Visitor's Book

Date: 7th August 2018
I must say I am extremely grateful to the hard-working people of the library for putting so much information online. I am presently sitting in a timeshare on the island of Kaua’i and it amazes me to be able to view 19th century ordnance survey maps, 19th century photographs, and 16th century chancery pleadings on my laptop as I assemble my report.
Professor D. Blair Gibson, California

Date: 2nd April 2018
Hi, your library website is one of the best my wife who has been working on genealogy for about 40 years has ever used. What a wonderful job you have done to help people with their family histories. Thanks.
Bill Kane (the name got changed in the States from Keane)

Date: 16th February 2018
Hi. I visited Clare and your Library in August of last year. I’d like to record my thanks for the friendly help I received and for the massive amount of material accessible through your Library. I can’t express just how grateful I am to have had access to this material. Thank you and thanks to the many volunteers who’ve worked so tirelessly to bring this material within the reach of people like myself.
Thank you,
William Christensen
Fremantle
Western Australia

Date: 8th March 2017
Hello!
I am a regular user of your wonderful website, especially the genealogy section. I’ve been helping out a cousin of mine in discovering his mother’s ancestors. This work has led me to one of the headstones in Feakle Cemetery. I owe so much to Tom McDowell for all the work he has put in!
Best regards
Peter MacMahon

Date: 28th June 2016
Subject: BBC Radio Ulster - use of music from your website
Hi Guys,
I have been listening to music on your library with pure glee. I present a Folk Show for BBC Radio Ulster in Ireland. I was wondering whether the music on your library can be used to public service broadcasting? I would love to play a couple of your song recordings leading up to Willie Clancy Week. If possible.
Thank you,
Marty Cullen,
BBC Radio Ulster
[Hi Marty,
We’d be delighted if you used the music on our website in your programme.
As well as the Singers and Songs of Clare http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/songs/cmc/index.htm and the Traditional Music section http://music.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/, we have just added a new
Live Recordings section http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/music/live/index_live.htm.
Many Thanks,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd June 2016
Subject: Surname change
Hello
Thank you for your great website, there is so much information and it's so well put together. All the hard work that has gone into developing and maintaining the site is very much appreciated. I am using the site for genealogy purposes and I have found out lots about my ancestors who are from Drumdegus in Kilmurry McMahon. I wonder if you can help me sort an issue. My grandmother was Nora Power and her father was Sinon Power. Nora married a Patrick McGannan. They had 5 boys, Patrick, Thomas, Michael, John and my Father Sinon. There appears to have been a change of Surname from McGannan to Bohannon - my grandmothers grave stone reads Nora Bohannon erected by her husband Pat. One of their children (Michael) also assumed the surname Bohannon. (I have discovered much of the above information from the website using the links to census and graveyard data). Are you able to point me in the direction of any information relating to this? Any information will be much appreciated.
Kind regards
Cath O'Kane (nee McGannon)
[Hello Cath.
I will forward your email to our local studies librarian who will contact
you shortly.
In the meantime, I would recommend that you take a look at
TRACING YOUR FAMILY TREE - Tips from Clare County Library
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/local-studies/tracing_your_family_tree.htm
and at the Check-list and Tips for Family Historians Intending to Visit
Clare at
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1548
and at our extensive genealogy data available online at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealog.htm
and at our links to genealogical services at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealogical_services.htm
and links to genealogical sources at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/links/genealogy.htm
and our surname distribution maps (select the People tab) at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/genmap/index.html#M5C-9.07093!52.86467Z9F1*
I would also recommend that you take a look at our Clare Past forum at
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1.
You may well feel that members of the forum may be able to assist you. You can post a query once you have joined the forum. You will need to register first on the forum before you can post but that is a simple enough operation. Do be careful with the visual captcha at the end when registering. We have this in place to deter robot spammers that are a plague on all online forums. The important thing to note about the captcha is that you need to match up the images twice. You're given two images on top, and a number beneath them. Click on the one that most resembles the first one first, and then do the same for the second image.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]
Hi Anthony
Thank you so much for your prompt reply and helpful suggestions. I am sure I will while away many happy hours using these links and hopefully adding to my family tree. Your library website is a wonderful gem that I am happy to have discovered.
Kindest regards
Cath

Date: 16th May 2016
Subject: Permission to display historical images
As archivist, I hold the collection of historical images for Spratton, Northamptonshire, and its Local History Society. The Society is planning to put its entire archive of 2700 images, together with descriptive text for each image, onto a new website (yet to be developed), and permission is being sought from the sources of these images. The website will not display the entire image and text archive, rather it will be searchable by key topic (e.g. church, pubs, schools etc), date, and key word (for example a name). The searcher will then be able to bring up individual images and accompanying text. In 2009, you made available to our society (my contact was Maureen Comber) eight images relating to the Foster family who lived at Spratton Grange around 1896. We are now seeking your permission to include these on the website, as described above. If there is a prescribed version for proper acknowledgement that should accompany each text entry, please advise.
Dr. Michael Heaton,
Northamptonshire, UK.
[Hello Michael,
The Spratton Local History Society is welcome to use the images you have from Clare County Library on its website. Please acknowledge the library thus: Courtesy Clare County Library.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 1st February 2016
Subject: graveyard location
Hello. I'm looking for the location of Glencolmcille Cemetery in Carron, Clare, I'm coming from Boston in May and wish to visit family graves there. I went to this cemetery 10 years ago with an uncle who is now passed, therefore, I must try to locate this alone. Any information you give will be appreciated.
Respectfully,
Mr. John Ford,
Boston, USA
[Dear Mr Ford,
The graveyard you are looking for is probably the one in Glencolumbkille South. It’s marked in the centre of the map here:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/genmap/index.html#M8C-9.0151!53.03751Z13F1L12g1140*.
If you zoom out you will be able to see how to reach it from the surrounding area.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th January 2016
Thank you for your extensive database of genealogy information, you provided information about my father’s family I would never had known! ... I am looking forward to my visit to County Clare and your library!
Regards,
Kimberly Ann Mescall
Connecticut, USA

Date: 8th December 2015
Subject: query regarding Tithe Applotment records
Hello,
My name is Suzanne Voytas and I am researching 3x great parents and will briefly explain my problem. My gt grandmother was Catherine Margaret Rodgers and her parents as given on her marriage certificate were John Rodgers and Mary Hase from Co Clare. My problem is – When I accessed the Tithe Applotment details on the National Archives of Ireland I found John Rodgers listed as living in the townland of Anna, parish of Killofin. I have tried to find Anna on the early map but as explained on the Clare Library website, many townlands and parishes were altered between the Tithe Applotment records and the Griffith’s Valuation records. When I consulted the Tithe Applotment records on the Clare Library website, there were three Jno Rodgers recorded in the parish of Feakle. Also when I checked the ‘General Alphabetical Index to the Townlands and Towns etc,etc’ I found 4 townlands by the name of Annagh in Co. Clare but none in the parish of Killofin. However one was in the parish of Kilmurry. I think that should be the parish of Kilmurry-Ibrickan. There are no records in the name of Hase. From my initial research I believe the parents of John Rodgers and Mary Hase were from Co Cavan. This is still to be proven. I have downloaded a copy of the page from the Tithe page from the NLI – the only townlands shown are Anna and Ahaga, which I found to be in the parish of Kilmili. I would appreciate it if you could explain why the records between the NLI and your website do not agree or am I missing something? I will search the records for the parish of Feakle, now.
Look forward to your reply,
Regards,
Suzanne Voytas
NSW, Australia.
Hello again.
Could you advise if there is a publication or listing that compares the townlands named in the Tithe applotment books to the ones listed in Griffith’s Valuation? Which would show which townlands that were absorbed into others, the change of names and any other discrepancies between the two sets of records. Maybe I am being wishful. However I most grateful for all the hard work the volunteers have done to create such a wonderful resource, not only for family historians but the wider community. There is a townland called Anna in Feakle, which does record families by the name of Rodgers, so is it possible the information on the NAI Tithe applotment site is incorrect? Again thank you for your attention.
Cheers,
Suzanne
[Hello Suzanne,
The National Archives has made a mistake. The records they have on the site for Killofin parish are actually for a Killoe Parish in County Longford. You can see a list of the townlands in Killoe here, which includes Annagh. The list of householders in the townland of Annagh for Griffith’s Valuation is packed full of Rogers: Unfortunately, there isn’t any list or map of which townlands have morphed into which. One approach is to compare the family names in the Tithes’ townland with those in Griffiths and the Census. At least Rodgers/Rogers isn’t a common name, which should help. If a new search throws up anything that I can help with, contact me.
All the Best,
Maureen Comber,
Executive Librarian,
Clare County Library]

Date: 20th November 2015
Subject: Sub Officer of Urban Council
In 1901, my great great grandfather, Michael McMahon, worked in Kilrush as a “Sub Officer of Urban Council”. I am curious to learn what the position entailed but have not been able to find out anything about it... What did a sub officer do all day? I am grateful for any clues you may have.
Sincerely,
Tracy L. McMahon,
Virginia, USA
[Dear Tracy,
it is likely that Michael McMahon worked as a substitute officer for the Kilrush Urban District Council. Substitute officers were appointed by local authorities in instances where permanent staff were ill, absent or incapacitated, such temporary appointment usually not exceeding three months. Substitute officers were appointed to deputise for officers of a clerical grade within the local authority (in Michael’s case, the urban district authority of Kilrush). The wording for this office (substitute officer) in the legislation reads: “an officer appointed to act as substitute for another officer while such other officer is on annual leave or, through sickness, absence or suspension or through being seconded for other duties, is temporarily unable to perform the duties of his office”. Occasionally, substitute officers were appointed on a temporary or probationary basis, pending the making of a permanent appointment though this was comparatively rare. Responsibilities of the urban authority in Kilrush in the early twentieth century included sanitary functions (including drainage, water supply and sewerage, street cleaning and paving and maintenance), town improvements (provision of gas and public lighting on streets and thoroughfares, provision of public housing such as labourers’ cottages) and other ancillary urban services including fire fighting capacity and municipal burial grounds and provision of a market house with statutory weights and measures for the supply of goods. Records of the Kilrush Urban District Council are held in Clare County Archives.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 19th August 2015
Hello
Just wondering what year the clare London match was on this video link
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/film/bluett/bluett_films.htm
Thanks,
Diarmaid Williams,
UK.
[Hello Diarmaid,
The match was played in 1949.
Page updated now.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th August 2015
Subject: Lone Shanakyle sung by Tom Lenihan
My Irish singing teacher did send me your link to this lovely song that is sung by Tom Lenihan. As I am learning the song I have listened to it very carefully and I have discovered 3 little mistakes written in the text that you might want to correct. Due to my old profession as an elderly nurse I hear the way of pronunciation of elderly people very well and therefore I picked up the differences. I have written the correct words in red behind the stroke through words. I hope this helps.
Greetings from a sunny Sweden,
Esther Adolfsson
[Dear Esther,
Thank you for bringing the errors in Lone Shanakyle to our attention. I agree with you that ‘more’ and ‘oh’ should be ‘o’er’, and I have changed these, but I think Tom sings ‘simple’ and not ‘sentinel’ in the third verse. I know ‘sentinel’ is the correct word, but we transcribed the songs as the singers sang them, so I’ll leave that one unchanged. We are thrilled that someone in Sweden is using the Songs and Singers to learn Irish singing!
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 15th July 2015
Subject: Use of images from Foto
I just found your marvellous collection of images and if possible I would like to select and include a few of them into the August issue of my digital magazine Selling Travel. It is a free magazine that North American travel agents access and the concept of the magazine is to present ideas to the travel agents on how to sell more travel – in this case to Ireland. Having just returned from visiting my aunt who lives in County Clare I have many current images however I would like to use a few from days gone by... Any help you can give would be most appreciated and of course any images used would be attributed to you and the collection. Past copies of my magazine can be read here: www.issuu.com/smptrainingco
With thanks
Steve Crowhurst,
Qualicum Beach,
Canada
[Dear Steve,
You are welcome to use any images of which the library holds copyright in your travel magazine. Please acknowledge Clare County Library and the photographer, where known. You can download them directly from the website this way:
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded (i.e. those collections we have copyright of) will be displayed at the top of the page.
Click on the collection to which the photo/s belong (e.g. Lawrence Collection). Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc.
Please do get back to me if you have any trouble.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 18th June 2015
Subject: Use of content_Carrigaholt (JC History OL)
The Educational Company of Ireland is currently producing a student’s booklet of State Examination Papers for 2016 which is due for publication in July 2015. Within these we would like to reproduce the extract on Carrigaholt which was sourced from www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/kilbaha.htm totalling 225 words and as it appeared in the recent Junior Certificate History Exam. I would be grateful if you could let us know if we have your permission to include the material in this edition of our booklet and in any new editions published in the next five years. Since our materials need to be ready for the new set of students there is only a short time-span between the issuing of the Department of Education and Skills papers and the publication of our booklets, so I would be most obliged if you could respond to this request as soon as possible. Thank you for your assistance with this matter. I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Áine Mulloy
The Educational Company of Ireland
[Dear Áine,
You are welcome to use the article on the Little Ark of Kilbaha from our website in your forthcoming State Examination Papers. Please acknowledge Clare County Library as the source of the text.
Regards,
Maureen Comber
Executive Librarian
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th April 2015
It’s wonderful that Clare Library now has the Clare Devon Committee evidence online. I can’t imagine where the country would be without Clare Library and its great website. We used the site constantly when we were checking information in relation to the Eötvös book [Poverty in Ireland].
Sheila Jones,
Phaeton Publishing,
Dublin

Date: 27th March 2015
Subject: Kilfenora Céilí Band - Little Bird on the Library Blog
So appreciate all you share here. Only 8 more weeks and I'll be at NUI Galway for my study abroad summer. Cannot wait.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA.

Date: 12th February 2015
Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in the administering of the Clare Library site. Once again I have to take the time to tell you that this is far and away one of the best sites available to researchers on the Internet. Having many Clare ancestors I find myself returning to the site almost daily to search for information. As I am on the other side of the world, this resource has proved invaluable to me and, I’m sure, to many thousands of other people. The site is not only full of information, but is simple to negotiate (not so with many other sites!) and great with its links one finds just by using one single word search term. I LOVE this site Clare people, and you deserve a HUGE award for your work. Also I feel so very grateful to all the volunteers who have done so much work to contribute. To find a photo of a headstone of an ancestor for instance, made possible only by the work of some generous and keen volunteer gives more pleasure than you possibly imagine. Please keep up the good work... and KNOW that it is appreciated by so many people.
Yours sincerely,
Kerri Ferguson (Ms)
Sydney, Australia

Date: 13th January 2015
Subject: Biographical Notices of Clare People from the 'Limerick Chronicle', 1831-1837
Hi, I just stumbled on your site while surfing the web looking for information regarding my Great great great grandfather David Horan who was transported for life in 1832 to New Castle, NSW for “ repeating unlawful oaths”. Until recently I had never heard of this ancestor and very little remains of records apart from the prisoner books held here in Australia. This is where I found out that he arrived here in Chains. And this is where I came onto your site by googling his name. In the biographical notices there is a Denis Foran… who is said to have been transported for life for whiteboyerism. "Wednesday 18th April 1832: On Saturday in Ennis, Mr. John Hilliard, a young gentleman who was much admired for his many social qualities, and whose demise is a source of much regret to his family. The Ennis convicts sent to Cork were – John Reidy, Rickard Kennedy James, and Michael McMahon, for the Police murder, George Meade, for the murder of Sargeant Robinson, 5th Foot, Timothy Killeen, Thomas Crawford and Denis Foran, for Whiteboyism, to be all transported for life." Because I haven’t found any records of my ancestor in any of the online genealogy sites it could be because of the name change . He is also listed as David Tranor ( not unusual as many had aliases according To Australian convict records ) a result of ancient long hand styles of writing and old documents being mistranslated I think. He appears to have been a glutton for punishment as he was sentenced to a farm gang at Harpers Hill Stockade in NSW’s Hunter Valley. Many of these convicts were flogged with the cat’o nine tails on a regular basis. Life ended well when he married Mary Anne Curtayne, also a convict and they had a daughter, Barbara, my GG grandmother who went to New Zealand in the 1880’s as Mrs Barbara Shieb, with several children. I feel sure that Denis Foran is my ancestor as the circumstances regarding his transportation are identical to my David Horan or Tranor. Thanks very much for the Site! I only need to find more of this man’s history now.
Cheers!
Ron Bunting,
NSW, Australia.
[Hello Ron,
It’s wonderful that you stumbled on the report of David/Denis’ transportation on our website. All credit is due to Katrina Vincent, who donated the transcription. All the best in your research, and thanks for taking the time to contact us.
Happy New Year,
Maureen Comber
Executive Librarian,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd December 2014
Subject: A Little Bit Of Summer - Irish (and French) Traditional Music at the Willie Clancy Summer School on the Library Blog
Once again, when I am missing Ireland all I have to do is come to this blog to feel better. Thanks Clare County Library!
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA.

Date: 3rd December 2014
Subject: Killaknick [Dromelihy] Graveyard, Cree/Cooraclare
Hello,
My name is Sandra Hebner and I am a Clohessy. My family resided in Dromelihy, Co. Clare when my great grandmother Bedelia Clohessy left in the 1870s to 1880s to come to New York. I believe Killaknick [Dromelihy] Graveyard is the graveyard I may have visited about 15 years ago doing some family research but I cannot remember what road it was on. The graveyard I visited was land bound and I had to climb over a stile and walk up a hill through a grazing pasture (with a “Beware of Bull” sign at the stiles, gave me pause to consider!) to reach it. The graveyard itself was within a large pasture on a hill and was surrounded by a stone wall with metal gate to access. If this is the same graveyard I would like to know where it was again. I was pointed in that direction by a few local residents that were kind enough to help me find it but one was a customer at the post office and another was a thatcher who happened to be installing a new roof for someone and knew the area quite well. The chances of me running across either person again is slim. Can anyone assist me? Any help would be appreciated.
Regards,
Sandie Hebner,
New York,
USA
[Hello Sandra,
here is a link to a satellite view of Dromelihy graveyard, you might be able to recognise it. If you select Bing Roads in the Map menu in the top left hand corner of the screen and zoom out, you will see that the graveyard lies between Cree and Cooraclare. There is also a transcription of the headstones here.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 3rd December 2014
Subject: McNamara and Molony families of Sixmilebridge, County Clare
Hello. I'm trying to get information about my families who lived in Sixmilebridge, County Clare, Ireland. The information that I have is that Henry Molony married Hanah McNamara on or before the year 1817. In 1825 they left Ireland with the Robinson settlers and moved to Ontario Canada with their four children, Andrew, Catherine, Margaret, and Mary. Could you tell me how I could research this information? I live in Florida USA and so cannot easily get to Ireland to do the research. Please let me know if you have suggestions. Thank you and advance for your assistance.
Coleen Henderson,
Florida,
USA
[Dear Colleen,
I think it will be difficult to elicit specific information on people in the period you mention, 1817 (approximate year of marriage) and 1825 (year of emigration to Canada). Speaking generally, there are few extant records for that time period. For the Robinson emigration schemes to Canada, there is some material on point in the Report from the select committee on emigration from the United Kingdom with minutes of evidence (House of Commons, 26 May 1826). This report was re-published in the Irish University Press series of British Parliamentary Papers (Shannon, Ireland: Irish University Press, 1968. ISBN 0 7165 0149 X) and there is a comprehensive index to the evidence adduced before the committee. I have looked at it and though there is general useful information on the Robinson emigration schemes and the general condition of the tenantry emigrating to Canada under the scheme, there is no specific information on Sixmilebridge per se. I think Sixmilebridge benefitted under the Robinson scheme by its close proximity to Limerick, perhaps. This is an opinion formed by looking at some of the evidence in the 1826 report. Clare historian, Brian Ó Dálaigh mentions some of the O’Brien rentals which include lands and tenements in Sixmilebridge. See: Brian Ó Dálaigh. ‘A history of Sixmilebridge, County Clare,1603 – 1911’ in Karina Holton, Liam Clare and Brian Ó Dálaigh (editors). Irish villages: studies in local history (Dublin and Portland, Oregon: Four Courts Press, 2004). For the O’Brien rentals, see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/local-studies/obrien_rent_roll.htm. In his survey of the rentals, Ó Dálaigh comments: ‘The surnames that re-occur are Carthy, Creagh, Farrell, Fitzgerald, Griffy, Henchy, Hickey, Hogan, Ievers, McInerney, McMahon, McNamara, Moloney, Reddan, Spaight and Wilson.’ So it seems the two family surnames of interest to you are represented in these estate rentals. Possibly there might be some information in the earlier Cratloe Catholic parish register which included Sixmilebridge. As a Catholic parish in its own right, the Sixmilebridge parish register commences a little late for your purposes. Possibly you may be able to source the 1826 report noted above in the British Parliamentary Papers series, and the “Irish villages” book (2004) through a reference library in Florida. If not in stock, they may be able to borrow them for you through inter-library loan. For parliamentary papers generally, see also http://www.dippam.ac.uk/. I wish you well with your family history research.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 6th October 2014
Subject: Images of County Clare, September 2014 on the Library Blog
Almost two years since my last trip to the west coast and these pics have made it a bit more tolerable. I'll be back summer of 2015. Thanks for keeping me in touch with all I love over your way!
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA

Date: 18th September 2014
Subject: Thank you for great website
Thank you for your excellent website. It's such a pleasure to read. Also please convey my appreciation to Mr. Lynch in Texas for his article on Jasper’s Pound. His analysis on the Jasper family (Wm Penn’s mother’s family) is brilliant. I don’t believe I’ve seen anything to compare with it.
I look forward to visiting Ireland someday.
Michael Harlan
[Dear Mr Harlan,
Many thanks for your kind words on the website, and on the Jasper’s Pound article. I’ll pass your comments on to Cy Lynch. He will be delighted - he has put a lot of work into the article and has spent many years researching the area.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 16th September 2014
Dear Sir/Madam,
I came late to the process of finding my family history and when I learned that my paternal grandfather came from County Clare I did not realise how lucky it was for me that he did so. My family history research got a terrific boost from the Clare County Library genealogical information including from the Irish census for the county even before the National Archives census details came online. The details from the Clare Parishes, Griffith's Valuations and many more wonderful resources were very enlightening and encouraging to someone starting from scratch on this kind of project. Also I am delighted to see that every time I come back to the Clare County Library site there appears to be new information to be investigated. Congratulations on the work that has been done to date and continued success on future efforts in this regard.
Regards
Louis M. Garvey

Date: 11th August 2014
Subject: Orphans at Corofin Workhouse
Dear Librarian,
My name is Gail Mulhern and I am the gr gr grand-daughter of Mary Linnane who lived at the Corofin Union Workhouse before emigrating under the Tasmanian Female Immigration scheme on the ship "Calcutta'. Mary was sent out to service to Mrs Briggs of New Town Road, Hobart in December 1851, the "Calcutta" having arrived in Hobart Town on the 2 November 1851. Mary married Edward Taylor (convict) from England. I have 15 convicts, 10 direct and 6 indirect. They had 11 children, 9 surviving. Another gr gr g/m Eliza Davis was transported from Dun Laoghaire to Hobart Town in 1845. Eliza spent some time at Wicklow's Historic Gaol - there is a replica of Eliza sitting in cell 20 of the gaol. In 2012 there was a re-inactment of her life story at the Gaol, which I was able to attend. It was also in commemoration of all female convicts transported. It was such an honour to be there. I had the most wonderful, memorable time. The article that Michael MacMahon published "From Clare to Van Diemen's Land: Some forgotten Mothers of Tasmania" (The Other Clare, vol. 22, 1998) is wonderful, gives a real insight to the preparation and the voyage. With the help of a friend in Tasmania (I live in Queensland), we have been able to definitely ascertain that Mary Linnane of Corofin is my gr gr g/m. Through the christenings of her children (some of the godparents are girls from Corofin).
Cheers,
Gail Mulhern,
Australia
[Dear Gail,
Thank you for letting us know about your research. I’ve passed your email onto Michael Mac Mahon - I’m sure he’ll be delighted to see how useful you found his article...
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 1st August 2014
Subject: Magic in Mullagh - The Pipers Gather on the Library Blog
You have no idea how your posts and video snipettes get me through in between my visits to Ireland. My little lifesavers. Thanks again.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA.

