County Clare

County in Ireland

For other uses, see County Clare (disambiguation).

County in Munster, Ireland

County Clare

Contae an Chláir

County

Coat of arms

Nickname:

The Banner County

Motto(s):

Irish: Dílis d'ár nOidreacht
"True to our heritage"[1][2]

Country| Ireland
Province| Munster
Region| Southern
Established| 1565[3]
County town| Ennis
Government

• Local authority| Clare County Council
• Dáil constituency| Clare
• EP constituency| South
Area

• Total

| 3,450 km2 (1,330 sq mi)
• Rank| 7th
Highest elevation

(Moylussa)

| 532 m (1,745 ft)
Population

(2022)[4]

| 127,938
• Rank| 19th
Time zone| UTC±0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)| UTC+1 (IST)
Eircode routing keys|

H62, H91, V14, V15, V94, V95

Telephone area codes| 061, 065 (primarily)
ISO 3166 code| IE-CE
Vehicle index
mark code| CE
Website| Official website

County Clare (Irish: Contae an Chláir) is a county in the province of Munster in the Southern part of Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 127,938 at the 2022 census.[5] The county seat and largest settlement is Ennis.

## Etymology

[edit]

See also: Etymological list of counties of Ireland

There are two main hypotheses for the origins of the county name "Clare". One is that the name is derived from Thomas de Clare[6] an Anglo-Norman peer and soldier from the de Clare family, who was deeply embroiled in local politics and fighting in the 1270s and 1280 and had acquired land in Kilkenny and Thomond that included the Castle of Clare. In 1590 County Clare was named after the castle, which is in a strategic location. An alternative hypothesis is that the county name Clare comes from the settlement of Clare (now Clarecastle), whose Irish name Clár (plank bridge) refers to a crossing over the River Fergus.[7][8][9]

## Geography and subdivisions

[edit]

Clare is north-west of the River Shannon covering a total area of 3,450 square kilometres (1,330 sq mi).[10] 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 to the south, County Tipperary to the east, and County Galway to the north. Clare's nickname is the Banner County.[11]

### Baronies, parishes and townlands

[edit]

Baronies of Clare

The county is divided into the baronies of Bunratty Lower, Bunratty Upper, Burren, Clonderalaw, Corcomroe, Ibrickan, Inchiquin, Islands, Moyarta, Tulla Lower and Tulla Upper. These in turn are divided into civil parishes, which are divided into townlands. These divisions are cadastral, defining land boundaries and ownership, rather than administrative.

### Towns and villages

[edit]

* Ardnacrusha
* Ballynacally
* Ballyvaughan
* Barefield
* Boston
* Bridgetown
* Broadford
* Bunratty
* Carrigaholt
* Carron
* Clarecastle
* Clonlara
* Connolly
* Coolmeen
* Cooraclare
* Corofin
* Cranny
* Cratloe
* Cree (Creegh)
* Cross
* Crusheen
* Doolin
* Doonaha
* Doonbeg
* Ennis
* Ennistymon
* Fanore
* Feakle
* Inagh
* Inch
* Kilbaha
* Kilfenora
* Kilkee
* Kilkishen
* Kildysart
* Killaloe
* Killimer
* Kilmaley
* Kilmihil
* Kilmurry McMahon
* Kilnaboy
* Kilnamona
* Kilrush
* Labasheeda
* Lahinch
* Liscannor
* Lisdoonvarna
* Lissycasey
* Meelick
* Milltown Malbay
* Mountshannon
* Mullagh
* Newmarket-on-Fergus
* O'Brien's Bridge
* O'Callaghan's Mills
* Ogonnelloe
* Parteen
* Quilty
* Quin
* Ruan
* Scariff
* Shannon
* Sixmilebridge
* Toonagh
* Tuamgraney
* Tubber
* Tulla
* Whitegate

### Physical geography

[edit]

The Cliffs of Moher

Bodies of water define much of the physical boundaries of Clare. To the south-east is the River Shannon, Ireland's longest river, and to the south is the Shannon Estuary. The border to the north-east is defined by Lough Derg which is the third-largest lake in Ireland. To the west is the Atlantic Ocean, and to the north is Galway Bay. Loop Head (Irish: Ceann Léime, meaning 'leap head') is the county's westernmost point of land.

