Clare, County, on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland, lies in the province of Munster. It covers an area of 1,230 square miles (3,188 square kilometers). It is known as the Banner County because of the many political leaders who have been associated with it. County Clare, called Contae An Clár in Irish, is popular with tourists.
The town of Shannon has been a major growth area in western Ireland. Many people commute to work in Shannon Airport, or the neighboring industrial estates. County Clare’s largest town is Ennis.
Most of the people of County Clare are Roman Catholics. Many non-Catholics belong to the Church of Ireland or claim no religious affiliation. A Roman Catholic cathedral is in Ennis, and a Church of Ireland cathedral is in Killaloe.
Economy.
Cattle raising and dairy farming are the main agricultural activities in County Clare. Milk is sent to creameries for processing, and most of the cattle are moved to farms in the east for fattening. Farmers raise sheep in northern and upland areas, and some farmers raise horses. Farmland is almost entirely pasture. There is forestry in the upland districts of the eastern and western parts of County Clare.
Light engineering, including electronics production, is an important manufacturing activity in County Clare. Chemicals are also important. A major center of manufacturing and international business is the Shannon Free Zone. The zone was established as the Shannon industrial estate in the 1950’s as a means of increasing business at the adjacent airport. Ennis is the county’s other main industrial center.
Retailing, transportation, education, health, and administration are important service industries. Tourism is also a major industry. Medieval banquets in Bunratty and other castles are a popular attraction. Thatched Irish cottages for rental were first widely developed in County Clare. Lisdoonvarna is Ireland’s only spa town and has a popular festival in September.
Land.
County Clare is a peninsula, with water on three sides. It is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Shannon estuary, and on the north by Galway Bay. The River Shannon and Lough Derg separate the county from Limerick and Tipperary in the east.
In the eastern part of County Clare, the Slieve Aughty and Slieve Bernagh mountains are formed of slate, shale, and sandstone. These uplands rise to a height of 1,740 feet (530 meters). Beneath them lies the picturesque Lough Derg on the River Shannon, where pleasure boating is popular.
The lowland center of the county lies on limestone. There are many lakes on its surface. Some of these are turloughs (lakes that dry up in the summer). The River Fergus drains much of County Clare and runs into the Shannon estuary.
The land rises to a low plateau in the western part of County Clare. In the north lies the Burren area of barren limestone landscapes. The Ailwee Caves are open to the public. There is no surface water in the Burren. But the remainder of the western part of County Clare has a damp landscape, with many rushes and peat bogs on top of shales and sandstones. These rocks end on the west coast in the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, which, at their highest point, have a sheer drop of 702 feet (214 meters) into the Atlantic Ocean. There are also beaches on this coast.
History.
County Clare is rich in stone monuments and raths (fortified farm enclosures) from prehistoric and early historic times. There are remains of many Celtic and medieval monasteries, and also castles and tower houses. County Clare was a zone of conflict between Munster and Connacht in Celtic times. Brian Boru lived near Killaloe and became High King of Ireland. He was killed in his tent after defeating the Danes at the Battle of Clontarf near Dublin in 1014. After this, the power of the O’Briens, Brian Boru’s descendants, was confined to the north Munster kingdom of Thomond, which included County Clare.
The O’Briens remained in control of County Clare until the 1600’s. After the Cromwellian wars, as part of Connacht, County Clare was a refuge for Irish who had lost land elsewhere in the country. The county suffered severely in the Great Irish Famine of the 1840’s. National leaders first elected to parliamentary office in County Clare include the Catholic leader Daniel O’Connell, in 1828, and Eamon de Valera, prime minister and president, in 1917.