Date: 1st August 2014
Subject: Survey of Churches and Graveyards Collection - complete collection of photos now online on the Library Blog
WOW! What a collection. Something I am going to check out right now Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA.

Date: 7th July 2014
Dear Sir or Madam.
I am visiting Scariff Mon Jul 7 - Thu Jul 10 inclusive, for the first time. I hope you can help me find a grave so I may add to your website? These are my grandparents names :-
John William Sparling B.07.11.1894 D.02.09.1977
Margaret Mary Sparling B.1894 D.01.03.1976
They were buried in a ‘double grave’, last opened in September 1977. I believe this may be at Tuamgraney, but not certain. I am sorry for short notice, but feel I will need some help to find their resting place. I hope you can help. Thank you in advance.
Regards
Roland Sparling
[Hello Roland,
your grandparents’ grave is in St Cronan’s graveyard which is situated in Tuamgraney village. There is a photograph of the headstone in our Graveyard Inscriptions Collection here:
http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?archiveId=5001&search=00019611.jpg&srch=Search
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 30th June 2014
Subject: Permission to reproduce a photograph of John Lecky Phelps
Dear librarians,
I'm writing a history of my Great-Grandfather, Nicholas Sadleir, who managed a large sheep station for the Phelps family from Limerick and Clare counties in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. As part of research and writing for the book I encountered a photograph of John Lecky Phelps in your on-line collection. I've been able to harvest the photograph to my files and plan to include it in the book I'm writing. May I have your permission to reproduce it? Is there a fee? How may I acknowledge your permission?
With best wishes,
Robert Hodge,
Yankalilla, South Australia
[Dear Mr Hodge,
You are welcome to use the photograph of John Lecky Phelps from our website in your forthcoming book. Please acknowledge the library thus: Photograph Courtesy Clare County Library. There is no fee.
All the best,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th June 2014
Subject: Tomfinlough Cemetery
Hello,
I greatly enjoy your website! So full of information! My great-grandmother Alice Carrigg Gillan (1868-1955) was born in Smithstown, Drumline Parish, County Clare, daughter of Thomas Carrig and Bridget Gleason. Bridget’s father was Michael Gleeson (1785-1869) of Smithstown and originally Fenloe, Tomfinlough Parish. He is buried in the cemetery there, but when I was there in 1997 his massive gravestone was against a wall, with the inscriptions facing towards the wall, thus we could not read it. Has anyone transcribed the Tomfinlough cemetery records? I could not see them on the site. But again, keep up the great work!
Yours,
Matthew Jude Barker, historian, genealogist,
Maine Irish Heritage Center,
Portland, Maine, USA
[Hello Matthew,
No, unfortunately we don’t have transcriptions for Tomfinlough/Fenloe Graveyard on our site, and I don’t see them anywhere else online. I’ll certainly let you know if they are donated to us.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th June 2014
Subject: Permission to reproduce an article
Hello,
I organise a history course for our local University of the Third Age.(U3A). This year we will be considering 19th Century History. Individual members choose a particular subject and deliver a talk at our monthly meeting. I intend to talk on the franchise. I want to start at the 1800 Act of Union, the rise of the Catholic Association and the profound influence of the Clare election on what became known as The Great Reform Act. Your online page The Clare Election of 1828 by Declan Barron, would be of great interest to our members. I would be grateful if you would grant possession to reproduce this web page. Ideally I would like to give each member a copy to take home, about 25 copies, if this is not possible, perhaps you would permit me to download one copy and pass it around the meeting.
Regards,
Harold Woolf,
U.K.
[Hello Harold,
Declan Barron is happy to give permission to you to make copies of his article on the 1828 Clare Election.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th May 2014
Subject: Mortuary Card Index
Hello!
My name is Clare Horgan and I am writing to you on behalf of the Glenamaddy-Boyounagh Heritage Project here in Co. Galway. We have heard of and now seen the wonderful resource of memorial/mortuary card index you have on your webpage. We would love to be able to set up our own for the town and surrounding area, currently for our own use only. We are looking for any guidance you can share on how you recruited people to share their cards, was it through the website only or a door to door collection and how you set up a database, what system used. Thank you for your time, I look forward to and appreciate any information you can share.
Clare Horgan,
Glenamaddy-Boyounagh Heritage Project,
County Galway
[Hello Clare,
The Memorial Cards Project was carried out by the Clare Roots Society. You can contact their secretary at this email address: secretary@clareroots.org. There is some information on the project in our blog here: http://clarelibrary.blogspot.ie/2011/08/clare-roots-society-memorial-card.html and on the Clare Roots society website here: http://www.clareroots.org/index.php/2011-06-29-19-06-17/2011-06-29-19-14-37/mortuary-cards. Get back to me if I can help further.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd April 2014
Subject: Images of bullaun stone, Magh Adhair
Dear Ms. Comber,
For my non-profit research website concerning Irish archeology and folklore, “Voices from the Dawn:”
http://voicesfromthedawn.com
I’m currently preparing a page on the inauguration mound of Magh Adhair in County Clare. I would very much like to make use of two images of the bullaun stone at that site. I’ve located these images from your database:
AMC_0686 Toonagh Bullaun Stone
&
AMC_0688 Toonagh Bullaun Stone
Would you please be able to allow me to view the higher-resolution images and perhaps to use 800 pixel versions on “Voices from the Dawn?” You may be interested in taking a look at my most recent page, which investigates Beal Boru in the context of the Battle of Clontarf millennium:
http://www.voicesfromthedawn.com/beal-boru/
Thank you very much,
Howard Goldbaum,
Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism,
University of Nevada Reno,
USA
[Dear Howard,
I'm attaching the photos of the Magh Adhair bullaun stone that you wanted. You are free to use them on your site. Your site is excellent by the way and a very interesting approach to folklore. I see you use Westropp for information on many of the Clare monuments. Perhaps you have already found his Folklore Survey of Clare on our website - if not it's here:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/folklore/folklore_survey/index.htm and here:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/folklore/folk_tales/index.htm and we have a lot of his archaeological writings available here: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/index.htm. The photographer of the bullaun stones wishes to remain anonymous, but please acknowledge the library - Courtesy Clare County Library.
Best Wishes,
Maureen Comber
Clare County Library

Date: 22nd April 2014
Subject: Graveyard Data - Inscriptions
Good morning,
First I would like to congratulate all concerned on the library website and in particular the huge work that has gone into the Graveyard Inscriptions Data collection & presentation. I am a descendent of the TV Honan from Ennis and am doing basic research for personal interest. I have hit a bit of a stumbling block, in that I appreciate that the grave data is limited to information gleaned from the headstones, and I want to get information on relatives who I know were buried in Drumcliff and Ennistymon and are not showing up in your data. Would you be able to point me in the direction of the actual graveyard records ? Will I possibly have to go to the Council?
Best Regards
Fergal O'Leary
[Hello Fergal,
Thanks for your enquiry. Not all of the Drumcliff graveyard burials are on our site. The areas we have online are those for which the burial registers are lost i.e. part of the old graveyard, and the Calvary Section. The Local Studies Centre in Ennis holds films of the registers for 1888-1964 and 1974-1965. For other burials, you will need to contact the County Council at 065 6821616. We don’t have any Ennistymon burials online and I don’t know the extent or location of their registers. You could ask the Council or contact the parish office there: (065) 707 1063.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 2nd April 2014
Subject: Plaque dated 1619 in Ennistymon
I was wondering if you might be able to assist me. By any chance, could you recommend the name or names of local historians in Ennistymon whom I might contact. I am trying to ascertain the whereabouts of a plaque (dated 1619) which is said to have been moved from the site of Lisdoonvarna castle to Bridge Street in Ennistymon in the 20th century. I have not been able to locate this plaque. Other information that I have to hand records it as being ‘built into the front wall of a shop, owned by a Mr. Frank O'Connor in 1966, on Bridge St.’ I hope this query does not cause inconvenience and any assistance that you can provide would be gratefully appreciated.
Kind regards and thanks,
Paul Walsh,
Senior Archaeologist,
National Monuments Service,
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
[Hello Paul,
We have a piece and photo of the plaque on our website here...
If you need further information, please contact me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]
Maureen – you are not just a star, you’re a veritable supernova! Sincere thanks for this information and your very prompt response. I have managed to locate the correct position of the plaque and have amended our own record (CL015-143----). And may I add that the Clare County Library website is outstanding in the amount of information that you supply to users – and not just those living in Clare! You may pass on my compliments to whoever is involved in maintaining it: it is a wonderful website. I know that this is but small solace at a time of immense cut-backs for all working at the ‘cultural’ coalface but there are those of us who really appreciate the huge effort that has been put into providing this service.
Again, my very sincere thanks and best wishes,
Paul

Date: 21st March 2014
Subject: Library Online Forum
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate all of you at the County Clare Library for your great work and to thank you for the quality of the genealogy material. In the wake of recent deaths in the family there has been a revival in interest about our County Clare roots among those left behind outside of Ireland. I learned much from the online forum and may be able to help others. I live near Montreal in Canada and discovered as a result of the forum that one of my possible forebears - Cullinans on my Mother’s side - was the chief of detectives here in the 1860s. He was responsible for bringing the assassin of D’Arcy McGee to justice. He has a large headstone in the main cemetery. His family came from Dysart. My Father’s family were from Cooraclare.
Donie Irving,
Montreal,
Canada

Date: 12th March 2014
Subject: Westropp map of ring forts
Hi,
I would like to use the ring fort map of Westropps that is on your website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/ringforts/forts_names.htm as part of a display for a heritage exhibition in Kilkee for the Loop Head Peninsula. Would you have a higher resolution version than what is on the website? and if so, could I use it?
Many thanks,
Trea Heapes
[Hi Trea,
I’m attaching the Westropp map you wanted at a higher resolution. You are free to use it for the Loop Head Exhibition. Please acknowledge the library thus: Image courtesy of Clare County Library.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th March 2014
Subject: Michael and Johanna Mulqueen Gravestone...
First of all, thank you for the work of you and your organization. The information provided for genealogy purposes has been very helpful in my heritage document project. On your site is a gravestone - I have it listed below with the library link. I believe this is most likely my 3rd great grandfather. My 2nd great grandfather was Thomas Mulqueen/Mulqueeney who changed his name in the US to Mulquin. Would it be possible for me to purchase a copy of the photo that does not have the County Clare copyright on it? I plan on coming to the area in about 2016 and will take my own photo of the gravestone, but I wanted to be able to use the photo on my tree and in the historical text I am writing about this branch of my family. Please let me know the costs, and I will send it over to the Library. I appreciate your help on my request.
Info from your website:
32MulqueenMichael In loving memory of my dear parents Michael
Mulqueen Dooras, his wife Johanna. Also our deceased relatives.Dooras
32MulqueenJohanna In loving memory of my dear parents Michael
Mulqueen Dooras, his wife Johanna. Also our deceased relatives.Dooras
Kind regards,
Rosanna Juris Hogarty,
St. Louis, USA
[Dear Rosanna,
Thank you for your kind words about the website. I'm glad it was helpful to you in your research.
Photos of which the library holds copyright can be freely downloaded for personal use from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/) click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (e.g.Graveyard Inscriptions Collection). Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, take it to a digital photo booth or use it for your family tree.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th March 2014
Subject: The Changing Face of Memorials in Western Ireland on the Library Blog
Again, how I love your library blog but then again I love all things in the West of Ireland. I will have to look for more of those monuments with my next trip over.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA.

Date: 20th February 2014
Subject: Carhunacleragh (via Library Blog post)
What happened to townland Carhunacleragh in Parish Killilagh as given in Tithe Applotment? It does not appear on the 1842 map or in Griffith Valuation. Was the name changed or did it get combined or what? In any case, just where was it located in Killilagh Parish?
Thanks for any help,
Andy Wegner,
Wisconsin, USA
[The townlands in use today were established during the first Ordnance Survey of the early 1840s and were used for Griffiths Valuation. Those listed in the Tithe Applotments differ from these. There is a present-day Carrownycleary in Killilagh parish, see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/carrownycleary.htm. An older townland - Caronniclery - is shown in Petty’s maps [http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/petty_maps.htm] of 1658, in the Barony Map of Corcomroe. It’s in the top right-hand corner of the map above. This townland is larger that the current one shown on the OS maps and appears to incorporate the present-day Carrownycleary, Cloghaun, and part of Oughtdarra townlands. For a list of townlands named in the Tithe Applotments, and a guide to the townlands of Clare in general see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/townland.htm
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 19th February 2014
Subject: DK Book: Great Maps (William Petty)
Hello,
TITLE: Great Maps
AUTHOR: Jerry Brotton, Professor of Renaissance Studies (QMUL)
PUBLISHER: Dorling Kindersley
RIGHTS REQUIRED: World, all Languages, all Edition rights in print and digital
PUBLICATION DATE: September 2014
I wondered if you might be able to help supply a high resolution digital image (300dpi) of the following for use in the above book: A Down Survey Map (Ireland) by William Petty (any would do – it is to be used as a small contextual image). I would be most grateful if you could confirm receipt of this email. Many thanks in advance for your help and I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
Best wishes,
Sarah Smithies,
Dorling Kindersley
[Hello Sarah,
I’m attaching two small sections of the Petty Barony Maps – one from Moyarta Barony, and one from Bunratty Barony. Let me know if they are suitable for the publication.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 18th February 2014
Subject: Most popular children’s books
Good morning.
I wonder if you can help me. I am trying to find out the top 5 children's books borrowed from the library at the moment in ages 1-2 years, 3-6 years and 7-10 years. Is this something you can tell me please?
Thanks for any help you can give.
Kind regards
Nicola Foxe
[Hi Nicola.
Our children’s books are categorised as picture books - generally suited to 0-6 year olds; junior fiction/early readers - suitable for 6-9 year olds; and senior fiction - suitable for 9-12 year olds. From the 2013 figures, in the picture book category the Mr Men and Peppa Pig series of books were very popular. The Mr Men books are probably best suited to older children in the 0-6 age group. Most of the other titles popular in this category are suitable for all children in this age group: Hubble Bubble, Granny Trouble by Tracey Corderoy;
I Love my Mummy by Giles Andreae; All Julia Donaldson books especially Zog, Stick Man and the Gruffalo; Classics such as The Little Red Hen and Goldilocks and the Three Bears. In the junior fiction category the most popular books were those in the following series: Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon; Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey; Where’s Wally by Martin Handford; and Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows. Hope that this is helpful. Please let me know if you require any further information.
Regards,
Carrie Stafford,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th February 2014
Subject: Identity/location of Elizabethan? House



Hello from Melbourne, Australia,
I was fortunate to travel through County Clare several years ago. Somewhere north of Doolin (I think on the coast road), I photographed this ruin, possibly dating back to Elizabethan times given the architectural style. There appears to be an older tower structure on the right side: perhaps just a redoubt. I would be very grateful if this were able to be identified and a location given. There was no signage when I was there.
Many thanks,
Kevin Whitton,
Australia
[Hello Kevin,
The ruin you photographed is Leamaneh Castle, also spelt Lemanagh Castle. It’s a 17th Century manor house attached to an older tower house. There are links to articles, photographs and maps showing the castle on our website here: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL016-03202-.htm. Máire Rua was its most famous owner and there’s information on her here http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/people/ruadh.htm and here http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/the_burren/maire_rua_legends.htm.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 11th February 2014
Subject: Nuns and Sisters of the Catholic Church in Australia 1838 - 1918
I am trying to trace a relative who was a nun in Australia. I am wondering if it is possible to contact Margaret by email in relation to the record that I am searching for. The name of the nun was Mary Reen (known as Minnie) who came from Knocknagree, Mallow, Co Cork. Her parents were Michael Reen and Mary (nee Bradley). The family would love to know where this nun was, in Australia. Thank you for you time. The website with the records of all the nuns who went to Australia, is a fantastic record. Unfortunately, the one I was looking for was not on that particular list.
Marie Reen
[Hello Marie,
I have forwarded your email to Margaret and asked her to get in touch with you.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 3rd February 2014
Subject: The Brock McGuire Band play Tom Ward's Downfall on the Library Blog.
Oh how I love the music you post. Even though I don't always comment this farmwife in Illinois is always out here reading and listening.
THANK YOU,
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois,
USA.

Date: 27th January 2014
Subject: Looking for a particular book by Westropp.
Dia Dhuit,
I read of a book which I am interested in reading. The website stated that it was an online book from your library. Can you please help me find it. Here is the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Johnson_Westropp
The title of the book is : Folk-Lore: Transactions of the Folk-Lore Society, by Westropp.
Thank you for your time.
Slante,
Mrs. Michelle Carey,
USA
[Dear Mrs Carey,
The book you refer to - Folklore of Clare : a Folklore Survey of County Clare & County Clare Folk-tales and Myths - is a collection of articles which originally appeared in Folk-Lore: Transactions of the Folk-Lore Society. The book can be read on our website. It’s in two parts:
A Folklore Survey of County Clare and County Clare Folk-Tales and Myths.
The book is also available in paperback to buy from us here.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 20th January 2014
Subject: How to submit old photos of Clare.
Hello. My name is Bernadine Donnellan Kowalski and my grandfather came from O'Callaghan's Mills in County Clare. I have used your online library for research and just understanding what the life was like when my grandfather left home. I am wondering if you would be interested in two photos I have? The first was taken in 1945 when my father first went to O'Callaghan's Mills at the end of WWII. My father, Dennis Donnellan, is in his American Army uniform standing in the doorway of the cottage where his father was born. With him are his uncle and his two year old cousin who all shared the same name, Dennis (my father) and the two Denis Donnellans from The Mills. The second photo is from 2001 in the same place. It is my father and brother along with our cousin Denis Donnellan (the two year old from the original picture) standing in front of the same cottage doorway, three Denny Donnellans again in The Mills. We have no photos from before this, as my grandfather left The Mills in the mid 1890s and never returned. 1945 was the first time that any of our family was able to visit. Since then we have been over many times so any other photos would be from 1974 and later. Please let me know if these two photos would be interesting to you. Thank you so much and thank you for all the wonderful work your library does for genealogy research for those of us in other parts of the world.
Have a wonderful day,
Bernadine Kowalski
[Hello Bernadine,
We would be delighted to receive the photos of your family visiting O’Callaghan’s Mills. Could you email them to me? Many thanks for your kind offer.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th January 2014
Am UK based and had occasion to contact Clare Library today in an effort to acquire a copy of something I found on your website - would just like to thank you for your prompt, efficient and very helpful service - very impressed!
Dervilla Maher,
UK
[via Facebook]

Date: 15th January 2014
Subject: Visit from Australia.
Hi, hope you are all well. I am planning a visit to Ireland in 2015 and on my trip i am planning to visit the grave of my great grandfather Jeremiah Fahy who is buried at Killanena, Feakle Parish Graveyard which I found thanks to your web site. Are you able to give me a street address for the graveyard so I can plan my trip? Thank you in advance a great web site that helped me enormously in completing my family tree.
Yours Sincerely,
Belinda Chatfield,
Victoria, Australia
[Dear Belinda,
I’m very glad that you located your great grandfather’s grave on our website. The graveyard in question is located behind the church in Killanena. You can see the location on this map here...
You have probably found Jeremiah and his family listed in the 1901 census on the website here at the bottom of this page...
Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help further.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th January 2014
A Chara,
I am teaching 5th and 6th Class in St. Senan's School in Shannon and am considering starting a guided reading programme in my classroom. I am just wondering do you provide any service whereby I could borrow maybe 5 or 6 copies of a few books. For example 5 or 6 Harry Potter Books and 5 or 6 Roald Dahl books? Thank you very much for taking the time to read my email, I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
Kate Lynch,
St. Senan's School,
Shannon.
[Dear Kate,
Thanks for your enquiry. St. Senan’s National School in Shannon is already an institutional member of the County Library Service and you can request 5 or 6 books by both authors you mention through your local branch library in Shannon. The staff at Shannon Library will request additional copies of the books you need from other libraries in Clare and they will most likely be ready for you to collect in a week or two. Again, staff in Shannon will let you know when your request is fulfilled. You may also be aware of our class novels lending scheme. We have a collection of 27 books (20 copies of each title) available to schools for borrowing...
Kind regards,
Patricia Fitzgerald,
Schools and Children’s Services,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th January 2014
Subject: Foto: Clare County Library Images Online
Hello to the Staff Members! I am a chemistry professor in Bradford, PA., USA. I stumbled into your great County Clare Library site and thoroughly enjoyed the images. As you know better than I, County Clare is considered the most remote region of the Republic and many of the inhabitants are probably descended from the original Stone Age dwellers. Recent genetic research seems to indicate that the Gaelic Irish are connected to the Basque people in northern Spain. I am pleased to report that I am descended from County Clare people, through my maternal line, and my mother has been to County Clare twice; we still have relatives living there. Our people: O'Donoghue, Downes, Egan, Pender (Norman surname). The first three names are derived, of course, from the Gaelic. Our people left Eire ca. 1885-90 and moved to Jersey City, N.J. USA. I have the baptismal records back to ca. 1800 and the families live right around Ennis. I have become very interested in the history of County Clare and the images that you provide are wonderful for all of the County Clare descendants to view. Someday, I will be visiting County Clare and seeing such sites as the "holy wells" and ancient burial sites...
Regards,
Dave Soriano,
USA

Date: 6th January 2014
Subject: George Browne query.
I came across your excellent library website while researching a distant ancestor - George Browne of Camus (1698-1792). You give details of him under details for Baron O'Neillan with note 26 at:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/people/baron_oneillan.htm and I was wondering whether you could direct me to where I might obtain a more detailed family tree of George Browne. I descend from a great grand-daughter of Count George Browne (Dorothea Charlotta Browne who was born in Riga in 1783). However, I have not so far been able to establish the name of her father or grandfather. Dorothea Charlotta Browne (or von Browne or de Browne) married Karl Ivanovich von Arnold in Riga, Latvia. One of their children Emiliia was my great great grandmother. I would be most grateful for any guidance you may be able to give me and look forwared to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Tania Roberts,
UK
[Dear Tania,
There was a query-and-answer thread on this topic in “The Irish Sword”, starting circa 1966;
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/local-studies/collection_journal_titles.htm and if you e-mail me your full postal address, I will photocopy and post out to you the relevant correspondence from the journal. As regards Marshall Browne, 1705 – 1757, there is the following book which you might be able to locate through your local library: Christopher Duffy. “The wild goose and the eagle: a life of Marshal von Browne” (London: Chatto & Windus, 1964).
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 16th December 2013
Subject: Griffith's Valuation Map of Cloonbony, Milltown Malbay, Kilfarboy.
Hello, I live in Australia. I am unable to access a clear map of the 1855 Griffith’s Valuation of Cloonbony, Milltown Malbay. I would really appreciate it, if you could send one to me. I am searching for the Malone Family who were occupiers in various townlands in County Clare.
Thank you,
Kindest Regards.
Toni Proudlock,
Australia
[Hello Toni,
If you look at our webpage for Cloonbony Townland you will see a link to Griffith’s Valuation for the townland: http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&PlaceID=241395. This page has links to the original Valuation with its listing of tenants, and to the corresponding maps. The numbers in the first column of the valuation page tell you the number of the plot/house of the tenant on the map. For example, Anthony, Michael and Bridget Malone are number 19a, b and c on page 1 of the Valuation. These numbers are used to mark their houses and lands on the map. There are also Malones listed on the second page of the Valuation. Contact me if I can help any further.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Executive Librarian
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th December 2013
Hello. I've just come across your website and genealogical resources and want to compliment you on it! Thank you for offering so many good resources to genealogy researchers.
Sincerely,
Sue Furgal,
USA.