County Clare contains The Burren, a unique karst region, which contains rare flowers and fauna. At the western edge of The Burren, facing the Atlantic Ocean, are the Cliffs of Moher. The highest point in County Clare is Moylussa, 532 m (1,745 ft), in the Slieve Bernagh[a] range in the east of the county.

The following islands lie off the coast of the county:

* Aughinish
* Inishmore (or Deer) Island
* Inishloe
* Mutton Island
* Scattery Island

## History

[edit]

Poulnabrone dolmen in The Burren

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, near Edenvale House, Clarecastle. The bone features a number of linear-cut marks, and has been dated to circa 10,500 BC, from the Paleolithic 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 site of Mount Sandel, County Londonderry. This bear bone was discovered in 1903 during an archaeological excavation but was not studied until over a century later.[12]

There was a Neolithic civilization in the Clare area—the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen: single-chamber megalithic tombs, 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 area; it is known as Poulnabrone dolmen, which translates to "hole of sorrows".[13] The remains of the people inside the tomb have been excavated and dated to 3800 BC.[13]

Ptolemy 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.[14] 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.[15] Historians have found the tribes on the west of Ireland the most difficult to identify with known peoples; however, historians William Camden and Charles O'Conor speculated a possible connection between the Gangani and the Concani,[16][17][18] one of the eleven tribes in the confederacy of the Cantabri in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula.[19]

The Tau Cross at Roughan Hill near Corofin, County Clare, Ireland

During the Early Middle Ages, the area was part of the Kingdom of Connacht ruled by the Uí Fiachrach Aidhne. In the Middle Ages, it was annexed to the Kingdom of Munster to be settled by the Dalcassians. It was renamed Thomond, meaning North Munster. Brian Boru became a leader from here during this period, perhaps the most noted High King of Ireland.

From 1118 onwards the Kingdom of Thomond was in place as its own petty kingdom, ruled by the O'Brien clan. After the Norman invasion of Ireland, Thomas de Clare, established the short-lived Norman lordship of Thomond. His son  Richard de Clare was killed at the Battle of Dysert O'Dea in 1318 during Edward Bruce's invasion.

### English colonization

[edit]

1794 map of Ireland, with County Clare coloured as neither part of Connacht nor Munster

In 1543, during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, Murrough O'Brien, by surrender and regrant to Henry VIII, became Earl of Thomond within Henry's Kingdom of Ireland. Henry Sidney as Lord Deputy of Ireland responded to the Desmond Rebellion by creating the presidency of Connaught in 1569 and presidency of Munster in 1570. He transferred Thomond from Munster to Connaught, which he shired, 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 died in 1639, Lord Deputy Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford decreed Clare should return to the presidency of Munster, but the Wars of the Three Kingdoms delayed this until the Restoration of 1660.[20]

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; or the banner of Catholic emancipation raised by Daniel O'Connell's victory in an 1828 by-election for County Clare that led to Parliament passing the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.[21]

Scattery Island, in the Mouth of the Shannon off the Clare coast, was transferred to Limerick Corporation and the county of the city 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. Under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, 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 on the north-western shore of Lough Derg.

## Governance and politics

[edit]

This section needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2022)

|

### Local government

[edit]

Main article: Clare County Council

The local authority for the county is Clare County Council.

