COUNTY CLARE

"Clare, a county of Ireland, province of Munster, 55 miles long and 38 broad; bounded on the W by the Atlantic, N by Galway, and E and S by the Shannon, which separates it from Tipperary, Limerick, and Kerry. It is divided into 79 parishes, has two market towns, and sends three members to parliament. It breeds more horses than any other county in Ireland, beside a great number of cattle and sheep. Pop. 209,595. Capital, Ennis."
[From The New London Gazetteer (1826)]

INFORMATION RELATED TO ALL OF COUNTY CLARE

Archives and Libraries Bibliography Biography Census Church Records  Description and Travel  Directories Genealogy Heraldry Heritage Centers

Land and Property Maps Names Newspapers  Periodicals Politics and Government Public Records Societies Towns and Parishes Vital Record Wills

Archives, Repositories and Libraries

• County Clare Library, a major genealogical resource, includes Origins of Heraldry, Parishes and Church Records, Griffith's Valuaation Index for Co. Clare 1855, Land Owners in Clare 1876, Deaths in the Liscannor area 1864-1870, List of Tenants on Cololen O'Callaghan's Estate, Bodyke 1890s, Biographical Notices from the Clare Champion newpaper 1935-1985
• The National Library of Ireland, every year thousands of people visit the National Library to carry out family history research. Library material much used by family history researchers includes the microfilms of Catholic parish registers, copies of the important nineteenth century land valuations (the Tithe Applotment Books and Griffith's Valuation), trade and social directories, estate records and newspapers.
• The National Archives of Ireland,  was established on 1 June 1988. It is an amalgamation of the Public Record Office of Ireland, founded in 1867 and the State Paper Office, founded in 1702. Many of the archives accessioned by the Public Record Office of Ireland before 1922 were destroyed by fire and explosion at the beginning of the Civil War in June 1922. Consequently, the archives now held by the National Archives date mainly from the 19th and 20th centuries, although some date back as far as the 13th century.
• Public Records Office of Ireland.  Four Courts, Dublin 7, Ireland.  Tithe Applotment Books, estate records, court records, etc.
• Genealogical Office.  2 Kildare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.  Includes a variety of materials on Irish famililies, now a part of the National Library.
• Registrars General's Office.  8-11 Lombard St, Dublin 2, Ireland.  The official birth, death and marriage records of Ireland from 1864 onwards.
• Registry of Deeds.  Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, Ireland.  Property transactions since 1608

Bibliography

• The Clare Guild.  Official Guide of County Clare, by D. Roche
• County Clare, A History and Topography.  Reprinted by Clasp Press, 1995, from A History and Topography of County Clare    which was originally published in 1837 as part of A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland.
• The Merchants of Ennis.  By Seán Spellissy.  Published 1996 for Ennis Chamber of Commerce by On Stream Publications Ltd.,    Cloghroe, Blarney, Co. Cork.
• The Ennis Compendium, From Royal Dún to Information Age Town. By Seán Spellissy.  A combined history and business    directory for Ennis and Clarecastle.  Published 1998 by The Book Gallery, 68 Parnell Street, Ennis, Co. Clare.
• Families of County Clare.  Volume III of the Book of Irish Families, great & small.  By Michael C. O'Laughlin, 1996.
   

Biography

• Biographical Notices, printed in the Clare Champion newspaper, 1935-1985

Census

• 1901 County Clare census index for assorted Poor Law Unions, over 10,000 entries transcribed by Ruth C. Hakala
• UK National Archives, on line census, records, medieval seals, Macmillan on-line
• 1659 Pender Census by barony.  Gives number of English and Irish living in each townland and
  principal Irish names in each barony. Edited by Seamus Pender in 1939.  Baronies: 

Church Records

• Civil Parishes, description of parish, townlands and map of each parish.
• The Church of Ireland, The archives of the Church of Ireland, and particularly parochial registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials, are a primary source for genealogists and family historians. Although many registers were destroyed in the past, especially in the fire in the Public Record Office of Ireland in 1922, many others have survived in a number of custodies and are available to researchers.
• The Presbyterian Church in Ireland serves the whole island, both North and South and, with a total membership of some 300,000 people in over 560 congregations.
• Roman Catholic Parish Registers.  A table by civil parish wish corresponding Catholic parishes and earliest date when records are available.
• Church of Ireland Parish Registers. A table by parish with corresponding earliest dates when records are available, includes baptism, marriage and death records.

