Clare Places: Barony of Moyarta: Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845

Barony of Moyarta or Moyferta

A barony of the county of Clare, Munster. It is bounded, on the west and north-west, by the Atlantic ocean; on the north, by the barony of Ibrickane; on the east, by the barony of Clonderalaw; and on the south, by the estuary of the Shannon. Its length, in the direction of south-west by west, is 21 ¾ miles; its breadth is from 3 furlongs to 6 ½ miles; and its area is 83,151 acres, 3 roods, 8 perches,—of which 14,472 acres, 17 perches are tideway of the Shannon, and 131 acres, 1 rood, 35 perches are fresh water. The surface includes all the western or terminating part, and most of the eastern or interior part, of the great peninsula which may be regarded as commencing at Clonderalaw bay on the Shannon, and which runs away to a very acute angle at Loop-Head. A very large proportion is bog and easily improved moor; yet, though usually described as mountainous, its chief summits have altitudes of only 100, 221, 227, 177, 252, 386, and 413 feet above sea-level. Within the limits are the old castles of Doonlickey, Carrigaholt, Scattery, Cloghansevan, and Knocknagarhoon. This barony contains part of the parish of Kilmacduane, and the whole of the parishes of Kilballyhone, Kilfearagh, Kilrush, and Moyarta. The towns and chief villages are Kilrush, Cross, Kilbaha, Kilballyhone, Kiltrellig, Ross, Tullig, Kilkee, Cooraclare, Bellina, Carrigaholt, Doonaha, and Lisheen. Pop., in 1831, 33, 200; in 1841, 38, 227. Houses 5,942. Families employed chiefly in agriculture 4,792; in manufactures and trade, 1,515; in other pursuits, 583. Families dependent chiefly on property and professions, 114; on the directing of labour, 2,513; on their own manual labour, 4,006; on means not specified, 257. Males at and above 5 years of age who could read and write 4,731; who could read but not write, 1,625; who could neither read nor write, 10,173. Females at and above 5 years of age who could read and write, 2,140; who could read but not write, 1,661; who could neither read nor write, 12,732.—Moyarta barony lies wholly within the Poor-law union of Kilrush. The total number of tenements valued is 3,949; and of these, 2,094 were valued under £5, 1,130, under £10, 410, under £15, 136, under 20, 78, under £25, 34, under £30, 34, under £40, 15, under £50, and 18, at and above £50.

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845
Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project