Date: 3rd December 2013
Clare library is THE place for Clare genealogy. I always sing your praises. Well done, great work and thanks for swimming against the $$ motivated stream of Irish genealogy. You guys do a GREAT job!!
Pauleen Cass via Facebook

Date: 2nd December 2013
Best library in all of Ireland!
Marie T. Crowley via Facebook

Date: 2nd December 2013
A veritable treasure chest for all...
Chris Goopy via Facebook

Date: 28th November 2013
I have created a website covering the FitzGerald family who lived in Kilcarragh, Adelphi and Corofin. I wish for this website to be easily accessible to people who are interested, and I noticed you had links for family websites, e.g. Heffernan, O'Brien. I wondered if you might put my website, http://www.countyclarefitzgeralds.co.uk/ under the Clare Family Websites or the Genealogical Websites headings on the Links to external genealogical sources page and on any other area of the website where my website may be relevant.
Many thanks,
Mr. Oliver Baker
[Dear Mr Baker,
thank you for sending us the link to your FitzGerald website. I’ve added it to our genealogy links page: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/links/genealogy.htm.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 24th October 2013
I am a fourth year student at the University of Limerick studying an evening B/A in Arts (History, Literature and Politics). I am currently researching for my final year project and I have chosen to do a local history project based around the life of a local gentleman who was born in Moyne, Templetouhy in 1933 but is currently living in the Shannon area. During the course of the interviews I conducted with him he mentioned that while at school, he was provided with a pair of hob-nail boots at the commencement of the school term. The impression I received was that this was done each year and to those who were deemed as 'needy' but it was unclear if this was a government scheme or a social welfare scheme or if it was done under the auspices of a local charity. The other thing he mentioned that interests me is that his mother had been before the courts and fined for taking him out of school to help bring in the harvest. I have been unable to locate the relevant legislation (although I did find the 1926 Act online that attempted to prevent absenteeism in relation to children being taken out of school at harvest time). I was wondering if you could be of assistance in helping me to locate either the relevant legislation regarding the boots and anecdotal references to this in Clare (or, indeed, elsewhere). Also, would there be any record of people being brought before the courts because they had continued to take their children out of school to help with the harvest? Any help you might be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Liam Hourston.
[Dear Liam,
I imagine the the prosecutions for non-attendance at school were brought under the School Attendance Act, 1926 (No. 17 of 1926), an act to make provision for ensuring the attendance of children at elementary schools (27th May 1926). There is a copy of this act in the Local Studies Centre in Ennis if you need to consult it, and it runs to 27 sections. I imagine prosecutions under the act were brought under section 17 of the act, failure of the parent to comply with the act. (However, I have not looked at the act in detail.) There were minor amending acts to this legislation in 1936, 1953 and 1967; however, the 1926 act remains the the principal statute. I imagine footwear grants (such as the issuing of appropriate footwear at the commencement of the school year) were made by the Clare Board of Health and Public Assistance. I am not immediately aware of the appropriate legislative framework for the operation of this scheme; such provision may have been made under an appropriate primary act or perhaps under secondary legislation (a statutory instrument) made under authority of a primary act. The minute books for the Clare Board of Health and Public Assistance can be made available to you in the Local Studies Centre and you may get further information on the footwear scheme in the local minutes. I hope this is of some help to you and wish you every success with your degree in the University of Limerick.
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 16th October 2013
May I commend everybody involved on the wealth of information available on the Clare Library Website. It has been a great aid for me over the last 18 months in kick starting my family research. Keep up the good work!!!
Regards,
Noel McMahon

Date: 1st October 2013
Dear Librarians,
I would like to let you know how grateful I am that you have such a wonderful website on Clare history and so on. It is really a very good service to the rest of us. Recently a number of students have come for help with research on various little churches and national monuments, and once I know they are in Clare, I’m really happy to direct them to your great website...
With much appreciation for your work,
Aedín Clements,
Irish Studies Librarian,
Hesburgh Library,
University of Notre Dame, USA
Blog: http://blogs.nd.edu/irish-hesburgh/

Date: 1st October 2013
Subject: Lott Hehir
I live just outside Binghamton, NY in Vestal. I was wandering on the Internet and found your visitors book. My line is Lott, Thomas, Michael, Theresa settling in Brocton, New York.
Mary Ella Barden,
Ney York, USA.
mrichard@stny.rr.com

Date: 25th September 2013
Subject: My study of the Hehir Family in Binghamton, New York, USA
My maternal great grandparents were Michael and Mary Hehir, who immigrated to the US with their children from Tulla, County Clare in 1884. There is a lot of conflicting information in US records, since the spelling of the name changed many times, sometimes permanently. Hehir - Haher - Hehar - O'Hare - O'Hara - etc. I have a study I made for my own research, tracing every person I could find in Binghamton, New York with any spelling of the name from the 1850's to World War II. It is an Excel spreadsheet with as much information as I could find on each person - names, year of birth, year of immigration, residences, trades, marriages, the sources of information, etc. If I were to print it out, it would encompass over 60 sheets of paper. If anyone thinks the information might be helpful to you I will be happy to send it. If you are interested, please keep in mid that I am still slowly finding other helpful information, so I may send you adjusted copies from time to time.
James J Taylor,
USA
[Hello James,
Thanks you for you generous offer – we would indeed be very interested in your Hehir research... With your permission, I’ll post it on our website, and place a hard copy in our Local Studies Centre.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 18th September 2013
I just want to say what a fantastic site you have for family researchers - it is so easy to use and has such a wealth of detail - the best I have seen for local information search. So a big thank you to all who contribute to and design your site - I hope you have been / will be recognised for what you are doing.
E. O'Sullivan,
UK

Date: 17th September 2013
Subject: Clare GenMaps
...I'm a scientist from the U.S., and currently work in conjunction with GMIT in Galway. This autumn, I have a group of American students at GMIT for the semester, and they have been working with me on a field research project involving some antiquity sites in Clare, Galway, Mayo, and Sligo. I wanted to share with you that the GIS-based system you have developed at the Clare Library has helped us immeasurably in our work! You and your team deserve enormous credit for creating a wonderful resource for researchers, whether or not that was the intent. Without this information, including 19th century mapping and current photographic images, our work would have been much more difficult... I only wish the other western counties would follow your example!
Sincerely,
Paul Melchior,
Professor, Dept. of Biology
North Hennepin Community College &
Minnesota State University, Minnesota, USA
[Hello Paul,
many thanks for your kind words on our website...
I do have some good news for you, in that Rainer Kosbi has developed a similar map system for Mayo County Library at http://www.mayolibrary.ie/mapbrowser2/mapbrowser.html#.
Rainer also created a map system for Galway County Library - see http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/maps/# . This is an earlier version of his software and doesn't include Bing or Google maps. And of course we hoped that our whole website would be of use to researchers as well as the general public! We are so glad you are making use of it.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Senior Executive Librarian,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th September 2013
Subject: Graveyard Inscription
Dear Maureen,
We had some visitors at East Clare Heritage Centre recently who were tracing their Scariff / Mountshannon roots. In the course of providing them with some information from the Graveyard Inscriptions on the Clare Library website, they informed us of an error that they, and other members of their family, had noticed in one particular graveyard inscription. The Graveyard in question is MOYNOE, SCARIFF. The Grave number is 118 namely COLLINS / O'BRIEN. The entry that reads "Their son-in-law Patrick O'Brien died 27 May 1920... should read "...died 27 May 1929...". They would be very grateful if the year could be changed from 1920 to 1929 as the error is causing much confusion to relations of the deceased who are viewing the site.
Many thanks and kind regards,
Noreen,
(East Clare heritage Centre)
[Hello Noreen,
Thanks for alerting us to the mistake in the Moynoe Graveyard transcriptions. I’ll change the date in the text.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 21st August 2013
Subject: Query on Maps
My name is Aaron Henry and I am a doctoral student reading Political Economy and Sociology at Carleton University. I am writing to the Clare County Library to seek permission to publish a page-sized excerpt of the Down Survey map entitled Moyarta Barony in an academic journal. The paper features an extended discussion of the maps produced by the Down Survey and draws on the maps that have been made available by the Clare County Library. I am wondering who I may need to contact to see if it would be possible to include a scanned version of the map in the essay. Any information in this regard would be very much appreciated. Also, I feel it is important to say that the Down Survey maps put online by the Clare County Library have been an invaluable resource in research. I am very grateful to those who put in the time and effort to make these maps available online to an international public.
Kind Regards,
Aaron Henry,
Ottawa, ON
Canada
[Dear Aaron,
Thank you for your enquiry regarding the Down Survey Maps. We are very glad that you have found them useful in your research. You are welcome to use the Moyarta Barony map in your article. If it’s possible to send us a copy of your article for our Local Studies Centre we would be grateful.
All the best,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th August 2013
Subject: Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill in New Zealand on the Library Blog
So happy when you post real Irish music. Thanks so much for going to the trouble so this Irish-American can get her Celtic fix!
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 16th July 2013
Subject: New Clare GenMaps
I see on your site that you have had plenty of complementary comments but let me add one more – this time from Perth down under. Your Clare maps site is a very comprehensive, powerful, useful website that clearly has had a lot of thought and work put in to get it to the highly developed current state. Your Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations (CIGO) 2010 Award for Excellence in Genealogy is clearly well deserved and appropriate. At a personal level, I have literally only one known Irish descendant (Learhinan) in my family tree who happened to come from Kilmilhill in Clare and thus was able to see her family location and learn other details on your site so I have personally found it very useful! The Western Australian Genealogical Society Inc has approximately 2,000 current members. Our website shows the type of things we do and the data available (see http://membership.wags.org.au/). This afternoon, I have started an internal discussion with key stakeholders (President, Secretary, Librarian,, webmaster, IT elder, etc) of our WAGS to see what interest there may be in developing an Western Australian state version of a website along the lines that you have done for County Clare. After all, emulation is the sincerest form of flattery!...
Best regards,
John Blackburn
Perth, Western Australia

Date: 11th July 2013
Subject: New Clare GenMaps
Dear Clare Library,
Thank you for the wonderful Genmaps on your website that can show the distribution of surnames at certain points in time. What an amazing resource! I could play with it for hours. My Clare connection is the King & Anglim families from O’Callaghan’s Mill and Killuran, who emigrated to Victoria, Australia in the 1840’s. I’ve mentioned them on my blog if anyone happens to be related: http://janellestree.blogspot.com.au/
Thanks again!
Regards,
Janelle,
Australia

Date: 11th July 2013
Subject: New Clare GenMaps
As a regular visitor who benefits from so much of the great genealogy items that Clare library offers, as well as general reading and varied interests, I would just like to say a very big Thank You to each and every one of you at Clare Library. The items you offer are invaluable. I am also proud to be associated with Clare Roots Society and have contributed to various batches of transcriptions, memorial cards, etc. Of all the data that is on offer, the one lot that has inspired me to write a Thank You again, is the great new addition of the Historical Maps... it is fantastic. At last, a solution to determining the various townlands, parishes, villages, etc. as well as finding where clusters of particular family names are prominent... so much else to explore. Thanks again, your efforts are much appreciated.
Chris Goopy,
Australia

Date: 17th June 2013
Subject: Donations
Dear Clare Library,
My O’Halloran ancestors came from Clare. My great grandfather Michael O’Halloran came from Townland Rylane in the Parish of Tulla/Quinn/Clooney, while his wife, also an O’Halloran (but only a distant relative) originated from Feakle, a short distance away. They married in Bendigo, Australia in 1864 and eventually settled in Balranald. I have researched the family comprehensively and have written a large biography of the Balranald O’Hallorans in Australia, entitled “From Praties to Paddymelons”. The book is in PDF format. The Clare Library has been a wonderfully useful resource in the compilation of the book and I would like to share my work with anyone else who is interested in the O’Halloran history. I understand you accept donations of this type of work and trust my book is useful.
Kind regards,
Peter O’Halloran,
Victoria,
Australia
[Dear Peter,
Thank you very much for sending your book on the O’Hallorans, and for permission to use it on our website. I’m sure that it will be of great interest to O’Hallorans and others. The donation is much appreciated.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th June 2013
Subject: Historical Maps
Good morning.
I have been looking through the wonderful historical maps you have online. Are any of the maps available for purchase - either as hard copy prints or digital images? It would be for private use as a present for my mother who is from Lisdoonvarna.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Many thanks,
Peter Rossi
[Good Morning Peter,
Thank you for your email regarding our historical maps. We don’t sell copies in any form, but you should be able to download most of them for your own use. These David Rumsey Maps can be copied by right-clicking on the maps. Sections of the Ordnance Survey maps can be copied by using the ‘print screen’ key and opening the image with a graphics editor like Paint Shop Pro. I’m attaching an example of the Lisdoonvarna area from the OS maps for you. The rest of the historical maps use DjVu which gives you the choice of downloading the maps directly to your PC when you click on the link. I hope this is useful. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if I can help you.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th June 2013
Dear Sir/Madam
I am a volunteer with the Doolin Heritage group, and I have been asked to give a brief talk on the local mining history. During further research I notice the following photographs you have on file; namely
184 ITA-CL350128 Toomullin mine & 185 ITA-CL350129 Toomullin mine & 12177 WL-CL203678 Waterfall Roadford. These images are the only ones I have found beyond one of some miners grouped together outside a wooden building. Is it possible to obtain electronic copies of these images and permission to them via computer display at the Doolin Heritage weekend?
Pat Cronin
[Hi Pat,
Thanks for your enquiry. I’m attaching the Roadford photo, and will attach the Toomullin mine ones to a following email. Best of luck with your talk,
Regards,
Maureen Comber
Clare County Library]

Date: 29th May 2013
Help locate Knockanoura in Clooney Electoral Division
Hi, Clare Library staff members -
I am Phil Wescott, a graduate student here in Delaware [close to Philadelphia]. I am researching my Irish family history and will come to Ireland May 30 to June 17... I think that my grandmother was Annie Garrahy, daughter of Patrick Garrahy, a 50-year-old widower in Knochanoura according to the 1901 Census of Clare. I believe that Annie sailed for New York aboard the SS Celtic out of Queenstown in April 1903 under the name ANNIE GRAY [does it make sense that the family name would evolve from GARRAHY to GRAY ?] and gave birth to my father December 1904 in Manhattan [New York City]. I would like to visit Knockanoura in a week or two...but I do not know where in County Clare it is located... perhaps it is a tiny village. I can come to your Ennis HQ location, of course, since I will have a rental car...and perhaps stay at some nearby B&B. Anything you can tell me about this family will be of great value... I am writing my Master's Thesis about life in your communities in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Thanks much!
Phil Wescott,
Delaware, USA
[Hi Phil,
Here's a map showing Knockanoura in Clooney Parish with a Google Satellite view:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/gmap/index.html#M2C52.8772!-8.87021Z14R1

and here it is with the 1842 Ordnance Survey map overlaid on it.
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/gmap/index.html#M2C52.8772!-8.87021Z14O6a6R1

I would recommend that you post your query about Annie Garrahy on our Clare Past forum at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1 You will need to register first on the forum before you can post but that is a simple enough operation. Do be careful with the visual captcha at the end
when registering. We have this in place to deter robot spammers that are a plague on all online forums. The important thing to note about the captcha is that you need to match up the images twice. You're given two images on top, and a number beneath them. Click on the one that most resembles the first one first, and then do the same for the second image. For information on our Local Studies Centre in Ennis, which holds our family history records, please see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/local-studies/locstudi1.htm.
Best of luck with your research,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 27th May 2013
Subject: Courtesy Notices are now being sent by email to members of Clare County Library
That's a fantastic facility. Well done to Clare Library on their use of technology. I wish all libraries could be as sensible.
Aileen Wynne,
via Facebook

Date: 13th May 2013
Subject: Library website
Clare County Library is to be congratulated for the extensiveness of information about Clare and the ease of use of this information. It is a pleasure to use this research resource. My wife is a Moloney, you have contributed significantly to our family history.
Bill Whiteside
Ontario,
Canada

Date: 13th May 2013
One of the best online sites for family history.
An invaluable resource...thank you
Downey Novak

Date: 13th May 2013
Subject: Famine orphans aboard the "Beluah" 1851
Hello,
I recently discovered that my Great-grandmother was one of the girls from the Kilrush Workhouse transported to Hobart, Tasmania aboard the ship “Beulah” in 1851. I have researched her life & compiled her story. I have also transcribed the Beulah Passenger manifest and wonder if they are any use to the Library.
Regards,
Ian Beard
Geraldton, Western Australia
[Dear Ian,
Thank you so much for your wonderful donation. The National Famine Commemoration is being held in Kilrush this week (http://www.faminecommemoration2013.ie/), which makes Mary Ann’s story particularly relevant. We will post it, and the Beulah manifest, on our website shortly.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 24th April 2013
Thank you for all the valuable history and genealogy posted on your web site. If only other libraries were as organised!
Terry,
Dublin.

Date: 22nd April 2013
To all the Clare Library Staff & Researchers:
Thank you all so much for all the information on your website. I never tire of reading it and there´s always something else to find. It is an amazing site and one can see that a lot of work has gone into it. Please also convey my thanks to all the people who have taken their time in transcribing grave stones and taking photos. I came across the photo of my grandfather´s grave in Drumcliffe. He emigrated to England in the mid 30´s and died there in 1994, his wish was always to be "taken home" when his time came. Although I attended his funeral in England, I was unable to go to Ireland, so this photo means a lot to me. Once again, thank you for your hard work and keep the information coming.
Kind regards.
Christine Costa Vera (Alicante Spain)
Grand-daughter of the late Mr. Frank Guilfoyle (1914-1994)

Date: 18th April 2013
Subject: Access to the clarelibrary fotoweb
Hi,
I'm looking to download some images from the fotoweb library but I don’t have a user name or password!
How do I get an account setup?
Thanks,
John O’Brien
[Hi John,
The user name and password are both ‘download’. I give full instruction below. Get back to me if you have any problems.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.
Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/) click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (e.g. Murphy Hynes Kilkee Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, or take it to a digital photo booth.]

Date: 15th April 2013
Subject: William M Downes
Have you come across William M Downes poet and song lyric writer, early 1800s from Kilrush ?
Regards,
Margaret Gallery
[Hi Margaret,
Not much is known about William Macnamara Downes. The longest account, more of the work than the man, is in the "Clare Champion" of 11 August 1951, page 3 ('Kilrush poet and patriot: laureate of
the Teetotallers'). He is mentioned glancingly in D.J. O'Donoghue's "The geographical distribution of Irish ability" (Dublin, 1906), page 187 ('William Macnamara Downes wrote some very tolerable verse, better than Dermody's, but practically unknown'). His publications seem to include: "Downes's original poems and songs, with notes" (Limerick, 1833); "Poetic sketches, rural, pathetic and descriptive, with tales versified from interesting subjects" (Limerick, 1836); "Poems, epistles, etc." (Dublin, 1839); "Temperance melodies for teetotallers of Ireland" (Cork, 1843); and "The exile, a poem in one canto, with notes" (Kilrush, 1850). He appeared to publish in "The Nation", and see also the oblique reference to Downes in "The Nation" of 18 May 1844. He also published in "The Kilrush Magazine and Monthly Journal of Literature and Useful Information", a Kilrush journal printed by J. A. Carroll of Frances Street, Kilrush in 1847. I suspect this short-lived journal had connection with the Kilrush Literary and Scientific Institute which is mentioned in passing in the "Clare Journal" in 1852 and 1854. In an edition of this journal here in the Local Studies Centre, dated May 1847, there is his 'Scenes and legends of Clare' (pages 18 - 21) which Downes also published in "Duffy's Hibernian Magazine ". I do not have any biographical detail on him, unfortunately.
All the best,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th April 2013
My name is Páraic Scully, I am working for Bóthar Ard television production company here in Belfast. I am enquiring about using photographs from your library of Kilkee Strand. I am referring to the pictures from this album in particular http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?archiveId=5018. I'd just like to know about pricing and copyright issues. The photographs, if used, will be broadcast as part of a half hour programme for TG4 which can be shown at any time over the next five years, in the North and Republic of Ireland. The documentary is about Clara Nic Ghioll. Clara used to holiday in Kilkee with her family during the 1930s - 40s.
Kind regards,
Páraic Scully,
Belfast.
[Hi Páraic,
Clare County Library has copyright of the collection in which you are interested - the Murphy Hynes Kilkee Collection. We would be happy to supply you with whichever images you need. We ask that you acknowledge the photographer (where known) and the library. Email me the JPG numbers of the images you want. There is no charge.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th March 2013
Dear Sir/Madam.
I was born and bred in Ennis and am now living in Australia... I am currently studying Bachelor of Information Studies by Distance Ed. with Charles Sturt University and regularly visit your website, online catalogue and associated links to rummage through the mine of information available there. It is a wonderful resource and your website is a virtual Aladdin's Cave!
Yours sincerely,
Maggie Haswell (nee Molloy),
Australia

