About County Clare
County Clare occupies a dramatic peninsula between the Shannon Estuary and Galway Bay, its western coast battered by the full force of the Atlantic. The county is one of the most distinctively Irish in character, the Burren's limestone wilderness, the towering Cliffs of Moher, and Ennis with its labyrinthine medieval streets have shaped a people known for music, storytelling and fierce local pride.
History
Clare was the heartland of the O'Brien dynasty, descendants of Brian Boru who ruled as kings of Munster for centuries. The county was a stronghold of Gaelic culture long after much of Ireland had been subdued, its geography offering natural protection. Clare was also the scene of Daniel O'Connell's famous 1828 by-election victory, the moment that forced Catholic Emancipation through the British parliament.
How Clare families left Ireland
Clare families left in enormous numbers during and after the Famine, many through the port of Kilrush or travelling to Limerick and Cobh. Loop Head and the Cliffs of Moher were among the last sights many emigrants had of Ireland as their ships turned west toward America.
Places worth visiting in County Clare
- Cliffs of Moher, eight kilometres of Atlantic clifftop, some of Ireland's most dramatic landscape
- The Burren, a limestone wilderness of great beauty, flora and prehistoric monuments
- Bunratty Castle, the restored medieval stronghold at the centre of Clare's ancient territory
- Ennis traditional music trail, the town that kept Ireland's musical soul alive through centuries of change
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