Fortifications in the Shannon Estuary: Clare Castle

A late eighteenth-century view of Clare Castle from the west, by Beranger, shows the medieval bridge, part of the castle and the high perimeter wall surrounding the barracks. It is possible that the brick-edged musket-loops in the wall were inserted in the 1793-1815 period in an attempt to improve the defences of this important post overlooking the bridge. Clare Castle had been noted in the military reports of the later eighteenth century as a possible enemy landing place, while the bridge over the Fergus was a post of some strategic importance on the road from Limerick to Ennis and northwards to Galway. The barrack is a fine ten-bay masonry structure, three storeys in height, with brickwork reveals and flat arches to the large doublehung sash windows.