Date: 28th February 2013
Subject: The Burren: Flora of the Burren
Dear Friends at Clare Library, Greetings from Australia! I would like to quote a small part of your article on the Flora of the Burren in a book I am writing about Clare. What would be the best way to attribute it - to an individual writer (I don't know who that is), or to the Clare Library? Also, I am trying to trace the details of a place called locally 'the Fahey graveyard' I visited - very old and small, a bit north of Ballinruan, in northeast Clare. Google doesn't help me to pin down the locality. Would you have recommendations as to how I could do that? Finally, if you happen to know, would, or could, the large flocks of what I think of as ravens that fly high overhead in Clare, actually be ravens, or should I refer to them as crows? Many thanks for any help you can offer. Yours is a wonderful website.
With good wishes,
Diane Fahey,
Australia.
[Hi Diane,
The text on our page on the flora of the Burren was written by Maryangela Keane. The Fahy graveyard you refer to located in the townland of Fahy, and is known locally as Faha Graveyard. The webpage for the graveyard is here on our site. There are links from the page to the location of the graveyard, and transcriptions and photographs of the headstones. I doubt that the birds you mention are ravens, more likely they are some other type of crow - possibly rooks. Glad you enjoy the website.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 14th February 2013
Subject: Heffernan family County Clare
Good afternoon.
My name is Ron Heffernan and I have researched the Aneas and Mary (McCormack) Heffernan family from County Clare. I have a new website about the family and thought I would send you the link to it. https://sites.google.com/site/heffernan1942/ . It may be of some interest to anyone researching the family. I have also included a photo of Michael Heffernan (born 1821 in County Clare.) and his wife Mary O’Dea born in 1833 at Bishopwood County Tipperary. You are quite welcome to include the photo to your collection. Kindest regards.
Ron Heffernan.
[Hello Ron,
Thank you for sending us the link to your Heffernan family website. I have added it to our links page for Clare Families (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/links/genealogy.htm). I’ve added Michael and Mary’s photo to the online collection as well at
http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?search=00022508.jpg&archiveId=5000&submit=Search...
All the Best,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 14th February 2013
To whom it concerns,
I am looking for photographs of the Tulla Céilí Band from its founding in 1948 I think, to the mid to late 60's. I am an artist originally from Ennis though I left thirty seven years ago. I am collaborating with Martin Hayes to make a painting of his music to be part of an Exhibition opening in Glór on March 17th. How can I get copies of photographs from your archive to work the painting that I have in mind?
Yours Sincerely,
Mick O' Dea RHA,
Aosdana
[Hello Mick,
We are delighted to supply you with the photos you need. We have two photos of the Tulla Céilí Band in the Michael John Glynne Collection. The one attached here (00015469.jpg ) shows the band about 1955. I'll attach the other (00007462.jpg) to a following email - it shows Martin Vaughan, Francie Donnellan and P.J. Hayes playing in 1963.
Best of luck with the exhibition,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th February 2013
Hi.
I have been looking at the vast collection of Michael John Glynn's photographs. They are fantastic - a real treasure. Ref: Photo 00005284.jpg, “Band playing at Ennistymon Family Festival”. Man in middle of picture is Anthony O'Donoghue as listed. Man on Drums is Ivor Keane from Limerick. Man on Guitar is myself, John Curtin from Lisdoonvarna. I was thrilled to come across this picture and hopefully you can have the names updated on the record…
Many Thanks,
John Curtin,
Lisdoonvarna.
[Hi John,
It’s great that you found your band’s photo in the Michael John Glynne Collection on our website. Thanks for the extra names – I’ve added them to the photo information…
All the Best,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 12th February 2013
Hello,
Great information site about Clare! I’ve made a photodocumentary of the 2006-2007-2008-2009-2010-2011 editions of the Russell Memorial Weekend. The pictures can be used, linked for informational purposes an can be found at www.pasquello.com. Clicking on exploration will bring you to different countries in the world. 'Eire' is where the pics are hiding. Thanks for the great information on your site! PS, I’m arriving in Doolin next Friday 22nd February for a photodoc of the area and the 19th Russell Memorial. Pics will soon be available after the festival.
Sincerely Yours,
Pasquello,
Belgium
[Hello Pasquello,
Thank you for your generous offer of photos of Doolin and the Russell Memorial Weekend. The photos are outstanding. I will add a selection of them to Foto http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/ [as a Miscellaneous Collection] and they will be useful for the Music of Clare section (http://music.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) of the website. I hope you enjoy this year’s festival.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th February 2013
Hi,
I am currently researching my second novel and would like to know if you stock any books that deal with the building of Ardnacrusha, and more specifically with the people involved. I’m keen to get a feel for the everyday lives and routines of the workers, their stories and struggles. I’m also interested in the political element of getting the plant designed, on site and built. If you don’t stock any relevant books, perhaps you could suggest some titles that might be of assistance to me.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Kind regards,
Alan Timmons.
[Hello Alan.
We do indeed stock some reference works on the Ardnacrusha scheme -
see http://opac.clarelibrary.ie/search/X?SEARCH=ardnacrusha&SORT=D&searchscope=1.
These are held in our Local Studies Centre -
see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/local-studies/locstudi1.htm.
We also have some notes on its construction online here and some photos online here.
I will forward your query to our local studies librarian who may contact you with some more recommendations. In the meantime, I would recommend that you post your query on our Clare Past forum at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1. You will need to register first on the forum before you can post but that is a simple enough operation. Do be careful with the visual captcha at the end when registering. We have this in place to deter robot spammers that are a plague on all online forums. The important thing to note about the captcha is that you need to match up the images twice. You're given two images on top, and a number beneath them. Click on the one that most resembles the first one first, and then do the same for the second image.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library

Date: 7th February 2013
Subject: Lake View Postcard
Just a piece of information re a recent acquisition
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseum/acquisitions/postcard_rd2lake1.htm
The postcard is from Co. Sligo and shows Lough Gill in the background. It shows a cottage beside "Lakeview National School", Aghamore Near, Co. Sligo. The following link http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,570672,832417,7,9 shows the cottage marked with a red cross.
All the best,
Michael Slevin
[Dear Michael,
Many thanks for identifying the scene in the Lake View postcard on the Clare Museum website. I’ve added the information to the text beside the image.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th February 2013
Subject: Attn. Maureen Comber. Application for digital image and permission to reproduce
Dear Ms Comber,
I’m writing on behalf of the editors of the forthcoming 5 part publication titled Art and Architecture of Ireland, published by the Royal Irish Academy and Yale University Press in 2014. There is an image in the collection of the Clare County Library that we would like to feature in Volume 2 Painters and Painting 1600-1900, edited by Dr Nicola Figgis. Ideally we would like a high quality digital copy of the image on the attached document and permission to reproduce. For further information about the project please see our information site http://www.ria.ie/research/aai.aspx. If I you have any question or if I can be of any assistance do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Clare Rogers
Illustrations Assistant - Art and Architecture of Ireland
Newman House, Dublin 2
[Dear Clare,
Thank you for you inquiry. I’m happy to supply you with the image you requested and am attaching the jpg. You have permission from Clare County Library to reproduce the image. Please acknowledge the library in the publication as follows: Courtesy Clare County Library.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th February 2013
On a ramble deep into the Clare countryside some years ago I discovered a small bridge over a stream with the following inscription on its foundation stone Built by Presentment AD ?1828 by Rev.Charles Fitzgerald overseer Rebilt by John Hill cs 1879. Was this minister related to the Fitzgeralds in the Sorrelisland Griffith in 1855? John Hill was a Clare Co. surveyor in 1840 and I’m not certain if he was alive in 1879. Ireland was surveyed and mapped out between 1824 and 1846 and I've no access to the library since I live in Manchester so I would appreciate any information.
Maura Fogarty,
Manchester, UK.
[Dear Maura,
Rev. Charles Fitzgerald was born circa 1801/2, the son of Michael Fitzgerald who was a Church of Ireland vicar serving in Drumcliffe (Ennis) parish. Michael Fitzgerald, born c.1755/6, was from County Kerry. Rev. Charles Fitzgerald served in the Diocese of Limerick where he was vicar of Kilfentinan from 1832 – 1867. He had previously served as a curate in the church at Drumcliffe (Ennis) around the period 1825/26 when his father was vicar. Charles married Henrietta Susan Langford, the daughter of another Church of Ireland clergyman of Tipperary. (See J.B. Leslie’s biographical succession list for the clergy of the Diocese of Killaloe, edited by D.W.T. Crooks and published in 2010.) In the Summer Assizes presentments, 1828, the Rev. C. Fitzgerald and Pat Kelly received £39 13s 8d. for the repair of 250 perches of the road from Ennis to Kilrush between Sycasey and Greygrove on Furroor. The same contractors were awarded a contract at the Summer Assizes presentments, 1829, to repair 116 perches of the road from Ennis to Kilrush between Furroor bridge and Boultagh, on Illaneboo and Boultagh at the sum of £23 2s 11d. In the Spring Assizes presentments for 1830, Rev. C. Fitzgerald is a ‘supervisor without salary’ on a stretch of the road (927 perches) between Ennis and Kilrush being remunerated at the rate of £0 0s 6d. per perch. John Hill, Esq., was still the County Surveyor in 1879 where he received a half-year’s salary of three hundred pounds at the Spring Assizes of that year. John Hill was also elected chairman of the Ennis Town Commissioners in 1871.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 15th January 2013
Subject: Ordnance Survey maps for Clare Eustace Family Research
Hello, My name is Terry Shiely Diebel. I am a member of the Eustace Family Association and I live in St. Paul, Minnesota, US. My particular research/genealogical interest has been in the County Clare Eustace families as I am a descendant of the Eustace family that settled in Clare after the Cromwell Transplantation. I have actively researched this Eustace branch of the family for many years and working with the director of the organization, Ron Eustice, who is also the editor of its newsletter, I am about to have this research published in the Eustace Families Post, the biennial newsletter for the organization. Most all of the research is genealogically based. Can the Eustace Families Post get copyright permission to use two particular maps of gravesite locations that you have on the website? In particular the the OS map of the Old St. Michael's Graveyard in Kilmihil and the OS Map of the Molougha graveyard in Kilrush? I also would like to reference Clarelibrary.ie when writing historical details about the Cromwellian Transplantation and the individual townlands that the Eustace families leased. Is this okay?
Thanks for your consideration.
Terry Shiely Diebel,
Minnesota, USA.
[Hello Terry,
The Ordnance Survey maps are out of copyright. You are welcome to use those on our website for your publication, and yes, please reference/acknowledge the library. You can copy a section of the maps by pressing the ‘Print Screen’ key and selecting ‘Print as new image’ in the ‘Edit’ menu in Paintshop Pro (or some similar image processing application).
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 14th January 2013
Subject: Clare Roots Society Memorial Card Project
I was excited to see the records created by the Clare Roots Society Memorial Card Project. There are several of my family included in the index. I am wondering how it would be possible to see the original memorial cards. Could you please direct me to the best resource if they are available somewhere?
Jeff Gromowsky,
United States of America.
[Dear Jeff,
Thanks for your email. The Memorial Cards Project was carried out by the Clare Roots Society (http://www.clareroots.org/). I don’t know if the Society has kept the original cards, or copies of them. You can contact their secretary, Clara Hoyne, at this email address: secretary@clareroots.org.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 21st December 2012
Subject: Ennis Town 2012 - Come Home for Christmas on the Library Blog
In just 6 days I'll be back home to County Clare...this video made me sob. Well done.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 18th December 2012
Subject: Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill live at Copenhagen Folk Club on the Library Blog
In just 11 days I'll be back in County Clare. Thanks again Clare library for keeping it all alive for me while I've been gone. You've made the distance from your County to mine very short.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 5th December 2012
Subject: For Anthony Edwards re Foto: Clare County Library Images Online
Hi Anthony.
My name is Jim Austin. I do some multimedia work for a couple of small museums in Eastern Ontario. This covers everything from signage, inventory, presentations and more recently, social media - (one is in Killaloe, Ontario - http://killaloeheritage-and-ecologysociety.ca/), (and there is a facebook page for another - www.facebook.com/WabaCottageMuseumGardens). I was looking at the Clare County website and was really impressed by the searchable photos that are posted. Here, I have created a collection inventory by tagging photos. By using a computer's operating system search functions, any word or term will take you to the photo and data of that object. I'd really like to be able to do apply that to a website like you have done. If you could provide any information or insight on how this is done, I would really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Jim Austin,
Eganville, Ontario, Canada
[Hello Jim.
That Killaloe (Ontario) website of yours is very interesting. Some very good ideas there that we may well use for our own Clare Museum website. In response to your query about Foto, our online images service, we use a suite of applications from Fotoware, including Fotostation, Color Factory, Index Manager and Fotoweb. Fotostation enables us to tag each image with appropriate keyword tags which are actually written into the code of each image (in IPTC code fields). These keyword tags are then indexed by Index Manager allowing us to create collections - and enabling the keyword and search features on the website. Fotoweb handles web publication, including the creation of online collections, and controls access to images and collections also. Color Factory handles file flow tasks, color management and archive management. The system adds a watermark to images, creates TIFFs for archival storage, and JPGs for main view and thumbnail images. Fotoware is based in Oslo, Norway. See http://www.fotoware.com/. One of the advantages of Foto is that we can create 'active OpenURL' links to the system, so that the link will search Foto each time a link is clicked on and pass the search string in the query to the Index Manager. We have over 7,000 monuments in County Clare and we have a page for each one with a link to Foto on each. We have the same for each of the 2,200 townlands of Clare, and for the 6,000 burial records with images on our website. Here's an example for Carrigaholt Castle. Whenever we add new photos of that castle to Foto the link will return those new photos also…
I hope that is of some help.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 19th November 2012
Subject: Michael John Glynne Collection of Miltown N.S. in 1964.
Dear Maureen,
My name is Fiona O'Neill. I am a teacher in Miltown Malbay N.S. We are celebrating our Golden Jubilee Anniversary next year and will publish a magazine as part of our celebration. I am writing to you to request your permission to use some of the photographs taken by Michael John Glynne in 1964. I would also like to know the username and password to gain acess to these photographs if possible.
Kind Regards.
Fiona O'Neill.
[Hello Fiona,
The username and password for downloading photos from our website is “download” (to be entered on page http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx) . However, you will only get low resolution images that way. As you are hoping to use them in a publication, you will need high resolution versions, which I can send you on a CD. I’ll just need the JPG numbers of the photos you are interested in.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th November 2012
Subject: The Music of Clare Project on RTE Radio's Morning Ireland on the Library Blog.
You would think I would get tired of all this Irish Music you post on your lovely blog...but I don't.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 12th November 2012
Good Morning,

Click to enlarge

Is there someone from Ennistymon who might be able to decipher the name of the cottage written here in the last will and testament of John Flanagan? He died in France in WWI and left his belongings to his sister. I have tried to decipher her name on his will – I think it says Mrs. P. McDorman but I am not sure about that. The name of the cottage appears to start with an “R” but after doing internet searches and searches of the 1911 census I can’t seem to come up with anything. I would very much appreciate it if you would take a look and let me know if you are able to read this or be able to help me in any way.
Sincerely,
Bridget Carroll,
Staunton, Virginia US
[Hello Bridget,
I think the cottage mentioned in John’s will is Rivoli Cottage. There is a large house in Ballingaddy West, outside Ennistymon called Rivoli. The cottage is probably a smaller house associated with it. See map here. I’ve never come across McDorman as a surname in Clare. I think John’s sister married might have been McCormack. I found a family of McCormacks in the Ennistymon CBS school register, with one address given as Rivoli. See website here.The Patrick, Michael, Richard, Joseph and Ned in the register are brothers. The register cover a number of years, so you can see their father was a Sergeant Major, and later an army pensioner and that they moved around Ennistymon and were living in Rivoli in 1914. The family was living in Deerpark Upper, Ennistymon in 1911. (Deerpark Upper is just north of Ennistymon.) The name is given here in the 1911 Census as McCormick. The census form shows that the middle boys were born in Scotland. I hope this is helpful (and correct).
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library

Date: 12th November 2012
Subject: Music of Clare Project on RTE's Morning Ireland
Hello!
Just visited your site after hearing the Morning Ireland article. It's a most impressive undertaking, and I was delighted to see a huge list of videos featuring, amongst others, old friends of mine such as the late Joe Cunneen. But when I tried to watch any of the videos, I discovered that the top half of the screen was obscured by a white rectangle bearing the legend 'VideoLightBox.com'. This spoils one's viewing pleasure, of course. Why is it there, and what can be done about it?
Thanks & best wishes,
Christy MacHale,
Liverpool, U.K.
[Hello Christy.
It seems to be a problem with the Internet Explorer browser. It works fine with Firefox or Google Chrome. Firefox is free and can be downloaded at http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/. In Internet Explorer, if you click on the bottom right hand corner of the video player (beside the Youtube logo) it will enlarge the video to full screen and it will play properly without that white box. I'll have to put a notice up on the website about this. Thanks for telling us about this - we do usually test everything on different browsers but this one got through.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 5th November 2012
Subject: 'Socks in the Frying Pan', to launch their debut album of Irish Traditional Music on Library Blog
Oh how I wish I could be there but only 7 more weeks and I will! Thanks again for telling us about the best music Ireland has to offer.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 30th October 2012
Am once again impressed by the stuff you are pumping into, and crosslinking within, the Library site. Have just been browsing the archaeology reports on diggings (was interested in stuff dug up in the course of the N18) and then stumbled on that superb music jukebox. Ye gods, what will you think up next ?
Paddy Casey,
Switzerland

Date: 15th October 2012
Hi all,
Congrats on Children's Book Festival 2012 - great events. See our school website homepage for coverage of our visits to Derek Landy and Nicola Pierce. www.ennisns.ie
Thanks!
Fiona de Buitléir,
Ennis.

Date: 11th October 2012
Subject: 2012 Booker winner to be announced on October 16th on Library Blog
I will put these on my "to read" list. Thanks so much for listing. Now just 11 more weeks until I am able to visit your library in person.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 11the October 2012
I have been showing the Kidzone part of your website to parents and pupils during the past month and they are bowled over by it!
Regards,
Fiona De Buitléir, (teacher),
Ennis

Date: 10th October 2012
Subject: Music of Clare Project
This sounds so wonderful. As a Clare man living in the States since the early eighties, the Clare tradition is a sound I long for, connecting me to childhood. Is there any chance to join up and gain access to this music?
Sincerely,
Dunstan Skinner,
(formerly of Liscannor Parish)
[Hi Dunstan,
you don't need to be a member of the library to access the music online. Just follow the link to the music on the library homepage at http://www.clarelibrary.ie. There are a number of ways of listening to the music. The easiest, if you just want to listen to the tunes, is to go to the Jukebox on the music homepage. Please note that this will work best with the Firefox browser or with Internet Explorer 9. You can also listen to individual tracks and see the notation for featured tunes by clicking on the All Collections link and then select individual tracks. We've also collected traditional music of Clare videos from Youtube and these can be viewed by following the Music Videos link on the music homepage…
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th September 2012
Subject: Flowers of the Burren, Carsten Krieger's images on Foto - on the Library Blog
I so love the Burren and even though it will be December when I visit next its beauty will be different but no less. Thanks for the awesome photos.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 7th September 2012
Subject: The Ceili Bandits - Rain & Snow - on the Library Blog
Love them. Must buy this CD. And so I will.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 28th August 2012
Subject: Survey of churches and graveyards
I have just looked at the pictures on survey, they are all very interesting and hopefully local people will look after them as best they can. However I note there is no mention of two churches in Doolin.
Yours,
Maura Fitzgerald
[Hello Maura,
There is about a quarter of the Survey of Churches and Graveyards on our website at the moment. I haven’t posted the Doolin churches yet, but they – Killilagh and Toomullin – are covered in the survey. We have information on both churches and Killilagh graveyard on the site already: see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL008-06301-.htm for Killilagh Church, http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL008-06302-.htm for Killilagh Graveyard and http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL008-07201-.htm for Toomullin Church.
There are links to photographs of the churches and graveyard on the three pages. I hope to get back to working on the rest of the survey soon.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 24th August 2012
Subject: Micho Russell live in concert, Bad Oldesloe, Germany, 1993 on the Library Blog
I don't know which is better, hearing Micho speak or play. They are both so very beautiful. In December I'll be staying in Doolin for one week. I am beyond excited.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 10th August 2012
Subject: Andrew MacNamara, Martin Hayes, Mark Donnellan & Jim Corry at Tulla Trad Festival 2007 on the Library Blog
As always. So appreciated. Only 4.5 months and I'll be back in County Clare for a week. These posts make it easier to wait.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 31st July 2012
Good Day, I am trying to research some information about my parents who were both born in County Clare. I am trying to find some assistance in Clare as both of them came from Ennis. My father is Marcus Duffy, born 15th February, 1888. My mother is Delia Keane, born 10th August, 1900…
Thank you,
James A Duffy
[Dear James,
Note that Ennis falls within the parish of Drumcliff, numbered 43 on this outline map of County Clare and its constituent parishes,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/parishes_map.htm.
Within the parish of Ennis, note the townland of Mahonburg, numbered 30 on this outline map of the parish of Drumcliff and its constituent townlands,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/dromcliffe_townlands.htm
You will find the Duffy family, including Marcus (aged 13) returned in Mahonburg in the 1901 census returns,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/1901census/kilclogher_ded_mahonburg35_5.htm.
The 1911 census returns for Mahonburg are here, with Marcus returned at 23 years of age,
http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Clare/Kiloloher/Mahonburg/.
Note that the Daffy surname (sometimes spelled Daffey), frequently found in County Clare, is a variant of the more usual spelling of Duffy. Delia Keane, born August 1900, also seems to have been from the townland of Mahonburg, parish of Drumcliff, and was aged 6 months at the time of the 1901 census (dated 31st March 1901). She is 11 years of age in the 1911 Mahonburg census returns. In the 1911 census returns for Mahonburg, the returns for the Daffys and the Keanes are immediately next to each other indicating a close geographic proximity within Mahonburg.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th July 2012
Subject: Sharon Shannon and Mary Custy Live on the Library Blog
Fantastic. Thanks for posting this.
Ronan Hegarty

Date: 13th July 2012
Your library has a brilliant web site, one of the best in Ireland.
Jennifer Lentell
Queensland, Australia.