Fianna Fáil lost its overall majority on the council in 2004.[22] 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 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 strategic planning area.[23]

### Former districts

[edit]

Prior to 2014, there were four town councils in Clare: Ennis, Kilrush, Kilkee and Shannon. All town councils in Ireland were abolished under the Local Government Reform Act 2014.[24]

### National politics

[edit]

Since 1921, County Clare has been represented in Dáil Éireann by the constituency of Clare, which currently has four Teachtaí Dála (TDs). Since 2020, the whole of the county has been in the constituency.[25] At various times, portions of County Clare have been in other constituencies: Clare–South Galway (1969–77), Galway West (1977–81), Limerick East (1992–2011) and Limerick City (2011–20).

The constituency was historically a Fianna Fáil stronghold. Prominent former TDs for Clare include Éamon de Valera, who became Taoiseach and President and former president Patrick Hillery.

It is part of the European Parliament constituency of South (5 seats).[26]

## Demography

[edit]

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1600| 8,776| —
1610| 12,554| +43.0%
1659| 16,914| +34.7%
1821| 208,089| +1130.3%
1831| 258,322| +24.1%
1841| 286,394| +10.9%
1851| 212,440| −25.8%
1861| 166,305| −21.7%
1871| 147,864| −11.1%
1881| 141,457| −4.3%
1891| 124,483| −12.0%
1901| 112,334| −9.8%
1911| 104,232| −7.2%
1926| 95,064| −8.8%
1936| 89,879| −5.5%
1946| 85,064| −5.4%
1951| 81,329| −4.4%
1956| 77,176| −5.1%
1961| 73,702| −4.5%
1966| 73,597| −0.1%
1971| 75,008| +1.9%
1979| 84,919| +13.2%
1981| 87,567| +3.1%
1986| 91,344| +4.3%
1991| 90,918| −0.5%
1996| 94,006| +3.4%
2002| 103,277| +9.9%
2006| 110,950| +7.4%
2011| 117,196| +5.6%
2016| 118,817| +1.4%
2022| 127,419| +7.2%
[27][4]

The population of Clare was 127,419 people at the 2022 census.[4] The main urban areas are Ennis with a population of 27,923 and Shannon with 10,256.

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.[28] There is a slightly higher percentage of males with 50.5%, while females number 49.5%.[29][needs update]

English is the main language spoken in Clare. The vast majority of the population are Irish people, 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.[30][needs update]

In addition, Clare had a large diaspora 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.[31] Many people from the Irish diaspora visit the Clare area to trace their family roots and background.[31]

Most of the names in Clare are derived from sept members of the Dalcassian race of Gaels or septs of Thomond. Some of the most common examples are O'Brien, O'Gorman, O'Dea, McMahon, McInerney, McNamara, McGarry, Moloney, O'Grady, Hogan, Considine, Griffey/Griffin and Lynch.[31][32] Names of assimilated Norman origin include Burke, Dalton, and Comyn.[33]

## Religion

[edit]

Corcomroe Abbey

The great majority of the population follow Christianity; at least 92% of the people in the area polled as part of the Ireland Census 2006 identified as Christians.[34] There are numerous abbeys and priories in Clare. Some of the ruins of such structures, such as Scattery Island, 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, who was born locally near Kilrush in 488 and is counted amongst the Twelve Apostles of Ireland.[35]

Numerous other saints came from Clare, such as Flannan, Mochulleus, Moula, Caimin, Maccreiche, Munchin and more.[36] In the present day, the Catholic Church 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.[34]

Killaloe Diocese

Most of Clare falls under the Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, which is part of the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly.[37] 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.[38]

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 and Dysert O'Dea Monastery.[39]

The largest religious minority is the Church of Ireland, which is part of the Anglican Communion. It has just under 2,000 adherents[34] 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.[40] 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[41]

## Places of interest

[edit]

See also: List of National Monuments in County Clare

Places of interest include:

* Cliffs of Moher
* Doolin
* Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) in Lough Derg
* Kilbaha
* Kilkee
* Loop Head
* Scattery Island
* Spanish Point
* The Burren
* Bunratty Castle

## Gaeltacht

[edit]

West Clare and some pockets in East Clare were recognised as part of the Gaeltacht, or Irish-speaking area, by the Irish Free State government in the original Coimisiún na Gaeltachta in 1926. The most prominent of these areas with native Irish language speakers were west of Ennis in Kilmihil, Kilrush, Doonbeg, Doolin, Ennistimon, Carrigaholt, Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan.

