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County Clare Geography and History
"Clare (county, Republic of Ireland), county in western Republic of Ireland, in Munster Province, northwest of the Shannon River. The terrain is hilly, especially in the northern and eastern sections of the county, with extreme elevations reaching about 533 m (about 1749 ft). Slieve Bernagh, a peak in the east central region, is 532 m (1745 ft) above sea level. Numerous lakes and marshes are found in the interior. Along the Shannon River in the south are large areas suitable for cultivation and pasturage. The coast is generally rugged, Liscannor Bay being the only safe anchorage on the Atlantic Ocean. The estuary of the Shannon contains a number of good harbors, notably at Moneypoint Jetty, which is one of the deepest harbors in Europe. Tourism is the major industry in this area, with The Burren, a unique limestone karst region, being the best-known feature. Agricultural activity, mostly small-scale, consists mainly of stock farming. The principal crops are oats and potatoes. The Shannon Industrial Estate, a tax-free zone, is the major industrial center, based around Shannon International Airport. Various modest mineral deposits were formerly worked in the county, and flagstone, slate, and marble are currently quarried.
County Clare has a large number of old castles and abbeys, several ancient towers, and numerous raths (earthworks of ancient Irish chieftains) and cromlechs (circles of standing stones). Ennis is the county town. Other important towns include Shannon, Kilrush, Ennistimon, and Kilkee. Area of county, 3188 sq km (1231 sq mi); population (1991) 90,918."
"Clare (county, Republic of Ireland)," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Genealogy and History Resources
County Clare - Family Heritage Center
Church Street
Corofin
Co Clare
Ireland
Tel: + + 353 65 37955Civic Resources
County Clare Library Their website includes some very good articles on the history of the county.
The Clare Champion County Clare's local newspaper
Bulletin Boards and Surname Resource Pages
The County Clare, Ireland Query Board is a great place to post a query about your County Clare ancestors!
Mailing List
County Clare Mailing List. To subscribe send the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) as the only text in the body of a message to for the list mode or to just receive the digest.
On-Line Records
- County Clare Catholic Parishes
- Catholic Records available on microfilm from the LDS Family History Centers
- The WorldGenWeb Project Archives
General Ireland Resources
The BritishIslesGenWeb Project has an extensive list of links to assist in your research in Ireland. When you finish your visit to this page, you'll want to visit the Resource Page.
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