Kilmaley ( ga, Cill Mháille) is a village situated west of the town 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 ...

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. The name "Kilmaley" came from the Irish language "Cill Mhaile" which translates to Church of (Saint) Maley.

Location

Kilmaley is in the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

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

. 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 sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional ...

(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 dynasty ...

, King of Limerick and Thomond. He placed it in the charge of the

Augustinians Augustinians are members of Christian religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written in about 400 AD by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

. 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 S ...

, 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

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 origi ...

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 * * * * * * * * *

External links

{{Civil parishes of County Clare Towns and villages in County Clare