The last remaining native speaker in Stonehall, next to Shannon, was alive in the 1930s; in the 1870s, the region had been entirely Irish speaking.[42]

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 (which were once part of Thomond) and local trade with fishermen from there meant that the language was used by residents of Fanore, Murroogh, 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 sought to restore the official status of West Clare as a Gaeltacht area.[43][44] They are encouraging immersion classes to revive use of the language.

## Music

[edit]

See also: List of traditional musicians from County Clare

County Clare has a strong history of Traditional music. It is the home of the Kilfenora Céilí Band, the Tulla Céilí Band, Stockton's Wing, Elizabeth Crotty, Sharon Shannon, Noel Hill, Peadar O'Loughlin, Martin Hayes and legendary tin-whistler Micho Russell. Ennis in County Clare is also the birthplace of Grammy-nominated singer 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 piper, Willie Clancy.

Andy Irvine has written two songs celebrating County Clare: one is "West Coast of Clare" (recorded with Planxty 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 in 2005), in which he mentions several towns and villages in County Clare: Milltown Malbay, Scariff, Kilrush, Sixmilebridge, Kilkishen, Lahinch, Ennistymon, 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.[45]

## Sport

[edit]

The Clare hurling 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, 2013, and 2024, and also finalists in 2002. Clare won the Munster Final in football in 1992 beating Kerry. There is a strong Gaelic Athletic Association (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 in North Clare. Irish rugby internationals from Clare include Keith Wood, Anthony Foley & Marcus Horan.

## Transport

[edit]

View from aircraft as it comes down to land at Shannon Airport Bunratty Castle

Clare is served by two national primary roads—a classification referring to the major routes between major urban centres in Ireland.[46] This includes the N18 connecting Limerick to Galway, which passes through Ennis and by route of the N19—Shannon.[46] 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 roads—across the coast, stretching from Ballyvaughan, through Ennistymon and Kilkee, before arriving at Kilrush is the N67.[46] In addition to this the N68 connects Kilrush to Ennis, while Ennis is connected to Ennistymon via the N85.[46]

Mainland public transport is mostly limited to buses ran by Irish Government owned company Bus Éireann; there are around 25 buses running frequent routes which pass through the majority of large settlements in Clare.[47] Clare Bus, runs a limited number of "accessible buslines".[48] The Ennis railway station operated by government-owned Iarnród Éireann is the most significant railway station in Clare today; it was opened on 2 July 1859.[citation needed] By route of Limerick the trains run from Ennis to Dublin and it generally takes 3 hours to complete the journey.[49][50] 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 until 1961 covering much of the county.[51] It was quite inefficient, however, leading Percy French 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 to the 1970s after being deemed uneconomic; however, there remains local advocacy groups who wish to conserve and restore parts of it.[52]

The third-busiest airport in Ireland is located in Clare with the Shannon Airport, which officially opened in 1945.[53] Along with Dublin Airport and Cork Airport 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 flights.[53] Ryanair is the main airline handling flights with Great Britain and Continental European countries such as Spain, France and Germany as the primary destinations.[54] Much traffic from the United States is received, which Aer Lingus mostly handles; it is sometimes used as a military stopover which has caused some controversy in the country,[55] but nonetheless has generated significant revenue for the airport.[56] There are some local ferry services as much of the county is surrounded by water; there is one from Killimer to Tarbert Island in Kerry[57] and also from Doolin to the Aran Islands of Inisheer and Inishmore.[58]

## People

[edit]

See also: Category:People from County Clare

* Gerald Barry, composer
* Pat Breen
* Joe Carey
* Tony Killeen
* Timmy Dooley
* Síle De Valera
* Shane O'Donnell
* Naomi Carroll
* Edna O'Brien
* Brendan O'Regan
* Des Lynam

## See also

[edit]

* High Sheriff of Clare
* I Was Happy Here
* List of rivers of County Clare
* Lord Lieutenant of Clare
* Wild Atlantic Way

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Not related to the Slieve Bearnagh mountain in County Down.

