A Guide to Tracing Your Clare Ancestors

Clare is the northern-most county in the province of Munster and is famous for its music and scenery, including the Cliffs of Moher and The Burren. It is bounded on the West by the Atlantic Ocrean and on the East by the River Shannon. Although unaffected by the 1798 rebellion it was troubled by agrarian disturbances during the 1800s. The county was badly affected by the Great Famine of 1845-50. By 1851 the population had decreased considerably due to death and emigration to many destinations throughout the world. The major families of the county include the O'Briens, McNamaras, McMahons and O'Loughlins. It has an interesting set of local records and was the first county to establish a local heritage center to record local genealogical data. This book sets out the availability of records to the family history researcher, a description, where they can be obtained, and includes numerous illustrations.