Date: 15th June 2012
Subject: Foto donation of images
Dear Sir or Madame,
I am writing to inquire if there is any interest in receiving a donation of images from my family who were all from Ennis, Co Clare. I am a first generation of an Irish immigrant who recently returned to live in Ennis. I live in New York USA. I have many photos all scanned with some dating back to the late 1800's of my great-grandparents.
Warm Regards,
Brian O'Neill,
New York, USA.
http://www.brianoneillstudio.com
[Dear Brian,
Thank you for your generous offer of your family’s photographs. We would be delighted to accept them. Regards
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.
P.S. Your paintings are stunning]

Date: 14th June 2012
Subject: Clare Roots Society talks in Clare libraries for Heritage Week 2012 on the Library Blog
Those are great topics! My search for my great great grandfather George J Oshaughnessy born in County Clare led me to Ireland 12 years ago. I never have found his birthplace but I found my second home in your wonderful country. You do so much for your patrons. Keep up the hard work!
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 12th June 2012
Subject: The History and Topography of the County of Clare
I just wish to congratulate you for the excellent work completed on the various surveys and maps of County Clare and the initiative to take on such a massive task. (I only found your site by accident as I was at a talk run by Meath County Council a couple of nights ago on 16c Meath and the Books of Survey and Distribution were mentioned which I had never heard of before so I googled it and your site came up first). Even though I have no links with the county I found the site fascinating and as a recent convert to our history the entire site and the links to other areas are just fantastic as the information is so useful. Hopefully I will find some relevant to Meath but now I know I can view these in the National Library thanks to your site.
Regards,
Pat Brangan,
County Meath
[Dear Pat,
Thank you so much for getting in touch about the website. It’s always encouraging to know people find the material useful. The Civil Survey might be of interest to you as well. It was carried out at the same time as the Books of Survey and Distribution but is a fuller account, containing topographical information, as well as details of wills and deeds relating to land title. It has survived for twelve counties only and Meath is one of them (but not Clare, unfortunately). It was published by the Irish Manuscripts Commission so Meath County Library probably has a copy.
All the best with your research,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library

Date: 17th May 2012
Subject: Image request/Permanent exhibition Museum of the Familistere at Guise/France
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am Assistant Heritage Curator at the Familistere at Guise in northern France. My principal duties involve researching documents and graphical material for an addition to the permanent exhibition in the great museum, housed in the central building of the Familistère. The exhibition will offer visitors a broad picture of several hundred experimental harmonious societies from across the world. A touch-sensitive globe will be the starting point for this multi-media display, anchoring the representation of these Utopias to a geographical reality. Text, fixed images and/or videos will be displayed for every actual Utopia selected by the visitor. To this end, we would need an image of the Rathlaheen Castle from your collections (00018527.jpg). Could you tell us if it is possible to get 300 dpi TIFF files of this image? Can you please give us information on use fees for a permanent exhibition? The Familistere is a publicly owned, non profit-making body. No commercial use would be made of the images used in the permanent exhibition. These images would only be used in a museum context and would not be used for any commercial purpose.
Kind regards,
Jean-David Touchais
assistant de conservation
FAMILISTERE DE GUISE
[Dear M. Touchais,
Thank you for your request of an image of Rathlaheen Castle. We received this image as a donation in JPG format, so this is the only way I can give it to you. You are welcome to use it in your exhibition. We do not charge any fees. I will attach a sketch of the Ralahine Commune to a following email which you are also welcome to use if you wish. There is a short piece on the Commune on our website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/ralahine.htm.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th May 2012
Many thanks for your wonderful website. It has given many hours of enjoyment both to myself and to other members of my family here in Australia.
Regards
Catherine Allan

Date: 8th May 2012
Your website is one of the best I have found for the genealogy searches. I hope one day to make it to Ennis - I'm currently living in Vancouver Canada.
Tricia Evans

Date: 23rd April 2012
Well, I have to say that you have the best website I have seen! More's the pity my ancestors are not from Co Clare.
Peggy Stack Kimbell

Date: 19th April 2012
Subject: Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill - Mellor Brook Community Centre on the Library Blog
The sound is fantastic! Like I was in the room and the lighting was so well done too. As always thanks again for sharing REAL Irish music with this farm wife in Illinois.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 17th April 2012
Subject: The Bodyke Evictions article
My name is Allen O’Callaghan, from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I’ve read your dissertation regards the plight of Col John O’Callaghan, and the Bodyke Evictions. I am part of a family group (all descendants of Edmond O’Callaghan of Coolnaleen, Listowel (or Lixnau) in County Kerry who are planning a two week tour of Ireland (Mar 24, 2013 – Apr 7, 2013) with emphasis on visiting known family historical sites. We want to attend Easter Service at St. Mary’s Church in Listowel. Specifically I’d like to print multiple copies of your online article for the families to understand and enjoy prior to their Ireland visit. I’m trying to educate the travel group on the highlights we are about to visit, so that they will better understand what they are observing and listening to (tour guides). Also, we’d like some recommendations on possible areas of County Clare which any self respecting O’Callaghan must visit. Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully
Allen O’Callaghan,
Nebraska, USA.
[Dear Allen,
You are welcome to print and use the article on the Bodyke Evictons on our website. Have you seen the O’Callaghan-Westropp photo albums in our online photos? They show the O’Callaghan-Westropp family of Lismehane (aka Maryfort) House, O’Callaghan’s Mills, County Clare. The photographs cover the period from 1917 to 1923 and are mainly photographs of the family of Colonel George O’Callaghan-Westropp, his wife, Henrietta and their children Rosemary and Conor. The original albums can be seen in the Local Studies Centre in Ennis. The centre also has some publications on the O’Callaghan family. Maryfort House is now demolished, as are other houses associated with the O’Callaghan family in Clare – Kilgory, Ballynahinch and Coolreagh. A visit to O’Callaghan’s Mills village would be interesting. Not many families have a village named after them! See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/callaghans-mills.htm for some historical background. Also, perhaps, a trip to Bodyke. If you are visiting Dublin, the National Library of Ireland holds some O’Callaghan estate papers. I hope this is helpful and that you enjoy your trip to Ireland,
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th April 2012
Subject: The Delahunty Family History: From Ennis, Co. Clare, Ireland to Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand by Catherine Delahunty.
Thank you! I just did a Google search for my grandfather's name and discovered the family history that my distant cousin Catherine Delahunty has given to the library. I was so excited to read this as my family did not get a copy of the history when it was first published. Many many thanks. This is something I will treasure being able to relate to my children. I hope to bring them back to County Clare one day with me.
Regards,
Elizabeth (Delahunty) Young.
[Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you for getting in touch. Catherine’s family history of the Delahuntys from Ennis was one of the first Family Histories posted in our Donated Materials section. It’s wonderful that you came across it.
All the best,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 23rd March 2012
Subject: Puffins
Hello. I am emailing from Utah, USA, with a question about Puffins. I am planning on visiting County Clare in May of this year. It has been 10 years since I last visited Ireland. I know that Puffins are found on islands and the mainland of County Clare. I have heard that these birds can be seen at the Cliffs of Moher but I have no great desire to return there because of the crowds. Could you direct me to an individual or local nature club where I could get information where I might see these birds on the Mainland. I do not want to visit small off shore islands. I am not interested in commercial nature companies. I would also like to commend you on a wonderful web page. I have been using it for years in historical and genealogical pursuits. Yours is the best library web site in Ireland or the US.
Thanks for your help.
Dennis Collins,
Utah, USA
[Hello Dennis.
Many thanks for your very kind words on our website. They are much appreciated by all of us here. I would recommend that you contact Clare County Council's biodiversity officer who should be able to point you in the right direction. Contact details below. Enjoy your trip, and thanks again for your comments.
Contact: Shane Casey, Clare Biodiversity Officer, Clare County Council,
Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, County Clare,
Telephone: (00353) 65 6846499 Email: scasey@clarecoco.ie
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd March 2012
Subject: Ennis Book Club Festival on the Library Blog
What a thrill that I actually know of and have read books by several of the authors you mentioned. Now I have ONE MORE thing to do the next time I return to County Clare.
Donna O'Shaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 20th March 2012
Re: Clare Obits and Deaths from Chicago Examiner 1908 – 1918.
Hello, I am presently recording Obituaries and Death records from the Chicago Examiner. I wish Clare Library to have a copy. I wanted to check with you first, is it ok to add this collection to the Past Forum section? Under the above heading with alphabetical sections for eg; A -G, H - M etc. I have got a lot of information from the Genealogy section. It's the best resource I have ever come across in my research. Congratulations!
Regards,
Marie Crowley,
Derry City
[Hello Marie,
Thank you for your generous offer. We would love to take your obituaries, but I’d like to add them to the Donated Material section of the website (under Genealogy) where we have some obituaries already. It will be easier for people to find them there.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 15th March 2012
Re: Bunratty Barony Lower and Upper
Dear Clare Library. Could you please help me to locate a detailed map of these baronies? I am, in particular, interested in Bunratty Lower. I have located this map online at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/baronies.htm. However I can’t find any map with details of place names and so on – I downloaded ‘fast picture’ as recommended by the Clare Library file; but it does not seem to open the map links. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.
Best Regards
Victor O’Sullivan FCCA
[Hello Victor,
thanks for your email. The Barony of Bunratty Lower is made up of a number of parishes - see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/bunratty_barony.htm for a description of them. The green area at the bottom of this map from our Gmaps system shows the extent of the barony. If you click on the parishes on the map (named in yellow) you will get a box on the right hand side of the screen. Click on 'Web pages' and you will get a parish web page for each parish. The first link on this page has a map of the parish showing each townland, e.g. this is the page for Bunratty Parish http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/bunratty.htm and this is the townland map http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/bunratty_townlands.htm. Each of the townland names is a link to more info on the townland. Is this the kind of placenames information you were interested in?
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]
Thanks a million Maureen; this is exactly what I need…you’ve been extremely helpful!
Best Regards
Victor.

Date: 15th March 2012
Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to congratulate you on your wonderful site that I have accessed via internet. I have been trying to trace my husband's ancestors from Australia back to Ennis, County Clare. Whilst I still haven't been able to find church records for his birth or parent's marriage, your 1901 census and graveyard inscriptions sites have confirmed that his great-great-grandmother's surname was there. It was a name I was unfamiliar with, and wasn't even sure that it was Irish (unlike our surname of O'Loughlin). I look forward to further additions of any subject suitable for genealogical research, particularly for Irish descendants down-under in Australia.
Yours sincerely
Margaret O'Loughlin,
Australia
[Hello Margaret.
Many thanks for your very kind words. They are much appreciated by all of us here. I would recommend that you post a query regarding your husband's ancestors on our Clare Past forum. There are some very knowledgeable and helpful people on the forum. You will need to register first on the forum before you can post but that is a simple enough operation. Do be careful with the visual captcha at the end when registering. We have this in place to deter robot spammers that are a plague on all online forums. The important thing to note about the captcha is that you need to match up the images twice. You're given two images on top, and a number beneath them. Click on the one that most resembles the first one first, and then do the same for the second image. If and when we publish new material relating to emigration Australia it will most likely be added to Donated Material: Emigration Records so please keep an eye on that section - and of course our What's New page shows whatever has been added to the website
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library

Date: 15th March 2012
Good Morning from Australia. Would you please advise me where I may peruse the Miltown Malbay telephone directory?
Many Thanks,
Denis Egan,
Australia
[Good morning Denis.
You can search the phone book here:
http://www.eircomphonebook.ie/
It defaults to a 'Business' search, so select the 'Residential' if you're looking for a private home.
Regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 12th March 2012
Dear Sir/Madam,
I came across a very interesting photograph (No 00001577) in your West Clare Railway collection on your website. I am certain that the carriage pictured belonged to my father and mother (Eugene McMahon (founder of Sheils' Garages of Ennis and Limerick) and Joan McMahon from Sandfield Park, Ennis). My mother bought the wagon (for £7.10s.0d) in the Railway Station in Ennis (around 1957-58 I think) and she renovated and decorated it and made it into a beautiful holiday home for us in Kilkee. It was then brought by rail to Kilkee where my father hitched it to a tractor and parked it below the Atlantic Hotel. My mother wanted us to travel in the wagon from Ennis to Kilkee so she surreptitiously smuggled us into it early in the morning of its departure and we hid under the seats for fear of being spotted. Just before the train pulled out, however, two railway workers peered in the windows to admire the lovely wagon. Unfortunately my eldest sisters' legs were sticking out and she was spotted. One of the men shouted: "Come out missy ... we see you ... come on out". We held our breaths and didn't dare to move but the game was up and we gave ourselves up so to speak. Strictly speaking of course we should not have been in there in the first place because the entire train was a GOODS train I suppose. We spent lovely holidays in it until it was brought back again to Ennis (to our back garden) by my father who towed it by tractor (the wagon had iron wheels) all the way from Kilkee on the road. The double doors (as seen in the photograph) was where the kitchen was, the bunk beds were at the far end (left side of the photo) and the butter (no fridge!) was kept nice and cool in what used to be the lantern (beside the double doors) as it was ventilated. You may also be interested in a photograph of the wagon taken while it was parked in Kilkee with all of us children (as we were then) sitting in front of it [now on Foto as 00021262.jpg] .
With best wishes to you all in County Clare.
Paudy McMahon,
Brussels, Belgium

Date: 12th March 2012
Mapping Clare across the ages:
Clare County Library has launched a superb new online maps viewer called GMaps. GMaps are based on the Google Map system, allowing Google Maps to be overlaid with historical maps dating from 1842. This new system has been linked to the thousands of pages on the Library's website that deal with the archaeology, history and administrative divisions of County Clare. It's an easy system to navigate, allowing you to quickly orientate yourself on the old maps using the modern-day road maps. Drop-down menus allow instant navigation to towns, townlands etc. This is the latest addition to a site that family historians researching in other counties can only envy.
Research Update Bulletin January 2012,
The Irish Genealogical Research Society.

Date: 7th March 2012
Great website keep up the great work!!
Yvonne O'Brien (nee O'Connell)

Date: 29th February 2012
Subject: Recession busting School Tour with Clare Museum on the Library Blog
Oh my heart aches for County Clare! My grandchildren would love this tour. I tell them often that 'one day" I will take them to Ireland and I will. Your library does so much for the community. You should be proud.
Donna O'Shaughnessy
Illinois, USA

Date: 9th Februray 2012
Subject: Ballycorick Church
I was most interested to read your History of Ballycorick Church, because it is such a focus of my own family history. In the middle of the 19th Century the Murphys were renting most of the townland of Knappoge from Thomas Rice Henn. The Cancelled Land Books show that a block of 3 roods 20 perches was set aside for the "RC Chapel & yard" at the southern corner of a forty acre allotment rented by Edward Murphy Jr of Ballycorick Bridge. He was allowed an exemption of £1 per year off his annual rent for this purpose. This entry seems to have first appeared in April 1861, so similar to today beaurocracy takes a little while to catch up. In reference to the numbers attending the dedication, the Clare Journal of 18 March 1861 provides a list of all the donors on the day. In all some 269 donors are listed, including 54 members of the clergy from all parts of the county. If you consider that many of the lay donations would have been on behalf of their family, then the figure of 269 is probably only a fraction of the total attendance. I found it interesting to note that almost in all cases the clergy donated £1. Makes you wonder if the bishop stipulated this figure. My grandfather Michael Francis Murphy was baptised in the new church on 30 Sep 1862. His father, Michael Sr died in 1909. His will contained a clause bequeathing his pew in the Ballycorick Catholic Church to his grandson Patrick Garry. I wonder if Father Dinan instituted this practice as another fund-raising avenue. I raised this matter in the Clare Past Forum in Oct 2009, see
http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=709 for additional comments. So many of my extended Murphy family both past and present have been baptised and/or married in this church that I found it quite a moving experience to attend mass there in Sep 2009.
Best Regards
Kevin Murphy Childers,
Qld, Australia.

Date: 27th January 2012
Subject: Leading UK authors for Ennis Book Club Festival on the Library Blog
That all sounds fantastic! I have never been to the book club festival. I believe my next trip will have to coincide with such. Thanks again for sharing such great stuff from County Clare. This Illinois farmer loves you all for it!
Donna OShaughnessy
Illinois, USA

Date: 25th January 2012
Dear Staff and Volunteers of Clare Library, working on my Irish ancestry, I recently came across your Clare genealogy website. Such an incredible resource doesn't come into being without a huge amount of time, dedication and hard work. All who have contributed to it in any way are to be complimented.
Warm regards,
Kathleen Gallagher

Date: 23rd January 2012
Bravo to you all here who once again have gone above and beyond in helping us foreign relatives dig in to their past, in county Clare. You are to be commended in your efforts with your new and exciting 'Clare GMaps'! Thank you so MUCH!
jquinliv

Date: 12th January 2012
I feel very fortunate to have access to the amazing collection of information available online at the Clare Library website.
Maryann Fennell
USA

Date: 12th January 2012
At a time when so many archives and libraries around the world have been making drastic budgetary cuts, I never hoped for such expeditious help. Should I make it to Clare in the near future, I will proffer my thanks in person!
James Bennett
USA

Date: 5th January 2012
Subject: Inquiry re Paulawac?
Good Morning. I visited the Burren in 2009 and our group visited a place called Paulawac or something close to this pronunciation. I have forgotten the meaning of this name, and would appreciate if you could send me information about this place. I remember we walked through fields and crossed a few ditches to get to the special site - was it a burial place? Can you help please?
Many thanks,
Teresa Martin
[Hello Teresa,
there is a townland in County Clare called Poulawack
(http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/poulawack.htm)
in which there are a number of monuments including
a cairn
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL009-03207-.htm
a cemetery cairn
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL009-03202-.htm
and a souterrain
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL009-03205-.htm
We have a report on the excavation of the cemetery cairn which can be read in our Local Studies Centre
http://opac.clarelibrary.ie/search/X?SEARCH=poulawack&SORT=D&searchscope=1
and photos of Poulawack at
http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?search=poulawack&archiveId=5000&submit=Search...
Some artefacts from the cemetery cairn are on display at the Clare Museum,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseum/projects/poulawack_collection.htm
which decribes the cairn below:
"The Poulawack Burial Cairn was used for almost two millennia from the Middle Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Within the cairn were the remains of sixteen men, women and children. Most of the burials were placed within stone cists (boxes) and some were cremated. These artifacts were recovered during excavation and are part of the National Museum of Ireland Irish Antiquities Division collection."
And here is a link to the cemetery cairn shown on the 1842 Ordance Survey map.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 19th December 2011
Subject: Sharon Shannon, Mary Custy & Eoin O'Neill on the library blog
Oh how happy you make me County Clare Library folk. Thank you from Illinois!
Donna OShaughnessy

Date: 8th December 2011
Hello.
Your resources give life to family members from the past…
Merry Christmas
Bob McN

Date: 7th December 2011
I have just discovered your site (by accident) and in a trawl have found something that could be relevant to a family member I am trying to trace. What a great site and what a wealth of information.
Pat Kearsey
U.K.

Date: 21st November 2011
Subject: Images of Kilkee
Dear Maureen. My name is Eileen White and I am originally from Kilkee. My son is tracing his family history as homework for a school project. I wanted to use a couple of old images of Kilkee from the photo archive on the library website. Is it possible to download them?
Kind regards,
Eileen White
[Dear Eileen,
Most of the photos on the website can be freely downloaded from the website:
On the library’s homepage (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/) click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open
the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (e.g Murphy Hynes Kilkee Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself, or email it. If you have any trouble downloading, just contact me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 21st November 2011
Subject: West Clare Railway photos.
Good morning. I am researching the history of the Leeds company Thomas Green & Son and they built some railway locomotives for the West Clare Railway.
I have found some photographs in your collection, as follows:
WCR_CL236078 - 00001352.jpg
WCR_CL236091 - 00001365.jpg
WCR_CL236267 - 00001541.jpg
Can you advise me how to obtain copies of these images and also how to obtain permission to publish one of them? I am not sure which will reproduce best, so I would like to see the three images listed, but ultimately I will only use one of them in my book. Due to the specialist nature of the work it will have limited circulation. Thank you for your assistance.
John Pease
[Dear Mr Pease,
The Irish Railway Record Society holds the copyright of the photos you are interested in. I have contacted their archivist and asked permission for you to use one of them. I’ll let you know his response.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th November 2011
Dear Clare County Library:
I note that your web site speaks of the "Ralahine" community whereas the other references I have seen spell the name "Rahaline." Which is correct?
Richard A. Rosen
[Dear Richard,
Ralahine is the commonly used version of the name. Rathlaheen is sometimes used for the name of the house because it’s situated in the townland of Rathlaheen South.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 10th November 2011
Congrats on the new Freeholders list. What a meaty chunk ! An Aladdin's cave ! And thanks to all the volunteers who transcribed the records. The Library collection is going from strength to strength. It never stops.
Paddy Casey,
Switzerland

Date: 11th October 2011
Subject: Scariff Poetry Group 2nd poetry exhibition on the library blog
Very impressive. I live locally, but was in Inis Oírr on retreat for the launch. Not having seen any photos of the event, I bouled into the gallery on my return. The mix'd media married with written word was perfect! So satisfying to include other dimensions of each author's creativity, thus adding to the eloquence again! Maith sibh go léir! Really lookin forward to future presentations from this group, which is obviously "without any borders".
Peneleapaí

Date: 7th October 2011
Subject: The Josephine Marsh Band on the library blog
A year ago I was in Ballyvaughan with 5 friends for a vacation. Can't go this year due to finances so I come HERE to this blog and it makes me almost as happy.
Many thanks,
Donna O'Shaughnessy
Illinois, USA

Date: 5th October 2011
Subject: Vote for the Cliffs of Moher on the library blog
Not only am I voting I am sending this to all my family and friends I have escorted to the Cliffs over the last ten years. Mother Moher deserves to be counted!
Donna O'Shaughnessy
Illinois, USA

Date: 3rd October 2011
I want to thank the library for making such fantastic genealogical records available...
Charlie Daly,
Cork

Date: 27th September 2011
Subject: Photographic Exhibition at Kilrush Public Library on the library blog
I so envy all that tour library system does. Music, photos, dance, geneology. Amazing.
Donna O'Shaughnessy
Illinois, USA

Date: 26th September 2011
Hello.
My name is Heath Shanahan and I live in the United States. I have been doing research on my family history and found that our family has lived in County Clare for many years. That led me to look into County Clare and I ran across the County Arms of Clare (found here: http://www.emerald-isle-gifts.com/irish-heraldic-products/irish-county-embroidered-badges/clare-county-embroidered-badge.asp). What is the significance of the three ships? And how does this differ from the Coat of Arms (description I found on your site here: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/faqs/council_crest.htm).
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Heath Shanahan,
USA
[Dear Heath,
The coat of arms you asked about as featured on the Emerald Isle Gifts website is more correctly the coat of arms of the town of Ennis. In heraldic terms, it is described as: "argent three barques of one mast with sails furled and pennants flying proper." There is no motto attached to the Ennis coat of arms. The town's coat of arms has also been used to represent County Clare on occasion.The three ships or barques represent the importance of the river and river transport to the town's development (the River Fergus, off the River Shannon). Within County Clare, there are also some corporate, church and sporting bodies which also bear a coat of arms. The principal municipal authority (or local authority) for County Clare, Clare County Council, http://www.clarecoco.ie/, does bear a coat of arms, as you have noted: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/faqs/council_crest.htm.
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association, the G.A.A., also has a sporting coat of arms to represent the county at football and hurling and the Diocese of Killaloe representing the Roman Catholic Church for much of County Clare also has an ecclesiastical coat of arms (a Latin cross between four trefoils with the emblem of a key). The Church of Ireland (Episcopalian / Anglican) also has a coat of arms for the Diocese of Limerick and Killaloe (along with coats of arms for the earlier individual dioceses of Killaloe; Kifenora; Clonfert; and Kilmacduagh). For heraldry, crests, mottoes and coats of arms in Ireland generally, see the Office of the Chief Herald http://www.nli.ie/en/heraldry-introduction.aspx
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 19th September 2011
Hi,
We are going to be in Ennis on September 22-24 and would like to know the hours that the Clare Libary is open. I have been on your site many times and appreciate all that has been done for the diaspora and local researchers. What a marvelous place and that is why I would like to visit while we are in the area.
Margaret Guinane Mason,
New York State, USA
[Hello Margaret,
thank you for your kind comments on our website.
The opening hours etc of our branch libraries can be found at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/branches/points.htm
and of our Local Studies Centre at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/local-studies/locstudi1.htm.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 1st September 2011
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am wanting to download two photos from your collection but I am not sure how to go about it. How do I become a member and what costs are involved with downloading photographs? The photos are 00011110.jpg - Scully grave in Drumcliff, and 00002240.jpg - horse drawn cart in Ennis. I have just found your website and love it. I live in Queensland, Australia, and am researching my husband's gg grandparents Michael Scully ( born c1832, father Roger) from Inagh/Tulla, and Catherine Carmody (born c1839, father Thomas) from Kilmaley. Michael and Catherine married in Victoria, Australia in 1862 and had a family of nine children.
Thank you for your help.
Regards
Avis Hildreth,
Australia
[Hi Avis,
Thank you for your nice comments on our website.
To download the two photographs, go to this page: http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx
Enter "download" as both the username and password.
Select the Graveyard Inscriptions Collection from the list of collections across the top menu bar.
Search for your photograph(s).
Click on the thumbnail so you are at the larger Preview page.
At the top left hand corner of this page you will see a link with a magnifying glass icon and the text "Comping Image". Click this link and the image will open up in a new window without the watermark. You can right click on this image and select Save Image As and save the image to your hard-drive. I hope these instructions are clear. If you have any problems with them please get back to me.
Regards,
Jackie Dermody O'Brien,
Clare County Library]
Hello Jackie,
Thank you so much for your help and instructions. They worked a treat. I now have some lovely photographs to include in my husband's Family History folder. I am always amazed that I can sit at my computer half way round the earth and download photos and information with the click of a button. Our ancestors would not be able to comprehend it all. Once again thank you. I will definitely be visiting your website again.
Regards
Avis Hildreth

Date: 14th August 2011
Dear Clare Library, re the Holy Well Kilfenora.
It is located within approximately 100-150 meters or so from the Cathedral, walking from the Burren Centre down the Lane way past the Cathedral and down to the 'Cul De Sac' at the end of the Lane. If you continue on down the lane down through the Grass and Gravel road and you will come to a metal structure, Holy Well to the Left and an old un-roofed stone house. I cannot find any History in relation to the Holy Well online but I suggest that it is related to St. Fachnan who the nearby cathedral was dedicated to. There were rumors that the Holy Well was to give you sight as St. Fachnan got at the location of the Cross in Howley's Field, but all this could be untrue. I'd appreciate if you may know anything in relation to this Holy Well's history and its uses (Does it have any cures)?
Tim
[Hello Tim,
There are two Holy Wells in the area you mentioned, but I’m not sure if either one of them is the one you refer to. They are Toberfaughtna (see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL016-01510-.htm) and Toberdane (see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/archaeology/CL016-01509-.htm). The links on the pages will lead you to information on the wells, including their position on the 1842 Ordnance Survey Map, and two photos of Toberfaughtna… The names of the wells are taken from the OS maps. They mightn’t be the names used for the wells locally. Get back to me if I can help further,
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 29th August 2011
Dear Maureen,
I found a picture of my grandparents' (Coughlan) grave on your website! How can I download this picture - without the Clare Library logo? The function seems to be blocked from your site. It's picture/file number 00011535.jpg in your graveyard inscriptions collection.
Many thanks,
Ann Coughlan
[Hello Ann,
If you follow the instructions below you should be able to download the photo of your grandparents’ grave. If you have any difficulty, please email me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.
How to Download Photos from the website:
Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/) click on “photos” in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (e.g. Graveyard Inscriptions Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. You can search by image number (00011535.jpg), by personal name, placename, subject etc. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed.
Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, or take it to a digital photo booth. You will also be offered the option of emailing or copying the image.]