## Citations

[edit]

1. ^ Lonergan, Aidan. "All 32 Irish county coat of arms, what they mean and where they come from". The Irish Post. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
2. ^ "Clare History: What is Clare County Council's Coat of Arms?". www.clarelibrary.ie. Clare County Library. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2020.
3. ^ "County Clare – An Introduction". www.clarelibrary.ie. Archived from the original on 21 June 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
4. ^ a b c "Census 2016 Sapmap Area: County Clare". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
5. ^ "Census 2022 Profile 1 - Population Distribution and Movement". Central Statistics Office. 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
6. ^ "Lorna Moloney. From Gaelic lordship to English shire – SoundCloud." 14 Sep. 2016, https://soundcloud.com/history-hub/lorna-moloney-gaelic-lordship-to-english-shire-macnamaras-of-clare Archived 12 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 11 February 2017.
7. ^ Briggs, Keith (2009). "Clare, Clere, and Clères" (PDF). Journal of the English Place-name Society (41): 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
8. ^ "Origin of the name "Clare"". Irishcultureandcustoms.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
9. ^ "Thom's Directory, 1931". From-ireland.net. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
10. ^ "Clare County Council Corporate Plan 2019–2024" (PDF). Clare County Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 September 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
11. ^ "Clare, The Banner County – World Cultures European". Irishcultureandcustoms.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
12. ^ "Bear bone discovery pushes back date of human existence in Ireland by 2,500 years". Independent.ie. 20 March 2016. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
13. ^ a b "Neolithic Sites in Ireland". MyGuideIreland.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2008. Retrieved on 2 October 2008.
14. ^ Ptolemy's map of Ireland: a modern decoding
15. ^ "The Arrival of the Celts". WesleyJohnston.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2008. Retrieved on 2 October 2008.
16. ^ O'Laughlin, The Families of County Clare, Ireland, 7.
17. ^ "Before there were Counties". RootsWeb.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 October 2008. Retrieved on 2 October 2008.
18. ^ Four Masters, "The Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters" as translated by Owen Connellan., 393.
19. ^ Anthon, A Classical Dictionary, 368.
20. ^ Falkiner, Caesar Litton (1902). "The Counties of Ireland: An Historical Sketch of Their Origin, Constitution, and Gradual Delimitation (1902–1904)". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Section C. 24: 184–5\. JSTOR 25502712.
21. ^ Spellissy, Sean (1 January 2003). A History of County Clare. Gill & Macmillan. p. 39\. ISBN 9780717134601.
22. ^ Mark Hennessy and Michael O'Regan (15 June 2004). "'A very bad performance' -Ahern". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2008.
23. ^ Local Government Act 1991 (Regional Assemblies) (Establishment) Order 2014 (S.I. No. 573 of 2014). Signed on 16 December 2014. Statutory Instrument of the Government of Ireland. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 29 January 2022.
24. ^ Local Government Reform Act 2014, s. 24: Dissolution of town councils and transfer date (No. 1 of 2014, s. 24). Enacted on 27 January 2014. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 21 May 2022.
25. ^ Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Act 2017, Schedule (No. 39 of 2017, Schedule). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 10 April 2018.
26. ^ European Parliament Elections (Amendment) Act 2019, s. 7: Substitution of Third Schedule to Principal Act (No. 7 of 2019, s. 7). Enacted on 12 March 2019. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 21 May 2022.
27. ^ for post 1821 figures, 1653 and 1659 figures from Civil Survey Census of those years, Paper of Mr Hardinge to Royal Irish Academy 14 March 1865 Archived 9 March 2005 at the Wayback Machine, For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns, see J. J. Lee "On the accuracy of the pre-famine Irish censuses", in Irish Population, Economy and Society, edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p54, and also "New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850" by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó Gráda, in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov. 1984), pp. 473–488.
