Clare Places - Ardnacrusha: Historical Background

Clare County Library

Clare Places: Towns & Villages

Ardnacrusha
Historical Background

Parliamentary Gazeteer of Ireland 1845
Guy's Directory 1893

Ard na Croise translates as "the height of the cross". In 1111 A.D. the Bishops of Ireland held a synod at Rathbrassil in Co. Westmeath. The function of this synod was to draw up a system of diocesan boundaries. Thomond was co-extensive with the present Co. Clare but also included Inniscaltra and Clonrush in Co. Galway, and the parish of Castleconnell in Co. Limerick. Parteen, Meelick and Coonagh were assigned to the diocese of Limerick. The mearings, which were used to define the boundary lines were at Ardnacrusha, Glenagross and Blackwater. A large wooden cross was erected on high ground, hence the name Ard na Croise, now Ardnacrusha.

Samuel Lewis, writing in 1837, tells us that "at Ardnacrusha is a station of the constabulary police". In the Roman Catholic divisions the union or district of Parteen, or Kilquane, included part of the parish of Killely or Meelick. Lewis tells us that it "contains the chapels of Ardnacrusha and Parteen; the former is a handsome edifice of hewn stone". "Guy's Postal Directory of Munster", published in 1888 lists the following details -

"ARDNACRUSHA, Co. Clare
Post Office serving parts of parishes of St. Patrick's (population 772) and St. Munchins (population 206) in Co. Clare. Situated on the northern shore of the Shannon, and connected with the North Liberties of the city of Limerick by the ancient bridge of Thomond. It contains some good residences, commanding fine views of the Shannon, etc. Land, good arable and pasture."

Ardnacrusha is now one of the most famous places in Ireland. This stems from the construction of a Power Station here in the 1920's.

Ardnacrusha