Date: 24th August 2011
Hi,
Have there been any publications on Ennis Jail?
Ronan Killeen
[Hello Ronan,
There is an article by Tim Kelly called 'Ennis County Jail' in the "North Munster Antiquarian Journal" volume 16, 1973/4, on pages 66 - 69. There is passing reference to Ennis Gaol in Jim Herlihy's "Royal Irish Constabulary officers: a biographical dictionary and genealogical guide 1816 - 1922 (Dublin, 2005) on page 316 (in the entry on Patrick Campbell Weldon). There is passing reference to Ennis Gaol on page 152 of R.B. McDowell's "The Irish administration 1801 - 1914" (London, 1964). There is a representation of the gaol on the Ordnance Survey maps of Ennis (town plans series) dated 1876-8 and 1894-5. The library's Local Studies Centre in Ennis has the following: reports of the Inspector-General of Prisons on the County of Clare Gaol at Ennis for the three years 1871, 1873 and 1877; material on the jail in various copies of Grand Jury presentment books (e.g. 1854-6) and references on various dates in the local newspapers (e.g. the "Clare Champion").
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 22nd August 2011
Subject: Set Dancing at the Armada during the Willie Clancy Summer School 2011 on the library blog.
One day I'll make it to Ireland in the summer. Thanks for the music. So appreciated.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 15th August 2011
Hi there.
Full praise where it is due because the knowledge and information you guys have put together on your website is incredible and you well deserve your awards...
Rosemarie Cornish

Date: 30th June 2011
I'm very taken with the whole library website. I've never seen one as great as this. I'm interested in genealogy and my Co. Clare ancestors and the times that they lived, so I plan on visiting often and telling all of my "gen friends" about the greatest web site ever!
Kevin Kelley

Date: 17th June 2011
Greetings to all at Clare County Library and my compliments on your excellent website, which is a tremendous online resource. I am contacting you from Clifden, County Galway, with regard to an interesting piece on your website. I am the administrator of a voluntary committee which is currently in the process of planning the 200th birthday celebrations of the town of Clifden next year in 2012. As part of our celebrations and plans for next year we have launched a dedicated website containing old photographs, and historical articles relating to the history of the area at www.clifden2012.org. Part of my job involves sourcing articles of interest, and while searching for famine related items I came across a piece from The Illustrated London News which deals with the effects of the famine in Clifden in some detail. The Clifden 2012 committee would like to enquire as to whether it might be possible to obtain permission to reproduce this article on our own website www.clifden2012.org.
Kind Regards,
Catherine Pryce,
Admin Clifden 2012
[Hi Catherine,
The article on the Famine in Clifden was published in the Illustrated London News in 1850, so it’s out of copyright now. You are welcome to take the text and illustrations from our website for use on the Clifden 2012 website. Please acknowledge the library website thus: Courtesy Clare County Library (www.clarelibrary.ie).
Best of luck with your project,
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 1st June 2011
I just wanted to compliment Clare County Library Service on their excellent web-site, which I’ve just used for the first time today.
With kind regards,
Dympna Healy

Date: 25th May 2011
Re "West Clare and Loop Head - May 2011" on the library blog.
Beautiful. I can feel the "breeze" off the cliffs all the way over here in Illinois.
Donna OShaughnessy,
USA

Date: 29th April 2011
Re "Frank Custy - Sé Mo Laoch" on the library blog.
What a wonderful story. What wonderful music and having so much of the video in Irish made it even better. Again many thanks from the farmwife in Illinois.

Date: 13th April 2011
Subject: Photo views from O'Brien's-Bridge on the library blog
Gorgeous. Again you make my heart ache for County Clare. You must stop that. No, don't.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 29th March 2011
Hello Clare County. I must say it is wonderful to find the Clare County Library online. I have relied heavily on this wonderful Library for critical information, which I must say, has made a very strong contribution to my research of the (Mac) Considine family. Thank you all for your wonderful contributions to this excellent institution. Kindest Regards from an Australian fan .... :)
Savannah Considine (from our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/clarecountylibrary)

Date: 18th March 2011
Subject: Edenvale, Co. Clare & Stackpoole family
Dear Sir or Madam.
Firstly may I congratulate you on a wonderful and informative website. I have found it extremely helpful in my family history research and refer back to it on many occasions. My family ancestors owned or lived in a house called Edenvale near Ennis in County Clare and I have been searching for some photographs of this house without any success. I was wondering if you have any images of this house in your collections and any other sources of information on my family. I know they were well known in Co. Clare so I hoping that you may have something. I would be most grateful if you could assist me or point me in the right direction if possible. Thanking you in advance for any assistance.
Yours faithfully,
Richard J. Stacpoole-Ryding MBE.
[Dear Mr Stacpoole-Ryding,
Thank you for your email. We have a photograph of Eden Vale House from the Lawrence Collection in our online collection. The photo was taken between 1880 and 1914… There are some more recent photos online as well, taken after the house became a sanatorium. If you search via the Foto homepage for ‘Eden Vale House’ you will find them… We also have a photo of the headstone of Georgina and other Stacpooles from Eden Vale, which is in Killone Abbey Graveyard.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th March 2011
Re: Cuimhneamh an Chláir (Memories of Clare) on Nationwide (on Library Blog)
I am now taping all my conversations with my 92 yr old aunt Bernadette Clare O'Shaughnessy before all her stories are gone as well. Thanks for reminding me how precious they are.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 4th March 2011
Re: Geantrai in Malachy's, Quin, County Clare (on Library Blog)
Once again you've given me a fine way to start my day here across the pond. Many thanks!
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 4th March 2011
Re: A Drive Around West Clare, March 2010 (on Library Blog)
Oh dear oh dear, I know that road well and traveled in many times in the 11 trips I've made to Ireland Now I must go out and steal all the milk money from my husband because its been 6 months since I was at O'Laughlins in Ballyvaughan and I'm feeling most sad. Must go back. Nice filming and music !
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 1st March 2011
Re: Clare Set Dancing (on Library Blog)
And of course they make it look so easy ! Thanks for putting a smile on my face on this dreary winter day in Illinois.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 22nd February 2011
Re: Based on the Book (on Library Blog)
I hadn't realized that The King's Speech was based on a book. I'll have to read it before I see the movie!
Ms. Yingling,
USA

Date: 18th February 2011
Re: Clare Past Forum seeks volunteers for new transcription project on emigrants
I continue to be quite impressed with all the activity going on in your library. Tomorrow when I visit our small library in Chatsworth, Illinois, USA (town of 300) I'll be sharing this blog with them.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 16th February 2011
Hello to team/staff of Clare Library. I am a person in Bendigo Australia who has benefited from the Library genealogy and local history services over the years. I'd like to say a huge thankyou for the very helpful & high standard website you manage. Congratulations on being the recipient of the 2010 Award for Excellence in Genealogy,
With appreciation
Jenny Murphy,
Australia

Date: 13th February 2011
To all at Clare Library and Local Studies Centre, congratulations on your so well deserved award. It has been a great pleasure to watch your genealogy and history resourcing grow over the last decade and to occasionally contribute a little. I use your resources constantly. With best wishes for all the good things I'm sure you will do in this decade.
Mary Considine,
Melbourne, Australia

Date: 12th February 2011
Congratulations! We can not begin to tell you how much you have meant to those of us across the pond. Keep up the good work, and look forward to using you in the future.
Best
Dick Delahunty,
USA

Date: 12th February 2011
Hello to all concerned. Congratulations on the award. It is well deserved, and i hope that you will keep up the good work for a long time to come. Clare Library are the best!!!!!!
Well done,
Margaret Spearin

Date: 12th February 2011
The information you've put on line has been absolutely fabulous. I live in Australia and the information you've provided has been of great value. I look forward to more great genealogy work from your dedicated staff. Thanks very much for all the hard work you've done and congratulations on receiving a much deserved award.
Anne Whiteford,
Australia

Date: 11th February 2011
Re "Doolin Céilí Band in Listowel":
Oh thank you thank you ! Its -5 F here in Illinois and I was all cold and crabby until I found this clip. Now I am happy again. I plan to replay several times today.
Donna OShaughnessy,
USA

Date: 10th February 2011
To all involved with the Clare County Library:
I am thrilled that you have received the recognition that you so deserve and that you have graciously in turn recognized the contribution made by individuals who contribute to the genealogy section of the Library website. You have created a productive union of the institution and its public, a model for other libraries to follow. Clearly the future is rosy due to this policy, but for today it is enough to be able to say, "Congratulations on a job so well done that now you have the CIGO award to add to your other accolades."
Sharon Carberry, USA
(East Clare descendant)

Date: 10th February 2011
My sincere congratulations to all the dedicated staff at the Clare County Library. You all certainly deserve the Council of Irish Genealogical Organisations Award for 2010 for Excellence in Genealogy. For those of us who live in Australia ( on the other side of the world) who have Irish ancestors, it is one of the places where I find well organised and most helpful information.
Best wishes,
Margaret O'Callaghan,
Melbourne, Victoria.

Date: 10th February 2011
To all the staff at the Clare Library:
Your success and the awarding of the CIGO Award is truly most deserved. I have been doing our family history for well over 30 years now, and the initial help I received from the Clare Library was absolutely fantastic. Without your help our family would be so much the poorer in appreciating our forebears. Thank you again and sincere congratulations to all the staff at the Clare Library.
Audrey King,
Springwood (but formerly of Parramatta)
NSW, Australia.

Date: 10th February 2011
Congratulations on your recognition. It is much deserved. You have done - and continue to do - great work. Thanks, Thanks, and Thanks again. May your future be even brighter than your past.
Clifford Conway Smith
from wild and wonderful West Virginia, USA.

Date: 10th February 2011
Congratulations to all on such a wonderful website! You must be very proud that your efforts were able to bear such fruit - your website is so well put together! I've been to Ireland - my ancestral country - and love it there!
Best regards,
Joan Dooling - Skebo
Renfrew Ontario Canada

Date: 10th February 2011
Just wanted to say thanks from Ottawa, Ontario Canada, for all the work and time that has gone into such a very useful site. My family has made three trips to Ireland in the last 6 years to view the many beautiful landscapes and meet the very friendly and helpful people from your country. The info available on this site and work done by people like Jane Lyons have been very largely responsible for drawing us to your country so once again congratulations.
Charlie Donohue,
Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Date: 10th February 2011
Hi, I really hope this is only one of many emails you'll receive today, congratulating you all for the award you will be receiving. I am one of many people who can only dream of being able to spend time In Ireland and it means so much to me [and us] that you do the work you do in ensuring we have access to historical records. Well done indeed!
Aggi-Rose Reddin

Date: 10th February 2011
Congratulations, Clare Library, for the award and many thanks for all you do.
xoxoxo You're the BEST!
Liz Haren

Date: 10th February 2011
Many congratulations on receiving the 2010 Award for Excellence in Genealogy.
Keep up the good work,
Margaret Garthwaite

Date: 10th February 2011
Dear Sirs,
thank you so very much fo your wonderful genealogy section! I found the marriage of my gg grandfather John Allen to Mary Ann Cottager there, also found the street address for this family in the Census.
Jackie Wilkinson

Date: 10th February 2011
Congratulations on your award. Wish that more Irish libraries would follow in your footsteps!
A. Harney
Virginia, USA

Date: 10th February 2011
Your award Thursday [re CIGO award] is well deserved. My grandparents came from four counties in Ireland, and researching my Clare grandfather's ancestors has been helped immeasurably by your resources. I particularly appreciate the townland maps (and have suggested to the libraries of the other counties, as well as the National Archives, that they make the same available for other areas).
Diane Culhane in Illinois (granddaughter of John Fergus Kerrigan of Kilkeedy/Tubber)

Date: 10th February 2011
Thanks for your wonderful online genealogy content which I have had the privilege of using to break through brickwall situations in family tree...
John Duane,
Douglas,
Cork.

Date: 10th February 2011
Just a note to thank you for all you do for genealogists! We very much appreciate all the information you have collected and made available to us. It is especially meaningful for those of us in distant lands who are able to glean so much from the internet.
Thanks again!
Joyce Stritch
Weslaco TX USA

Date: 10th February 2011
You far exceed what was expected of you in your online Genealogy in 2010! From mid-America - Kansas to be exact - I want to tell you that the Clare Library site is one I check nearly every day! Keep up the good work, and while you're at it, find my Grandpa's family. That is said tongue in cheek, but I know it's going to happen eventually. Keep up the good work and let us help whenever we can...
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Edna Kelley Burns
Newton, KS USA

Date: 10th February 2011
Congratulations on your achievement. I live in South Carolina in the USA and have, over the years, been able to recieve a lot of help in my family quest ( Joyce /McMahon and Carroll / Moylan )from your library and the people who work there. Thank you for you help over the years and again, congratulations.
Nancy Owens,
South Carolina

Date: 10th February 2011
Sincere Congratulations in being granted the CIGO 2010 Award for Excellence in Genealogy.. it is very well deserved. As a long time researcher, I was so delighted to come across the Clare Library many years ago,... then the genealogy section, then the 1901 Census, and there were my family, tucked away all together, waiting for me. I cried with joy... many years trying to write to almost forgotten distant relatives in Ireland, and never receiving an answer... trying to put together the scantest of details about my longed for grandmother, who died when my mother was 11...wanting to know just something...and here she was as an infant, born in 1901... From there, there was no stopping me, I had a whole new playground, thanks to the internet and the wonderful Clare library.. All those fruitless years in dusty libraries were no more. Sadly, my own Mum had passed by then, so I was never able to share all I found with her, but I could share it with her sisters and my own family. I have found so much, as have so many, but the quest continues, and now I work with the Clare Roots Society to bring this excitement of discovery to many others... God Bless all of you for your dedication, happy to be just one who contributes in some small way,
Chris Goopy,
Brisbane

Date: 10th February 2011
Congratulations to the Clare County Library on today's presentation of the 2010 CIGO award. This is a well-earned accolade for years of far-sighted, public-spirited, innovative and often ingenious work in the cause of County Clare genealogy, local history and heritage. The information sources generated by your team - both online and at the Manse - are unparalleled in Ireland and, indeed, provide a template which other counties could follow. Among the many talents of the Library team is the ability to motivate and harness volunteer teams worldwide for the transcription and collection of County Clare data. This skilful potentiation of resources has increased the number of available Clare datasets way beyond that which would otherwise have been possible. It has also provided great satisfaction to the volunteers, of which I am one. Here's wishing you many more years of successful work along the lines of these paradigms.
Paddy Casey,
Switzerland

Date: 3rd February 2011
Re: Every dog has its day ……. at the library!
I love this blog ! Makes me miss County Clare so much more but still I read it. Keep up the good work.
Donna OShaughnessy,
Illinois, USA

Date: 20th January 2011
"Protecting the Burren" [Library Blog post]:
In the last decade I have visited the Burren 10 times. While unable to sleep tonight all the way over here in America I came across this blog and this video and now I ache for the Burren all over again. Beautiful film.
Donna OShaughnessy,
USA

Date: 18th January 2011
Hi,
I don't mean to be a nuisance, but I wanted to tell you that I've been using your resource page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/kids_section/kids_section.htm for my students, I hope that's okay! I'm a teacher working on resource pages and your page had a lot of great stuff I could use. Anyway, I also wanted to let you know of an article I have also been referencing in my class: http://www.oedb.org/articles/online-education-resources-geology-for-kids.html (great page on geology learning resources for kids) that one of my 6th graders found. I figured you might have a use for it as an additional resource link on your page above, plus I would love to show her that the page she found is incorporated on your page :) Let me know what you think!
Thanks Again!
Sincerely,
Eva Valo
USA
[Dear Eva,
Many thanks for your message and delighted to hear you have been accessing useful information through our site. We are pleased that the information you have found is of relevance. http://www.oedb.org/articles/online-education-resources-geology-for-kids.html seems to be a great site and readily adaptable to children in Ireland. Having checked out some of the links I know they will be excellent resources for teachers and students in Ireland also. We are pleased to add it to our Kidzone page. Thanks for your recommendation. Perhaps we can continue to share useful online resources in the future.
Best regards,
Patricia Fitzgerald,
Executive Librarian,
Children's Services, Clare County Library]

Date: 17th January 2011
Subject: Father Patrick Omeally, Mountshannon
Good morning! Was hoping to get this posted in the vistors book on your website. I am researching our ancestor Father Patrick Omalley PP at Mountshannon 1836-1846 and who designed and oversaw the building of St. Caimin's Catholic Church in Mountshannon in 1838. Looking for photo or obituary for him. Was hoping the church might have printed a brochure with the church history at sometime in the past. Would love to communicate with anyone who is familiar with St. Caimin's RC church. Brother and I are hoping to come to Mountshannon sometime in 2011 to visit and photograph this church and the Mountshannon area. My understanding is that Father Patrick might have been affiliated with the RC church in Whitegate as well.
Contact: Debbie Fall debfall46563@embarqmail.com
Thank you!
[Hello Debbie,
I will certainly post your message in our Visitors Book. I would recommend that you post your query on our Clare Past forum at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1 where you may receive assistance from some of our hundreds of members. You will need to register first before you can post on the forum but that is a simple enough operation.
Best of luck with your research,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]
Thank you so much! I will post to the forum as well. Hope to be coming to Clare sometime this year and would love to stop in! Your library and its volunteers do a wonderful job. Love the website, can spend a whole day just snooping its interior.
Thanks,
Debbie

Date: 10th January 2011
Hello,
I'm interested in photographs of the Leon XIII shipwreck off Quilty in Co. Clare. I'd like to use an image of the ship [00000645.jpg] for my new CD, "The Sailor's Cravat," which features a lot of music from Clare. Does the Clare County Library grant licenses for the use of images in its collection? Thanks very much in advance for any advice or assistance you can offer.
All the best,
Paddy O'Brien
[Hello Paddy,
You are welcome to use the photo of the sinking Leon on the cover of your album. Please acknowledge the photographer and the library thus: “Photo: George U. Macnamara. Courtesy Clare County Library”. We don’t charge for the use of our photos, but we would be delighted to receive a copy of the album when it’s released to add to our CD collection of Clare traditional music.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th January 2011
Hi.
I just recently joined the library and was wondering is it possible to get books into the library that are not already in the system ie order them in? I have looked for a couple of titles I am interested in and haven't seen them.
Thanks a million,
Lisa Smyth.
[Hello Lisa,
you can suggest books for us to purchase by following the link to the online catalogue (http://opac.clarelibrary.ie/) from our website at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/ and then clicking the link on the right hand side to 'Suggest a purchase" (http://opac.clarelibrary.ie/patroninfo~S1?/0/redirect=/acquire).
Just fill in your name and your library card number and you will be able to suggest items for us to purchase.
Please remember also that you can request books that we don't have in stock via BorrowBooks, the Irish public libraries inter-library loan service at http://www.borrowbooks.ie/.
Regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th January 2011
Dear Sir
I collect Welsh postal history. I recently acquired the attached entire letter. However i can not locate the destination. As I do not know your county (and unfortunately have not yet visited) I suspect you may find it easier to locate as you will have a much greater knowledge of the county. The contents are a two way letter (i.e. the letter is written one way and then turned 90 degrees and written on again). If you are interested, I would be happy to scan this for you. I would be very grateful if you can help.
Yours sincerely,
Paul Gaywood,
Preston, UK.
[Dear Paul,
The letter you sent us is addressed to William Fitzgerald of Adelphi House, Corofin. William Fitzgerald was the second son of R.B. Wilson of Cliffe, York, UK. His mother was Anne, younger daughter and co-heir of William Fitzgerald of Aldephi House. The William of your letter was born in 1844 and became a barrister, and High Sheriff in 1882. He assumed the name Fitzgerald in 1872. Adelphi House is situated near Corofin in North Clare. There are photos of the house and gardens in our online photos at http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/ (search for ‘Adelphi House’) and it can be seen on our online 1842 Ordnance Survey maps here... The house still stands and is inhabited.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th January 2011
I was able to get 2011 off to a GREAT start by solving some old family mysteries thanks to your website. Senan Scanlan's detailed information on the history and genealogy of Scattery Island, contained in "Inhabitants of Scattery Island, Shannon Estuary, Co.Clare"
(http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/fam_his/scattery/scattery_index.htm) provided several answers and, as important, some invaluable historical context. Thanks so much for providing some long-sought answers to several family questions. Including; the date and location of the marriage of my Great, Great-Grandparents William Whiston and Abigail Connolly as well as the correct date of my Great-Grandmother Mary Anne Whiston's birth (and her paternity!!!!). The Whistons emigrated from London to Canada in 1884 and there are Whiston descendants all over the United States and Canada, all of whom will be glad to get this information. My cousin from California visited Scattery Island some years ago in search of family information, but found the Island uninhabited and came home empty-handed - too bad she skipped the Clare County Library!!!
Thanks again, and Happy New Year,
Jim Tancock,
Maryland, USA

Date: 4th January 2011
I have found the attached photos on your website [00000829.jpg & 00000876.jpg]; these are photos of me as a baby with my parents & my mother with her cousin Patricia McMahon. I had no idea that these photos existed & have never seen colour photos of my parents. Please could you let me know if it is possible to purchase copies of these photos? Are you interested in acquiring other photos? I also have some old photos taken in Ennis.
Kind regards,
Yvette Leaker (Ne Honan)
[Hello Yvette,
I’m very glad you happened upon the photos of yourself and your parents on our website. We were given the Bluett Collection by Bill Bluett’s son, Liam, who identified the people in the photos for us. All the Bluett collection can be downloaded free from the site. I give instructions below. I would love to take any photos of Ennis from you. If you have them scanned already, you can email them to me, or put them on CD (if there are a lot, this would be best). If you would like me to scan them, post them to me and I’ll return them. Be sure to include as many names of people, locations and dates you can.
Happy New Year,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.
Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (Bluett Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself, or email it.]