28. ^ "Persons, males and females in each Province, County and City classified by age group, 2006". Central Statistics Office Ireland. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
29. ^ "Population of each Province, County and City, 2006". Central Statistics Office Ireland. Archived from the original on 14 November 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
30. ^ "Persons, males and females usually resident in each Province and County, and present in the State on Census Night, classified by ethnic or cultural background, 2006". Central Statistics Office Ireland. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
31. ^ a b c "Clare Diaspora". Clare Heritage & Genealogical Research Centre. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
32. ^ "Dál gCais or The Dalcassians of Thomond". DalcassianSeptembercom. Archived from the original on 8 September 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
33. ^ "Norman and Cambro-Norman Surnames of Ireland". Family-Crests.com. Archived from the original on 12 November 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
34. ^ a b c "Census 2006 – Volume 13 – Religion". Central Statistics Office Ireland. Archived from the original on 15 September 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
35. ^ Gratton-Flood, W.H. (1 March 1907). "The Twelve Apostles of Erin". The Catholic Encyclopedia. I. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Archived from the original on 7 April 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2008.
36. ^ "County Clare Folk-Tales and Myths: Early Christian Period". ClareLibrary.ie. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
37. ^ "History of the Killaloe Diocese". Killaloe Diocese. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
38. ^ "Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora". GalwayDiocese.ie. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
39. ^ "Record of Protected Structures in Co. Clare – Churches". County Clare Council. Archived from the original on 19 November 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
40. ^ "St Flannan's Cathedral, Killaloe". Cathedral.Killaloe.Anglican.org. Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
41. ^ "Census of Population 2016 – Profile 8 Irish Travellers, Ethnicity and Religion".
42. ^ Gliasáin, Justin Ó (3 January 2023). "Ireland's language shift: when Irish speakers switched to English". `{{cite journal}}`: Cite journal requires `|journal=` (help)
43. ^ "Public Meeting on Clare Gaeltacht revival". Gaelport. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
44. ^ "The Clare Gaeltacht: 'Where we have come from and where we are going'". Gaelport. 26 January 2015. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
45. ^ "Oidhreacht an Chláir Teo". Oac.ie. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
46. ^ a b c d "National Route: Lengths as of 2007" (PDF). National Roads Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2009. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
47. ^ "Bus services for County Clare Council". CarlBerry.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
48. ^ "Home page for Clare Bus". www.clarebus.ie. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
49. ^ "Details of train travel between Dublin and Ennis". CarlBerry.co.uk. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
50. ^ "Your Journey – Timetables". Irish Rail. Archived from the original on 13 February 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
51. ^ "A Short History of the West Clare Railway". WestClareRailway.ie. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
52. ^ "The West Clare Railway Co". WestClareRailway.ie. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
53. ^ a b "Shannon Airport Facts & Figures". CARHIRE.ie. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
54. ^ "Flights from Shannon Airport". FlightMapping.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
55. ^ "Peaceful protest at Shannon airport draws 1,700 people". AllBusiness.com. Archived from the original on 23 November 2007. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
56. ^ "Almost 200,000 troops use Shannon". The Irish Times. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
57. ^ "Killimer Tarbert Car Ferry". DiscoverIreland.com. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 25 December 2008.
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## Bibliography

[edit]

* Anthon, Charles (1855). A Classical Dictionary. Harvard University.
* O'Laughlin, Michael C. (2000). The Families of County Clare, Ireland. Irish Roots Cafe. ISBN 0-940134-98-5.
* The Four Masters (2003). "The Annals of Ireland by the Four Masters" as translated by Owen Connellan. Irish Roots Cafe. ISBN 0-940134-14-4.