Description and Travel

• The WWW Guide to County Clare

Directories

• Lucas's Directory of Ennis (1788)
• Pigots Directory of Ennis (1824
• Slaters Directory of Ennis (1846) (1856)
• Bassett's Directory of Ennis (1866)
• Burkes Irish Family Records
• Slaters Directory of Ennis, Ennistymon, Kilkee, Killaloe, Kilrush, Miltown Malbay, Newmarket on Fergus, Sixmilebridge & Cratlow, Tulla (1870)
• Guys Postal Directory of Munster (1886)

Genealogy

• IreAtlas Townland Database Search Page
• Rootsweb - County Clare Query Board
• ConnorsGenealogy with assorted records for County Clare and a  look up service.
• From Ireland's Clare site offers graveyard inscriptions, church records, journals, surname studies, townland studies, etc.

Heritage Centres:

• Clare Heritage and Genealogical Centre
• The East Clare Heritage Center does genealogy research for a large area of East County Clare and publish an annual Historical and genealogical Journal called Sliabh Aughty.  They have also published histories of Scariff Tuamgraney and Mountshannon and are presently publishing a History of the O'Gray Clan.

Heraldry

• County Clare Origins of Heraldry by J.D. Williams

Land and Property

• The Ireland Land Valuation Office, The archive in the Valuation Office holds a list of occupiers of property for the 26 Counties in the Republic of Ireland. The records go back to 1846.
• Land Owners in Clare 1876
• List of Tenants on Colonel O'Callaghan's Estate, Bodyke, 1890s
• The Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1838 list each landholder along with details such as townland, size of holding, land quality and type of crops for all of Ireland.  They have been filmed by the LDS Family History Library and are arranged in the catalog under civil parishes.  In 1831 a list was made of Tithe Defaulters.
• Griffith's Valuation Index 1855
• 1796 Irish Flax Growers for County Clare.  Lists names and civil parish for those who grew an acre or more of flax.

Maps

• County Clare Civil Parishes
• County Clare Poor Law Unions
• County Clare Baronies

Names

• Subscribe to theIreland Roll Calls mailing list and find others searching your surname.
• The only truly Irish mailing list run by a professional genealogist who lives in Ireland.  Ireland Genealogy  A must list for serious Ireland researchers.
• Join the County Clare mailing list devoted to those doing genealogical research in County Clare.
• Post a query into CousinConnect, it's free! You can edit and delete them at any time. You have total control, and total privacy.
• Surname Index, County Clare for all spellings of Cullinan(e)
• Surname Index, County Clare for all spellings of Fahy/Fahey

Newspapers

• The Clare Champion (1903 - current)
• A complete guide to County Clare newspapers and periodicals, including dates published.

Periodicals

• From Fianna: Dal gCais (annual), Mr. G. Hughes, Glandine, Milltown, Malbay, Co. Clare
• The Other Clare (annual), Ms. R. Donovan, Shannon Archaeological and Historical Society, 5 Tullyglass Hill, Shannon,
  Co. Clare ISSN 0332-088X
• Irish Families.  ISSN 1056 0378
• The Old Limerick Journal
• The Clareman
• North Munster Antiquarian Society Journal
• Sliabh Aughyt.  (East Clare Heritage Center)  ISSN 0791-4571

Politics and Government

• Ireland, Information on the Irish State.  This site will help you find government organizations or information by providing  links,     indices of recent publications and a search engine that searches all government sites.
• The National Statistics of the UK website contains a vast range of official UK statistics and information about statistics, which can be accessed and downloaded free.

Public Records

• The General Register Office (Oifig An Ard-Chláraitheora) is the central repository for records relating to Births, Deaths and Marriages in the Republic of Ireland. It is concerned with civil registration matters only, and does not engage in genealogical research. Records of marriages other than Roman Catholic marriages date back to 1st April 1845. Records of Births, Deaths and Roman Catholic Marriages date to 1st January, 1864.
• UK National Archives, on line census, records, medieval seals, Macmillan on-line

Societies

• Genealogical Society of Victoria.  The GSV is the second largest family history/genealogical society within Australia with approximately 7000 members. The GSV has three member services groups - Irish Ancestry Group, Scottist Ancestry Group and the International Settlers Group. These groups are very active, hold regular meetings and have quarterly newsletters.

Towns and Parishes

• Townlands are  the smallest administrative division of an Irish county.

Vital Records

• Deaths in the Liscannor area, 1864-1870

Wills

• Indexes to Irish Wills, by Phillimore & Thrift.  volume 3. (1653-1800 Diocese of Killaloe and Kilfenora.  1615-1800 for the Diocese of Limerick) 1909
• From the Family History Library:
  • Index to Killaloe & Kilfenora administration bonds 1704-1857 (#100962)
  • Index to Limerick administration bonds 1789-1855 (#100959)
• Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland 1536-1810.  Sir Arthur Vicars.  1897. Dublin

NOTE: If you have some expertise in both Irish Genealogy and basic web page contruction, and might be interested in taking over the further development of this county page or any of the GENUKI/Ireland county pages that are available for adoption, please take a look at the GENUKI Help Us page and then contact Richard White, circman@hotmail.com.