Cloontabonniv, Cloonbooly, Culleen, Derrynacarragh, Drumanure, Drumatehy, Feighroe, Furroor, Garrynagry, Glenletternafinny, Gortaganniv, Kilcloher, Kilcolumb, Kilmaley, Kinturk, Knockadangan, Knockatunna, Knockmore, Knockmoy, Kyleatunna, Lehaknock, Lecarrow Beg, Lecarrow More, Letteragh, Lisbiggeen, Lispuckaun, Lisroe, Loughburke, Magowna, Rathcrony, Reanagishagh, Sheeaun, Slaghbooly, Slievealoughaun and Tullaghaboy.
References
Citations
Sources
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External links
{{Civil parishes of County Clare
Towns and villages in County Clare