| Barony of Corcomroe
A maritime barony of co. Clare,
Munster. It is bounded, on the north, by Burren; on the east, by Inchiquin;
on the south, by Inchiquin and Ibrickane; and on the west, by the Atlantic
Ocean and the South Sound. Its greatest length, from east to west, is
l0¾ miles; its greatest breadth is l0; and its area is 61,385 acres, 9
perches, of which 292 acres, 3 roods, 26 perches are water. Its coast
contains the head and the north side of Liscanor bay, and two or three
very small creeks or coves; it projects in the bold and comparatively
broad peninsula which screens the north side of Liscanor bay, and terminates
in Haggs Head; and it presents to the ocean, for the most part, a bluff
and grand rampart of rock. The interior is variously upland and hilly;
and contains much lofty, and very little level, ground. The soil, to use
the words of Hely Dutton, "consists of a fertile clay on whinstone
rock, called here cold stone, to distinguish it from limestone, which
is called hot soil. It wants only draining, liming, and a proper course
of cropping, to make those lands that now [in 1808] pay only a few shillings
per acre, worth from two to three guineas." Lough Licken lies nearly
in the centre of the barony; and several loughlets occur in other districts.
Most of the drainage is affected by a considerable rivulet which traces
the northern boundary to the South Sound, and by the Forsett river, which
comes in from Inchiquin, and runs to the head of Liscanor bay; but a small
district in the east is drained eastward to Loughs Inchiquin and Tador
and the river Fergus. This barony contains the parishes of Cloney, Kilfenora,
Killaspuglonane, Kiltoraght, Kilmanaheen, Kilmacrichy, Killilagh, and
Kilshanny; and its towns and principal villages are Kilfenora, Ennistymon,
Liscanor, Fisher-Street, Roadford, East Lahensey, and West Lahensey. Pop.,
in l831, 23,016; in 1841, 25,979. Houses 4,157. Families employed chiefly
in agriculture, 3,324; in manufactures and trade, 754; in other pursuits,
410. Males at and about 5 years of age who could read and write, 3,309;
who could read but not write, l,214; who could neither read nor write,
6,799. Females at and above five years of age who could read and write,
1,355; who could read but not write, 1,114; who could neither read nor
write, 8,570.
The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland,
1845
Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project
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