Date: 10th December 2010
I'd like to leave some words of praise for the Library's website. After many years of family history research, it is still the most comprehensive, user-friendly website I have found for any subject. It brings together many scattered sources that would otherwise be difficult and time-consuming to locate and consult. The challenges of researching Irish family history are great, but the people who keep this website up and running are clearly equal to them. It is a great credit to County Clare.
Thanks,
JC.
Australia

Date: 3rd December 2010
Subject: Griffiths Valuation Question
Hello,
My name is Adam Moroney from Australia and I am researching my family history. My ancestors emigrated in 1864 to Australia but resided in the areas of the Commons North and Commons South at the time of the Griffiths Valuation in 1855. Looking at the extracts from the valuation (hosted on your fantastic website) under the column "immediate lessors" it quite often states "in fee" or "common". Could you please advise what this means? Were these townlands established to 'grant' land in some way to the locals? And did they ever gain ownership at any stage? Any info you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Adam Moroney,
Australia
[Dear Adam,
both these technical terms relate to the law concerning land tenure and tenancies and rights over land. The term in fee is a term which dates from feudal times and originally designated 'cattle-property' at a time when a person's wealth was measured in livestock.Fee is the term used in land law to denote that an estate (or a tenement, in the Primary Valuation) is capable of being inherited. A fee was originally a feudal benefice. Land or tenements held in fee means freehold land, land held in fee simple, a tenement held for an indefinite period of time (as distinguished from a leasehold which designates a tenement or parcel of land held for a specific period of time). Generally, a fee simple interest can be passed to any heir unlike other fees (an entailed fee, for example) which can only pass to specifically named or designated heirs. A common designates a right of common. This a right to take some part of any natural product of the land or water belonging to another. The principal rights accruing from a right of common are the right to pasture (grazing livestock); piscary rights (fishing); estovers (the right to cut wood, gorse or furze); and turbary (the right to dig and take away turf to be used as fuel). As regards the later ownership of tenements in the Primary Valuation, you can trace the tenements of interest to you in Commons North and Commons South by checking the cancelled land books for these townlands in the Valuation Office in Dublin. See http://www.valoff.ie
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 24th November 2010
Your excellent website has proven to be an absolute gold mine of information for my research - thank you very much for making all this valuable information available for free!
Many thanks,
Philip Lardner

Date: 24th November 2010
Subject: Christmas Opening
Dear Sir/Madam,
I wish to enquire about your Christmas opening times? And the cost or any special arrangements (e.g. booking a computer etc.) to use the internet at the library. I am not a member, but could join.
Thank you.
Nicki Power
[Hello Nicki.
In general branch libraries in Clare will close at 3pm on Thursday the 23rd of December and re-open on Thursday the 30th of December. They will close again on Friday the 31st of December at 5.30pm and re-open on Tuesday the 4th of January (normal hours). There is no charge for using the internet PC service. You do have to be a member of the library to pre-book, but anyone can go to a branch library and
use a vacant PC - you will need to bring identification with you if you are not a member. Please note that opening hours vary from library to library. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/branches/points.htm for more details, and see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/library/services/free_internet_access.htm for more information about the internet PC service.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 19th November 2010
Subject: The Stone Crosses of Kilfenora by Jack Flanagan
A Chara,
My name is Clíodhna O'Leary, I'm a PhD student in the archaeology department in UCC. I'm just wondering 'The Stone Crosses of Kilfenora' by Jack Flanagan, which is uploaded on your website, is that a published article? And if so where and what year? All assistance would be much appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Clíodhna.
[Hello Cliodhna,
Jack Flanagan gave us his article on the Stone Crosses of Kilfenora some years ago. As far as I know it hasn’t been published elsewhere. You can find similar material on the crosses by Jack in his book ‘Kilfenora: a history’. See our catalogue for the various editions:
http://opac.clarelibrary.ie/search/X?SEARCH=kilfenora+a+history+flanagan&SORT=D&searchscope=1
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 19th November 2010
Subject: re John O'Donoghue, Author of Historical Memoir of the O'Briens
I am recording a programme for Radio Kerry this coming Saturday (November 20) walking around the Killaha graveyard in Glenflesk. The most prominent tomb in the graveyard is for an O'Donoghue family whose most prominent member appears to have been a John O'Donoghue (1812-1893) who was educated at TCD, was barrister at law, author of Historical Memoir of the O'Briens (Dublin 1860). It is believed locally that he
was later editor of the Freeman's Journal . I wonder if it would be possible to fax or e-mail me the biographical note on John O'Donoghue from the Memoir of the O'Briens book. If by any chance you have an obituary for him ( died in 1893) that would be wonderful.
Very many thanks.
Kind regards,
Frank Lewis
[Dear Frank,
There is a short account in "Alumni Dublinenses" (1924) describing him as a sizar (un undergraduate of the University of Cambridge or of Trinity College Dublin admitted under the designation of sizar and receiving an allowance from the college to enable him to study) entering the college in 1828 aged 18, the son of Daniel O'Donoghue, farmer; born Kerry; BA 1831, called to the Irish Bar 1837. He wrote "The summary jurisdiction of magistrates in Ireland" (Dublin, 1835) and the "Historical memoir of the O'Briens" was published in Dublin and London in 1860. I enclose underneath the entries on John O'Donoghue from Boase's "Modern English biography" (published serially between 1892 and 1921) and from D. J. O'Donoghue's "The poets of Ireland ... Irish writers of English verse" (1912).
O'DONOGHUE, John. b. 1812; educ. Trin coll. Dublin, scholar 1831, B.A. 1833; called to Irish bar 1837; contributed to the Freeman's Journal 1838, editor of the Journal 1871; wrote many literary articles in Dublin univ. mag.; author of A book about the Irish bar in 1840; The summary jurisdiction of magistrates at the petty sessions courts in Ireland, 1835; Historical memoirs of the O'Briens, 1860. d. 9 Henrietta st. London 23 March 1893 (BOASE)
O'DONOGHUE, JOHN - Author of an "Historical Memoir of the O'Briens" (Dublin, 1860, 8vo). Wrote various songs, some of which were set to music, and also a good many poems in Freeman's Journal, and in Irishman of 1849, generally over signature of "S.T.C.D" He was the eldest son of Daniel O'Donoghue, of Killarney, near which he was born in 1813, and became a sizar of T.C.D., Sch., 1831; B.A. 1833. From 1838 to 1871 he was connected, editorially or otherwise, with the Freeman's Journal. He was called to the Irish Bar in 1837, but rarely practised, I think. He is represented in Samuel Lover's "Poems of Ireland" (1859), and there are five pieces in Hercules Ellis's "Songs of Ireland" (1849). He was for more than thirty years on the staff of the Freeman's Journal, and was, I believe, its editor for some time. He was also Irish correspondent of The Daily News. In W. M. Downes's "Poems" (1840?) there is a piece addressed to him. He died suddenly on March 22, 1893. For the Dublin University Magazine he wrote poems and some sketches of the Irish Bar. According to the Freemans' Journal obituary notice, he seems to have published a volume of sketches on that subject in or about 1840 (O'DONOGHUE)
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th November 2010
Subject: 00006675.jpg
Hello. I was looking on the internet at your photos and found a picture of my Grandfather, (image named above) who sadly died in 2003. I tried to download this picture but am unable to find this picture. Is it possible that you could send me a copy of this picture as I would like to show his children (my Mother, Aunties and Uncles)...
Your help would be much appreciated!
Kind Regards
Denis Partridge
[Hello Denis,
You will be able to download the photo directly from the website:
On the library’s homepage (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/) click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page. On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes. Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page.
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (Michael John Glynne Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. You can search by image number (00006675.jpg) or by your grandfather's name, if he is named in the photo. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download. This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself, or email it. If you have any trouble downloading the photos, just give me a ring when you are sitting at your computer.
Is your grandfather named in the photo? If so, or if you have any more details on the photo, you might pass the information on to me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 26th October 2010
Good afternoon, I am looking for relatives of my grandfather Michael Joseph Ryan. My grandfather parents were John Ryan and Mary Fitzgibbons married on 3/16/1879 in Inagh. He had a sister Susan who married a Michael Curtin in 1914 and lived on the Curtin farm at Drumevin, in the Parish of Kilfenora.
Michael & Susan had 3 children :
John Patrick - dob 2/21/1915
Michael - dob 9/10/1916
Thomas - dob 12/18/1918.
My grandfather's other siblings were:
Mary - baptised 6/29/1882 -emigrated to USA
Bridget - baptised 10/2/1885
John Jos. - baptisted 10/22/1891
Anne - baptised 10/23/1895
Margaret - baptised 12/21897 - died 1901
My grandfather and great aunt's parents were John Ryan and Mary Fitzgibbons married on 3/16/1879 in Inagh. I have been researching through the Clare Heritage Centre and this is as far as I have been able to trace. I would be very grateful if you had a bulletin board could post this so that maybe I can make further progress. I am also open to suggestions as to where else to look - if you have files that can be accessed on line. Also do you know where I can get on-line access for the County Clare phone books ? If that is not available I would appreciate it if you could direct to where I might be able to purchase a copy.
Thank-you so much for your help !
Best regards,
Carolyn Ahern
[Dear Carolyn,
You don’t mention what area your grandfather came from. If you know this, you could look up the 1901 census (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/1901census/1901_clare_census.htm) and the 1911 census (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/search/) for the descendants of his siblings. It might be worth joining our online forum (http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1) and posting your query there and the Irish telephone book is online at http://www.eircomphonebook.ie/ .
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th October 2010
Just a short note to say how wonderful your website is....and so inviting. Sadly many of the other websites are not very user friendly and quite costly...very discouraging. I have been on a hunt for my great grandfather Thomas Pender and his brother James Pender, children of Charles Pender and Mary Murphy .....for thirty years!!! Someone was kind enough to direct me to your website and although I did not find anything promising, as a librarian I was amazed at how wonderful your site is.
Kathy Pender Breuer
New York
[Received on the 21st of October 2010 and forwarded to Kathy Pender Breuer:
Hi CoClare Lib.
My curiosity was aroused by the recent note from Kathy Pender Breuer of New York re her search for Pender ancestors. She mentions a union between a Charles Pender and Mary Murphy. I don't know if this helps or is just a red herring, but there was a John Pender who married Mary Murphy at the Killadysert Chapel on 7 Feb 1864. This Pender family was resident at Burrenfadda in Kilfiddane parish in the 1901 census.
Regards
Kevin Murphy,
Qld, Australia]

Date: 13th August 2010
Dear Clare Library, I am lecturing a module on 19th century Irish social and political history at the University of Limerick and I am interested in having my class look at two primary source documents from your collection. The documents are Rev James Hall, Tour of East Clare, 1812 and Robert Buckley, Clare as it is, 1893. These two documents would be distributed to each member of the class. In accordance with your copyright terms and conditions, I first would like to receive proper permission from the library as well as clearance that I will not be violating any copyright rules.
Sincerely,
Gavin Wilk
IRCHSS Government of Ireland Scholar,
Department of History,
University of Limerick.
[Dear Gavin,
You are welcome to use the Hall and Buckley extracts for your lectures.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 12th August 2010
Re "The Booker longlist 2010":
If Skippy Dies is anway near as funny as An Evening of Long Goodbyes it would get my vote. I cant wait to read it!
Ged

Date: 4th August 2010
Hi.
What would I need to do to get a copy of the image 00009345 in the Michael John Glynne collection. The lady in the right of this picture is my Auntie Nollaig Hinchy (Nee Hassett) who has now passed away and I would love to give a copy of this to my Dad. Please can you advise whether this would be possible?
Many thanks,
Sylvia Hassett
[Hello Sylvia,
Thanks for identifying your aunt in our online photos. We don’t provide prints of the photos but photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website for free. This includes those in the Michael John Glynne Collection. Here’s how to do it:
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open
the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (Michael John Glynne Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. (Use the image numbers or ‘Nollaig Hinchy’.) Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, or take it to a digital photo booth used for printing digital photos. Do you think the dates given beside each photo are correct? If you can identify any other people, please email me with their names.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 30th July 2010
Re: Ballynacally Parish Graveyards Transcription Project
Thank you so much for your hard work! My husband was thrilled to see the names of his great-grandparents (Margaret and Martin Kirrane) and to know where they rest. Bless you for your efforts!
Kathleen Paul

Date: 27th July 2010
Dear Clare Library,
Please could you tell me how to order a copy of a photo from your library? Is it possible to do this via e-mail, also the cost please?
The photo is ref: Filename : 00009305.jpg
Subject: Ann & Michael Howley at a dance in Ennistymon in 1961 (my aunt & uncle).
Many thanks
Maureen Clapson.
[Dear Maureen,
You can download any photos we have copyright of directly from the site as follows:
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (in this case the Michael John Glynne Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box (e.g. 00009305.jpg or Howley). Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself, or email it.
If you have any trouble downloading let me know.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 23rd July 2010
Subject: Re FROST family search.
I have been tracing the Limerick City branch of the Frost family, who are believed to have originated from Co. Clare. My attention has been drawn to the booklet researched by Janet Frost, ‘The Frosts of Co, Clare’, which you have in your local studies collection. As you can see by my address – I am some way away! Annoyingly I have just had a trip to Limerick Archives & although I visited Ennis, I was unaware of this research by Janet Frost. Of course it will be months before I can get over again. I was wondering if there was a possibility of having the book copied, with the author’s permission? Perhaps if you have any direct contact with the author, you could pass on my details to her. Any assistance or research guidance would be appreciated.
Regards
Pat Frost,
Shropshire,
UK
[Hi Pat,
Happily, Janet Frost gave us a copy of her book and permission to put it on our website. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/fam_his/frost/frost_index.htm
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd July 2010
Hi,
my name is Kaitlyn, and I recently discovered your blog. Considering that I work with Onlineuniversities.com, I spend a lot of time on the Internet browsing blogs, and I must say that yours has caught my attention. Coincidentally, we recently published an article entitled (25 Books Every “Lost” Fan Should Read) that I believe would draw considerable interest from your readers. If you are interested in sharing with them, then feel free to do so. Here's the link for your convenience: (http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2010/07/25-books-every-lost-fan-should-read/).
Thanks for your time!
Kaitlyn cole
[Hi Kaitlyn,
thank you for the link to your blog. It's a very interesting article and I'll certainly post a link to it on our own blog.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th July 2010
Subject: Parishes
Could you tell me what parish Sixmilebridge would be in?
Thank you,
Patrick Falcon
[Hello Patrick,
There were two parish systems in use in Ireland in the past, civil parishes and Roman Catholic parishes. The civil parish was the fundamental administrative unit within each county for the Government and the Church of Ireland between the 17th and early 20th century. Government records from that time, e.g. land surveys like Griffith’s Valuation, Censuses, Government Reports, Civil Registers of Birth, Marriage and Death etc. and any Church of Ireland registers of Baptism, Marriage and Death use these parishes. The Catholic parishes are used by the Catholic Church, so if you are interested in Catholic records of Baptism, Marriage or Death, you need to look at these parishes. They differ in size from the civil parishes and have different names. Today, the civil parishes aren’t in use any more, only the Catholic parishes. Sixmilebridge is in the civil parish of Kilfinaghta (see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/kilfinaghty.htm) and the Roman Catholic parish of Sixmilebridge (see http://www.killaloediocese.ie/parishes).
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd June 2010
A couple of queries from Australia:
Hi. A couple of weeks ago, I was in County Clare trying to find the location of the holdings where an ancestor of mine was a tenant. I was directed to your excellent web site by the landlord of our B and B in Ballyvaughan. He did some computer searches for me using the 1842 OS maps and we compared these with the current OS map 57, to find what I think is the location (outside Lahinch, at Moy More). I then took some photos of the location from the road side, which included the outline of a key "circular fort", and stone fences. Now that I am back in Australia, I wish to contact my brother who is writing our family history, giving him the information using the 1842 OS maqp location, overlaid with the current OS map, and with photographs superimposed on all this. My queries include a technical difficulty I am having, and a language one:
A. Is there any way I can copy a section of your 1842 OS maps, and paste
them into (say) a photoshop file, for further processing?
B. My landlord gave me a quick explanation of the differences between "More More", "Moy", "Moy Beg", which I wrote down shortly after we had spoken. Is there a reference that you know of that could help me learn more about what these, and similar, terms mean?
Many thanks,
Col Mulquiney,
NSW,
Australia
[Hello Col.
There are a few ways to copy sections of the OS maps from the website. You can use either the MapBrowser or SVG versions.

MapBrowser:
Click on the 'Maps' link on the library homepage to get to the main maps page at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/index.htm.
Then select the link to "MapBrowser" to get to http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/mapbrowser_intro.htm.
Then select the link "1842 Ordnance Survey maps - Townlands of Clare" to get to here...
Next, in the 'Search/Overview' window type in 'Moymore'. You will see that the selection has been narrowed down to 3 entries. The Moymore you are looking for is either 'Moymore North' or 'Moymore South' - both of these are close to Lahinch.
Click on 'Moymore North' in the selection window and then click on the pink circle on the small map of Clare below.
This will centre the main map on the townland of Moymore North.
You can close the Selection Window (the small window on the right). See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/selection_window.htm for more info on that window.
You can also close the Search/Overview window. If you want open it again just click on the second button from left on top (the one with the binoculars).
You can now drag the map around with your mouse. Note that Moymore South is directly below Moymore North and that the townland boundaries are shown by the green lines.
Once you have found the area you want to copy just press the 'Print Screen' buton on your keyboard. This will copy the contents of your scereen to the clipboard.
Now you can open Photoshop and paste the image into it, ready for cropping etc.

SVG:
On our 1842 Ordnance Survey 6-Inch Maps of County Clare page at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/index_OS.htm
select the link to "The Online Maps in SVG format". You will need to be using Internet Explorer, and you will also need to download the SVG plugin (see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/plugins.htm).
This will bring you to http://www.clarelibrary.ie/map/gisSearch.htm.
Click on 'Open a search list' and select 'Townlands'.
Then type in 'Moymore' and you will be presented with the 3 options.
Select 'Moymore North' and then click on the link "On 1842 OS Map" below.
Hold down the 'Alt' button on your keyboard and the Pan Cursor will appear, allowing you to 'grab' the map and move around it.
When you have identified the area you want to copy, right-click on the map and select 'Copy map to clipboard'.
And you can then open Photoshop and paste the image into it.

Another way to get to the maps is to go to the Townland page.
On the library homepage at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/ select 'Places and Placenames' to get to http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/places.htm.
Then select the 'Townlands' link to get to http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/townland.htm.
Then select the link 'Lack to Woodpark' to get to http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/townland4.htm.
Then select the link to 'Moymore North' to get to http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/moymore_north.htm.
Then select the link to "On 1842 Ordnance Survey Map (requires SVG Plugin)" to get to the SVG map above - centered on Moymore North townland.

As for meanings for Moymore and Moybeg etc see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/frost/appendix7_m.htm.
'Moy' signifies an upland field or plain. 'More' is derived from "mór', the Irish for 'big', while 'beg' is derived from 'beag', the Irish for small.
I hope that's of some help.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]
Hi Anthony,
Thank you so much for your detailed reply. I have gone through you response carefully and have adapted it for my computer - a Mac - which I forgot to mention in my original email to you - probably still suffering from jet lag. I have now obtained the map portions I am interested in. Many thanks. We thoroughly enjoyed our short time in Ireland.
Best wishes
Col Mulquiney

Date: 20th May 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Fr. Neil O'Donoghue and I am writing a paper on early Irish eucharistic practice. I read the paper at a conference in Princeton a few weeks ago and Dr. Peter Harbisson recommended that I include a reference to the High Cross of Kilfenora... I would like to include the drawing of the High Cross that appears on the Clare County Library in the section "The Stone Crosses of Kilfenora by Jack Flanagan"... I was wondering if you have a scan of the drawing at a higher resolution than the one given (I will only use the East face) and also if you can decipher the name of the artist from 1909. The image would appear in a paper in a volume of the acta of the Insular and Anglo-Saxon: Art and Thought in the Early Medieval Period conference at Princeton and the publisher will be Penn State University Press and the print run will be 1500 with worldwide rights in one language required. The publication date will be 2010. (The working title of the paper is "Insular Chrismals and House-Shaped Shrines in the Early Middle Ages"). Please let me know if the image is copyrighted and if so whether I can use it.
God Bless,
Fr. Neil Xavier O'Donoghue, Ph.D.
New Jersey, USA
[Hello Fr. Neil,
the artist is Thomas Johnson Westropp, a notable antiquary who wrote extensively on the history of a number of counties in Ireland including Clare during the nineteenth century. I am afraid we do not have a higher resolution version of the image. The image itself is out of copyright, so please feel free to use it.
Here are some of Westropp's publications
http://opac.clarelibrary.ie/search/a?SEARCH=westropp%2C+thomas&sortdropdown=-&searchscope=1
and here is a photo of Westropp (click on the image to enlarge it)
http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Grid.fwx?search=00000620.jpg+&archiveId=5000&submit=Search...
Regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th May 2010
Hello to the Clare forum. My name is Ray Bock and I live in South Australia. Could you please tell me what I have to do to make full use of your facility. I have been researching our family history for a number of years and though I have tried many, many avenues I can not find any information in regards to my grandmother who, from my fathers birth certificate was born in County Clare... If I can gain access to your facility I may after many years gain some insight in to this mystery.If there is someone willing to assist me in this I would be truly great. Yours sincerely,
Ray Bock,
South Australia.
[Hello Ray.
If you want to post a message to the Clare Past forum you will need to register first.
Click on the Register button at top left of http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/
Then answer the next question (designed to combat robot spammers).
Then read the terms and and click on 'I agree to these terms'.
Then select a username, enter your email address, and the password you wish to use with your username. You will need to remember both the username and password to use the forum in future.
Select your timezone, and type in the confirmation code (again, this is designed to confound spambots).
Then click 'Submit'. Your application will then be processed and you will receive an email notifying you that your account on the forum has been activated.
Then just go to the forum, log in (using button on top left), go to the Clare Past forum and click on the 'new topic' button to post your query.
All the best with your research,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 30th April 2010
Subject: Download of Photos.
How does one download the photos if you do not have a ID and Password for Clare Library.
I cannot seem to find the area to “Join” so I can download some Kilkee photos I need for my father living in Ennis. Thanks for letting me know the process.
Regards
Roy Stapleton,
USA
[Dear Roy,
Thanks for your enquiry about downloading photos from our site. The username and password are both ‘download’, to be entered on page http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx . I give fuller instructions below, and contact me if you have any trouble downloading.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open
the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (e.g. Murphy Hynes Kilkee Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, or take it to a digital photo booth. You will also be offered the option of emailing or copying the image.]

