Genealogy Centres in Clare
Clare Heritage and Genealogical Centre
Church Street
Corofin
Co Clare
Ireland
The Clare Heritage Centre pioneered the development of family history research in Ireland and has now computerised records on half a million people who were born or married in Co Clare before 1900.
Some Clare Surnames
The chief surnames of the county include McMahon, McNamara, Moloney, O'Brien, McInerney, Ryan, Kelly, Keane, O'Connor, O'Halloran, Hogan, Lynch, Murphy and Burke.
The inventor of the modern submarine, John Holland, was a Clare man as was Michael Cusack the founder of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Paddy Hannon who discovered the Golden Mile in Australia and Patrick Hillery, a recent President of Ireland.
Services
The main records include:
- Roman Catholic records, the earliest of which date from 1802 and the latest starting date is 1860
- Church of Ireland (Anglican/Episcopalian) records commence in 1688 and the latest starting date is 1879
- School records
- Birth, marriage and death records from local papers
- Civil records from their inception to 1922
- Electors lists
- Detailed Parish and Townland maps
- Gravestone inscriptions
Emigration from County Clare
Between the years 1850 and 1880 an estimated 112,000 people emigrated from Co. Clare. By comparision, the present population stands at just under 90,000. Early Clare emigrants to the U.S.A. settled chiefly in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio and New Orleans. Later emigrants from Co. Clare to the U.S.A. settled in New York, New Jersey, Boston and Philadelphia. Emigration from County Clare was not, however, confined solely to the United States. County Clare has strong ties with Australia. In the years 1849 to 1869 over 6,000 County Clare emigrants arrived in Sydney.
The Chief Towns of Co Clare
Ennis, Kilrush, Kilkee, Miltown Malbay, Ennistymon, Ballyvaughan, Corofin, Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Killaloe, Tulla, Scariff, Quin and Kilfenora.
Shannon International Airport and nearby Bunratty Castle are among the most widely known places in County Clare. The Cliffs of Moher, Ailwee Caves, The Burren, Doolin and Dromoland Castle are among Co. Clare's major tourist attractions.
Attached to the Genealogical Centre at Corofin is a visitors' museum which portrays the traumatic period of Irish history from 1800 to 1860 - Ireland before, during and after the Great Famine.