## External links

[edit]

County Clare at Wikipedia's sister projects

* Definitions from Wiktionary
* Media from Commons
* News from Wikinews
* Quotations from Wikiquote
* Texts from Wikisource
* Textbooks from Wikibooks
* Resources from Wikiversity
* Travel information from Wikivoyage

* War Of Independence in Clare
* Clare County Council
* Clare County Library
* Tourist Attractions Archived 20 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine

Places adjacent to County Clare

|  | County Galway |

|
|

|  |
Atlantic Ocean |

County Clare

| County Tipperary
|  |
| County Limerick |

* v
* t
* e

Places in County Clare

County town: Ennis

Towns|

* Ennis
* Ennistymon
* Killaloe
* Kilkee
* Kilrush
* Lahinch
* Lisdoonvarna
* Milltown Malbay
* Newmarket-on-Fergus
* Shannon
* Tulla

Villages|

* Ardnacrusha
* Aughinish
* Ballyea
* Ballynacally
* Ballyvaughan
* Barefield
* Bodyke
* Boston
* Bridgetown
* Broadford
* Bunratty
* Carrigaholt
* Clarecastle
* Clonlara
* Cloonanaha
* Connolly
* Cooraclare
* Coore
* Corofin
* Cranny
* Cratloe
* Cree
* Cross
* Crusheen
* Doolin
* Doonaha
* Doonbeg
* Doora
* Fanore
* Feakle
* Hurlers Cross
* Inagh
* Ivarstown
* Kilbaha
* Kildysart
* Kilfenora
* Kilkishen
* Killimer
* Kilmaley
* Kilmihil
* Kilmurry
* Kilnaboy
* Kilnamona
* Kilshanny
* Knock
* Labasheeda
* Liscannor
* Lissycasey
* Meelick
* Mountshannon
* Moyasta
* Mullagh
* Murroogh
* Noughaval
* O'Brien's Bridge
* O'Callaghan's Mills
* Parteen
* Quilty
* Quin
* Ruan
* Scarriff
* Sixmilebridge
* Spancill Hill
* Spanish Point
* Toonagh
* Tuamgraney
* Tubber
* Tullig
* Whitegate

Regions|

* Burren
* Loop Head Peninsula

Islands|

* Aughinish
* Canon Island
* Deer Island
* Inis Cathaig (or Scattery Island)
* Inis Cealtra
* Inishloe
* Inishmacowney
* Mutton Island
* Trummer

* List of townlands in County Clare
* Category:Mountains and hills of County Clare
* Category:Rivers of County Clare
* Category:Geography of County Clare

* v
* t
* e

Counties of Ireland

The counties are listed per province

Connacht|

* Galway
* Leitrim
* Mayo
* Roscommon
* Sligo

Leinster|

* Carlow
* Dublin
* Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown
* Fingal
* South Dublin
* Kildare
* Kilkenny
* Laois
* Longford
* Louth
* Meath
* Offaly
* Westmeath
* Wexford
* Wicklow

Munster|

* Clare
* Cork
* Kerry
* Limerick
* Tipperary
* Waterford

Ulster|

* Antrim†
* Armagh†
* Cavan
* Donegal
* Down†
* Fermanagh†
* Londonderry†
* Monaghan
* Tyrone†

* Italics denote non-administrative counties.
* Brackets denote non-traditional counties.
* †denotes non-administrative counties of Northern Ireland

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Czech Republic
* Israel

Geographic|

* MusicBrainz area

Other|

* Yale LUX

52°50′N 9°00′W﻿ / ﻿52.833°N 9.000°W﻿ / 52.833; -9.000
*[Pop.]: Population
*[±%]: Percent change
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*[e]: Edit this template