Introduction

County Clare had the highest number of evictions, in proportion to its population, of any county in Ireland in the years 1849-1854, when nearly ten per cent of its population was permanently evicted. Kilrush Poor Law Union, in the south west of county Clare, experienced probably the highest level of evictions in Clare in the same period. The Report reproduced here, written by Captain Arthur Edward Kennedy, Poor Law Inspector, details these evictions. The spellings of townland and personal names have been reproduced as they appear in the report. Many vary from present-day spellings.