Date: 30th April 2010
Subject: Donations - Co Clare Church Records
I was very happy to find links to transcriptions of County Clare church and other records donated by volunteers. I'd like to contribute my own records, recorded in 2000. They are Baptism records from Killard, Marriages from Doonbeg and Baptisms from Kilrush... Thank you for hosting this site where researchers can share their findings.
Patricia Reidy Lawrence,
Gaithersburg,
Maryland USA
[Dear Patricia,
Thank you for your kind donation of the Kilrush and Doonbeg records. We will post them as soon as possible. We are in the middle of posting extensive donated graveyard transcriptions from west Clare which may be of interest to you: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/graves/index_graves.htm
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 30th April 2010
Subject: Photo of Quilty Village
Hello from the states,
I was searching your website for photos of Quilty village and found a photo I would like to obtain, being that Quilty is one of my favorite villages in Clare. It was the last of 3 on the list. Can you tell me how I could go about getting a print of this photo?
Thank you.
Cheer,
Maggie Pierce,
USA
[Dear Sandra,
If the library has copyright of the Quilty photo you want, you will be able to download it directly from the site. I attach instructions on how to do this. If the library doesn’t have copyright (the copyright holder is given to the right of each photo), contact me and I’ll see if I can get permission for you. Contact me also if you have any trouble downloading.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 28th April 2010
Re: Graveyard transcriptions
Thank you to those who have transcribed all this information and for putting them on the site.
Eileen Gibbs

Date: 20th April 2010
Re: Vandeleur Photograph Collection
Dear Maureen Comber,
I was browsing through the above and recognised image 00013135 as being the gate lodge to Elm Park House, County Armagh. It survives to this day though sadly missing its fancy barbeboards and paired chimney stacks. The family connection is that Elizabeth Frances (eldest daughter of Crofton Moore Vandeleur) married in 1855 St.John Thomas Blacker-Douglass (1822-1900) of Elm Park, Grace Hall, County Down and Tulla-hinnel, Co.Kerry to which he succeeded in 1849 (Burke's Landed Gentry). The lodge was designed by James Rawson Carroll of Dublin and the datestone on the leading gable shows "1867" so the photo may be from the 1870s. Could you send me a copy of it, for although, as it stood, it did not warrant inclusion in my "The Gate Lodges of Ulster", Vandeleur's certainly would grace a second edition! I have at present almost completed writing up the gate lodges of Munster so if you are aware of any old photos of lost lodges I would be delighted to hear of them. If you woulld like a snap of the Elm Park lodge do let me know.
Best wishes,
J.A.K.(Dixie)Dean.
[Dear Dixie,
I am happy to attach the photograph of the gate lodge of Elm Park House and many thanks for identifying the building for us and for the extra information. The location of the photo in the album suggests it was taken during the 1860s, so the lodge must have been practically new when the photo was taken. There are some photos of the Blacker-Douglass family in the Vandeleur Collection. I will forward your email to our Local Studies librarian who might be able to help you regarding lost lodges. Please acknowledge the library as follows in your publication: Courtesy Clare County Library.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 20th April 2010
Dear Clare Library,
I'm looking for the death record of an ancester, Bridget McInerny Molohan, who died in 1869 according to her tombstone in Kilmiurry Ibrickane cemetery. The church referred me to your library. Her husband, Cornelius Molohan, preceded her in death. We believe she still lived in the Tromora area. Can you help me?
Gayl Mulligan Callis,
NH, USA
[Dear Gayl,
Brian Cantwell in his "Memorials of the dead: West Clare" (1991) notes the following entries for Molohan in the Kilmurry Ibrickane graveyard:
MOLOHAN
Erected by Cornalius / Molohan Sharon Mercer / County Pensylvania U.S. / America in memory of / his father Cornelius / Molohan died A.D. 1850 / and for his mother Bridget Molohan died A.D. 1869;
[Note: spelling of personal and place names as given in Mr Cantwell's transcription from the original tomb stones.]
MOLOHAN [A house vault.]
Erected by Patk / Molohan in memory of his beloved father / John Molohan who died in A.D. 1865;
MOLOHAN [A headstone.]
In loving memory of / Thomas Molohan Tromoro / who died May 12th 1881 / aged 57 erected by his sorrowing widow /and children.
You may be able to get a copy of Bridget Molohan's death certificate from the General Register Office, http://www.groireland.ie. Note that civil registration of births, deaths and marriages commenced in Ireland in 1864. The Catholic parish register of baptisms and marriages for Kilmurry Ibrickane commenced in 1839. I hope this is of some help.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 16th April 2010
Subject: Macnamara rental 1863 - Clare Genealogy
The transcription of the Macnamara rental dating from 1863 that is transcribed on your Clare Genealogy website is very interesting. Can you tell me where the original is held? As I think one of the men named in it may be my g-g-grandfather, I am very keen to know more about it.
Fíona Tipple
[Hello Fiona,
The original Macnamara rental is held in the county archives. The archivist is Rene Franklin and you can contact her at archivesrecords@clarecoco.ie.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th April 2010
Hi
I am mailing from Paisley in Scotland. I listen to Clare FM every night on the interweb and heard the new [Riches of Clare] CD. It was stated that it was a free CD available from Clare libraries. Can I be very cheeky and ask that a copy be mailed to me? I will pay any postage due.
Thanks
Ian McLaren,
Scotland.
[Dear Ian,
Thank you for your interest in the CD. It would be our pleasure to forward a copy to you free of charge. You may also be interested in listing/seeing clips from previous concerts on our Riches of Clare Facebook page or at Myspace.
Regards,
Siobhan Mulcahy,
County Arts Officer]

Date: 13th April 2010
Lochlann and Connor- Genealogy:
I was wondering whether the brothers Lochlann and Connor of County Clare could have been Danes or Vikings. I know that the Dalcassians and the Clan na Rory folks both claim them. Can you give me your best guess?
Liz Laughlin
[Dear Liz,
Further to your e-mail asking about the Ó Conchabhair clan of Corca Mruadh and the Ó Lochlainn of Boireann families, Corca Mruadh and Boireann geographically approximate to the later Clare baronies of Corcomroe and Burren. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/baronies.htm. The Dalcassians (from the Dál Cais) would be found in the barony of Bunratty Lower. The respective genealogies of the Ó Conchabhair (for Connor), Corca Mruadh, and of the Ó Lochlainn (Boireann) clans are given at paragraphs 571.1 and 571.2 of Mac Fhirbhisigh's "Great book of Irish genealogies" compiled in the seventeenth century and published in a modern edition in Dublin in 2003. See http://www.deburcararebooks.com/geneal.htm. See also this webpage under The Clan and the Name, http://www.oloughlinsnet.net/famhist.htm. If you e-mail me your full postal address I will post out to you the extracts on the clans from Mac Fhirbhisigh.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 6th April 2010
1841/1851 census
Hello!
After a hiatus of doing Townsell/Townsend/Trousdell research in County Clare I am back hard at work, and have seen all the information that has gone up on your site. My thanks go to all the people of your library who have obviously gone to so much work to make information accessible to everyone around the world who have County Clare roots. My family harkens from Lissycasey, and the old Townsell/Townsend/Trousdell cottage sits not far from the police station in Lissycasey. You may have known Mat Trousdell (?-1962), who was the last Trousdell to live there. Or, you may have known Bessie (Trousdell) O'Dea (ca. 1922-ca. 2006), of Cooraclare, another descendant. When looking at the information for the 1841 &1851 Census Returns for N-W there was not a listing for the Townsell/Townsend/Trousdell surnames. This was a surprise as we have a record for property for Michael "Townsend" (ca. 1770-ca. 1850) in 1826; and his sons, Michael "Townsell" (ca. 1794-1873) and Patrick "Townsell" (ca. 1795-1875) were listed on the 1855 Griffith's Valuation. I am perplexed. How could these three men not have been listed on either of the censuses? Just as a check I did quickly go through a couple of pages just to look for "Lissycasey". To my surprise there were not any listings for just Lissycasey (which I understand is not a village, but does seem to have had a hub along the main road of the townland). I did locate only "Boloughera, Lissycasey" and "Decomada Upper, Lissycasey"; there may have been more as I did not search each page. Anyway, I thought it was unusual to not find just "Lissycasey"; records on the Townsell/Townsend/Trousdells have only ever listed "Liscasey" or "Lissycasey", without any additional description. Have I missed something? Do you have information to help explain this and help with my query? In addition, do you have the name, or a list, of researchers for hire? I appreciate your help.
Thanks much!
Teresa Townsell,
Everett, WA (Washington state)
USA.
[Dear Teresa,
The 1841/51 census returns given on page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/census_search_forms/index.htm of our site only relate to people who requested a search of those censuses in order to establish their age for the old age pension. The census forms were looked up at the time and the details noted. The original forms were subsequently destroyed in the Public Record office fire during the Civil War in 1922.

Liscasey, Lissycasey, Lisseycasey is a townland (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/liscasey.htm) and a village (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/lisseycasey_village.htm). The village is situated in the townland of the same name. The village was barely there in 1841/51 but people in the surrounding area would have given it as their address, sometimes in conjunction with the townland they lived in, e.g. Dehomad, Lissycasey. The absence of ‘Lissycasey’ from the 1841/51 returns just means nobody from the townland/village was of the age to apply for the pension, or at least didn’t need proof of their age. As you can see from Griffith’s (1855) for the townland (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/griffiths_parish/clondagad.htm) there were lots of families living there. I hope this is helpful for you. For a list of researchers see our Links to Genealogical Services page at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/genealogical_services.htm.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th April 2010
I wonder if you could be of assistance. I read on the National Archive site that Clare Country Library may have records accessible on site for the 1901 census for Wexford. I am trying to find information on my family history linked to Gorey Co Wexford around this time. The Family name is Clince. Do you have census records for Wexford for 1901 on line or would another area have these available?
Regards,
Arthur Fulton,
U.K.
[Hello Arthur,
No, we don’t hold any 1901 census records for Wexford County. I presume this is the paragraph on the National Archives site that you got your information from:
In the meantime, indexes to the 1901 census returns are available for various parts of the country such as the complete indexes to counties Fermanagh and Tyrone on microfiche edited by Linda K Meehan (Largy Books, 1994).
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 6th April 2010
Hello there,
I have been looking around your site and found some info about Ballynagowan Castle which disturbs me a tad. I have paid quite a bit of money to rent the castle for a week on October. My bank manager was talking to me last week and he advised me that his mother was scammed into paying money for a castle that didn't actually exist when they arrived for the holiday. Being a fairly optimistic person I was skeptical that this could happen but then I was on the internet and I found the picture of what is apparently left of the castle and I was hoping that this wasn't the same castle that I am meant to be staying in during my stay in October? Is there a Ballynagowan (Smithtown) Castle intact that is rented out to holiday makers?
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Regards,
Lyn Gormley,
Australia.
[Dear Lyn,
Don't panic, Ballynagown or Smithstown Castle near Kilshanny has been restored and is now available for rent. See http://www.smithstowncastle.com/ . I've been there myself and it's very nice.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 24th March 2010
Subject: MacNamara photography collection
I am a PhD archaeology student at NUI, Galway, currently undertaking research on the early modern Burren. Part of my research concerns a site at Noughaval parish church in that barony. There is a photograph in the MacNamara collection of the site that I would like to use for my thesis, and potentially in an upcoming book article that I am preparing. What is the proceedure concerning the reproduction and use of these photographs?
Many thanks,
Eve Campbell
IRCHSS Doctoral Scholar
Dept. of Archaeology
NUI. Galway
[Dear Eve,
Any photographs on our website of which the library holds copyright can be downloaded from the site for personal or educational use. I give instructions on this below, and contact me if you have any trouble doing this. Please acknowledge the photographer and library as follows: Photo: G.U. MacNamara. Courtesy Clare County Library.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library

Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/) click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/Login.fwx).
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (MacNamara Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, or take it to a digital photo booth. You will also be offered the option of printing, emailing or copying the image.]

Date: 23rd March 2010
Re: Moynoe Graveyard Inscriptions
Hi! I have just viewed the site above with inscriptions donated by Tom McDowell on 15 December 2009. It is a great site, particularly with the photos… I am involved in a One Name Study with the Guild for the name O'BRIEN. I have been having fun going through your records which are very good.
Marie Payne,
Sydney,
Australia.

Date: 18th March 2010
Hello,
I am trying to find out information on a very dear friend of my family who passed away 3 years ago. I am coming to Ireland in May and would like to visit his grave. His name was Monsignor Liam Minogue, and he was pastor of Mary Mother of God Church in Hillsborough, New Jersey. He was born February 7, 1943 and passed away on March 6th, 2007. I attended his funeral here in the States, but know that he was flown home to Ireland to be buried. His obituary said that burial would be at St. Caimin’s Church, Mount Shannon, County Clare Ireland. Would you happen to have any information, or be able to point me in the right direction? I appreciate your help.
Kind regards,
Nancy Miller
USA
[Dear Nancy,
You will find reference to his burial in Mountshannon on the library website, including a photograph of his grave stone, in a contribution by Tom McDowell in the 'Donated Material' section of our genealogy section. (Click here...) There was an acknowledgement notice placed by Monsignor Minogue's family in the "Clare Champion" newspaper in the edition of 30 March 2007 (page 18). The notice contains a photograph of Monsignor Minogue. The cemetery in Mountshannon is situate in the townland of Cappaduff immediately to the west of Mountshannon village. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/inishcaltra_townlands.htm
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 22nd February 2010
I have been reading on your site The Frosts of County Clare, Ireland, by Janet Frost. My great-grandfather George Frost was born in Meelick, County Clare, Ireland in approximately 1808 or 1809. He reportedly had an older brother, Solomon (probably born 1805 or 1806), a brother Robert, and a sister Ellen, who were all born where he had been born (there could have been more siblings, but this is the only information that has been passed down). My George Frost was Roman Catholic, married Anne Gleeson in 1835 and had five children before her death in approximately 1846 or 1847. The children's baptisms are online on the Parteen and Meelick Parish Baptismal Register, compiled by Clare Heritage Centre, from original registers. He and the five children then left Ireland (sailed from Limerick on the Albion) sometime in June or July of 1847 for America--arriving in New York in October of 1847. My grandfather was one of his eight children with his second wife in the state of Michigan, USA. I am trying to research George Frost's parents, who would have been born probably in the late 1780s in the vicinity of County Clare. Given the custom of naming the first son after the father, it is possible his father's name was Solomon (George Frost's first son, with Anne Gleeson, was named Solomon). At this time, I have no other information--hence, my email to you. If you are unable to help me, is there any possible way to have my query posted, or forwarded to someone who specializes in genealogy? I would very much appreciate a response, and thank you in advance for your time!
Gretchen Frost Whisler,
California, USA
[Hello Gretchen,
I will forward your query to our local studies librarian who will contact you shortly. In the meantime, I would recommend that you post your query on our Clare Past forum at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewforum.php?f=1
You will need to register first before you can post but that is a simple enough operation.
Best of luck with your research,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd February 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am trying to purchase a book called 'Archaeology of the Burren: prehistoric forts and dolmens in North Clare.' by Thomas Johnson Westropp. I have been told that it is published by Clasp, your publishers. I would be grateful if you could tell me how to buy a copy.
Yours faithfully,
John Beare.
[Dear John,
We have copies of ‘Archaeology of the Burren’ for sale. If you post me a cheque or money order made out to Clare County Library for the equivalent of €15 I will post the book to you.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 10th February 2010
I am looking for info on a website where I can find Ennis School photos from the late 1940s and early 1950s. I found it very easily some years ago and now it has disappeared!...
Yours in peace,
Judith Badman
[Hello Judith,
I think the website you are looking for is now defunct. It used to be run by the Information Age Town project as www.ennis.ie. This has been taken over since the demise of the project by "Promote Ennis, a local community initiative that is a partnership between local businesses and public bodies, including Ennis Town Council." All is not lost, however. The website http://web.archive.org has a 'Wayback Machine' that will allow you to see some at least of the contents of the original www.ennis.ie website. Just go to http://web.archive.org and enter www.ennis.ie in the wayback engine. Then it's just a case of trawling through some of the options to see what has been saved of the site. For instance if you select June 22nd 2003 you will be presented with http://web.archive.org/web/20030623061604/www.ennis.ie/. Click on the link there to 'Online Gallery' and you will come to http://web.archive.org/web/20030623214146/gallery.ennis.ie/. Then select the 'School Days' link to reach a set of photos of Ennis schoolchildren - with some from the 1940s and 50s at http://web.archive.org/web/20030812203304/gallery.ennis.ie/sd50s?page=1. I hope that you can locate the photos you are looking for via this facility.
Best regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th February 2010
Subject: Gillespie Dunlevie, of the Clare Militia, 1813
The following quote is taken from London Gazette (25 May 1813 Issue 16733 Page 1017):
"41th Ditto.
To be Ensign, without purchase,
Ensign Gillespie Dunlevie, from the Clare Militia.
Dated May 20, 1813"
Would you have any information pertaining to Gillespie Dunlevie (1799 or 1800 to 1859, tho' the 65th Regiment records says he died 1840, which is very incorrect)? He is also written up in the records of the 44th Regiment, and elsewhere.. In fact, would you have any information pertaining to the any Dunlevie family in that area, from that era (1780-1820)? I know that Charles Thomas Dunlevie (corn factor, Liverpool). I suspect that George Dunlevie (1843 Trinity Law) was also his brother. I think an early pre-1820 Dublin address was 24 Crown Street (but I do not have my data at hand, as I type, so the street number may be incorrect). I doubt that Rev. Stephen Dunlevie was his father, but may have been uncle. I have assorted addresses in Dublin and some useful data if such is desired.
Thanking you, in advance, for your kind assistance,
Allan Feldberg
[Dear Allan,
Note that the Clare Militia was stationed in England in in the years 1811 to 1813 (See "The Irish Ancestor," number 2, 1969, page 110). This might indicate that Gillespie Dunlevie was an Englishman who joined the militia at a local base in England. There should be pay and muster books in the UK national archives in Kew which should have details of men who served with the local militia, including the Clare Militia. See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/. I do not have any information on the Dunlevies to hand here in Ennis, unfortunately. As you mention George Dunlevie and Trinity College, Dublin, I note two Dunlevie entries (George, of County Kerry, 1843; and John, of County Donegal, 1832) in "Alumni Dublinenses: a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Dublin" (1924, page 250) along with a Dudley Dunleavy (Dunleavey, 1747); a Thomas Dunleavy (Donlevy, 1780); and a John Dunlevy (1804). There was a history of the Dunlevy family compiled in 1901. Gwendolyn D. Kelley. "A genealogical history of the Dunlevy family, Don Levi, Donlevy etc." printed in Columbus, Ohio in 1901. (Listed in Brian de Breffny's "Bibliography of Irish family history and genealogy" (Dublin, 1974, page 55). I list underneath the Donlevy, Dunleavey, Dunlevie, Dunlevee names listed in Rosemary ffolliott's "Index to biographical notices in the newspapers of Limerick, Ennis, Clonmel and Waterford, 1758 - 1821".
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Mrs John Donlevy
"Limerick Chronicle" Saturday 26 October 1799
Dublin 24th: Died on the 12th inst, Mrs Donlevy lady of John Donlevy Esq co Kerry;

Rev. Mr Dunleavey
"Dublin Hibernian Journal" Friday 7 June 1782
Married in Thurles, co Tipperaray, the Rev. Mr Dunlevey to Miss Moore dau of John Moore of Ardmoyle Esq
(Note: Dunleavey and Dunlevey are spelled variously in this 1782 entry.)

Mrs T.B. Dunlevie
"Clonmel Herald" Saturday 31 July 1802
Died at Cashel in the prime of life, the wife of the Rev. T.B. Dunlevie after a lingering and painful illness

Miss Dunlevee
"Clare Journal" Monday 11 December 1809
Married Mr Samuel Salmon to the dau of the Rev. T. Dunlevee of Cashel

Date: 2nd February 2010
Hi,
I recently helped my brother-in-law and author of the "Blood on the Banner" Padraig O'Rourke set up a website dedicated to research of the War of Independence in Co. Clare. Himself and two other contributors have scribed an impressive body of work and I'm sure that all students of local history in County Clare would find it useful. The URL is http://www.warofindependence.net
Liam Hogan
Library Assistant,
Watch House Cross Community Library,
Limerick City.
[Hello Liam.
Pádraig has already featured the website on our Clare Past online forum (http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=879), and we have also featured it on the library blog (http://clarelibrary.blogspot.com/2010/01/war-of-independence-in-clare.html) and on our Clare History links page at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/links/history.htm - there is a link to this links page from the main Clare History page at http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/intro.htm.
I wish you both the best of luck with this very worthwhile project,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 29th January 2010
Shannon Town:
I have just taken time on your brilliant Clare Library site – and I am trying to get some additional background for the Shannon area. The past of Murphy’s cottage, the tower house in Smithstown and Ballycasey House (Anna Rigg?) are quite difficult to trace on the site (I’m sure its there but I can’t find it) – and this information might help to give a little more depth to the online presence of the area.
http://tinyurl.com/yg5ycs2
http://tinyurl.com/yz9ogk9
Thanks again.
Victor O’Sullivan,
Shannon.
[Dear Victor,
Thanks you for your email, and I’m glad you enjoy using the website. In relation to your queries:

Murphy’s Cottage. We don’t have any material online on the past of Murphy’s Cottage, apart from the photo you found in the online photographic collection. As far as I know there is material in the Local Studies Centre on the cottage. There is a collection of material by Inike Roelfs in the Centre dealing with the Shannon region which has material on the cottage.

Smithstown Castle: All archaeological monuments in the county are listed in our Archaeology section and each monument has its own webpage where we gather together material on that monument. If you look under Tower Houses, you will find a link to material on Smithstown Castle (Drumline: there’s one in Kilshanny as well) which includes two archaeological accounts and a link to the site of the castle on the Ordnance Survey Maps. If we had photographs of the castle, there would be a link to them from this page also.

Ballycasey House: We don’t have material on the site on Ballycasey House, apart from being able to locate it on the Grand Jury Maps and the Ordnance Survey Maps. There should be information on the house in the Local Studies Centre as well.

From the beginning we have been conscious of making the website easy to navigate and we provide a number of access points to the content. Where possible, we also try to link between the various types of material on the site. We gather as much material as possible under ‘Place’, so a good starting point for you would be the Shannon (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/snntown.htm) and Newmarket (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/noftown.htm) pages, and the Drumline Parish page (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/dromline.htm) for overviews of material on those areas.

As I mentioned, our archaeology section lists all monuments as defined by Dúchas and links to material on them. The online maps are also relevant to any archaeological search. The Ordnance Survey Maps in particular (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/map/gisSearch.htm) map all the monuments listed in the archaeology section. It can often be easier to locate sites on the maps if you are not sure what a site in called, for example.

Of particular interest to you might be William Ryan’s thesis on the Monuments in Barony of Bunratty Lower – a very detailed archaeological survey of the area.

The online photographic collection (http://foto.clarelibrary.ie/fotoweb/) is obviously another resource worth searching. You can search here by object or place name. For example, by searching by townland name, photos of anything in that townland will be called up.

The search box on page (http://www.clarelibrary.ie/search.html) will search the website for any term.

We don’t have material on every aspect of Clare on the site (yet!) but we are adding material all the time. A good way to keep an eye on things is to check What’s New where we list all new material as it is posted. I hope this has been helpful, and please contact me if I can help any further. We really value feedback from our users.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 29th January 2010
Ref 2007.32 Irish Parliamentary Party 1885.
Dear Librarian:
I see you have the above picture as a recent acquisition. Do you have any prints for sale of this picture, or could I download it as a jpg file? I am in California. My great-grandfather is in the picture, and an American niece of mine has two great-grandfathers in the picture, so I would love to get a copy for her. If you don’t have copies of it, do you have any suggestions where I could get one? I have already tried the National Gallery without any luck.
Thank you,
Joan Regan,
California USA.
[Hello Joan,
you can download the image directly directly from the website. Just go to
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseum/acquisitions/irish_parliamentary_party1885_print.htm
Click on the image there to get to a larger version of the image at
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/claremuseum/acquisitions/irish_parliamentary_party1885_print_lge.htm
and then you can right-click with your mouse and save the image to your computer.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 28th January 2010
Hi,
I am trying to identify the date on which the charter for Ennis was issued. Frost dates it to 12 Septemer 1612, but this is not correct; that is the date on which the letters patent were issued; the charter would have been issued subsequently. Do you know if a copy of the charter exists (perhaps in the LH collection), or if it has been transcribed/published anywhere. I would have checked Ó Dalaigh's Corpo. book, but it is not in my library at present. Apologies for any inconvenience, and best wishes.
Is mise
Dr Brian Gurrin,
Roinn na Staire,
Ollscoil na hÉireann Má Nuad
[Dear Brian,
the point is canvassed in two places, on pages 15 and 16, and 383 - 393 of Brian Ó Dálaigh's Corporation book of Ennis (Dublin: Irish Academic Press, 1990); and in Ciarán Ó Murchadha's "Ennis in the seventeenth century" in The Other Clare, vol. 8, 1984, pages 65 - 68. There is a transcript of a copy of the original charter, in English translation, in Ó Dálaigh's book at pages 386 - 393. Ó Murchadha writes (on page 68): 'In its history, Ennis received two royal charters, the first by James I in 1613, the second by his grandson James II in 1687. The second of these was invalidated after the defeat of the Jacobites, so that for practical purposes, from 1613 to 1840, the town's affairs were governed by the first charter. This charter of 1613 seems to have disappeared, but an eighteenth century translation of the Latin original has been located in the National Library of Ireland (Ms. 10,163), along with the names of the first provost and burgesses.' Ó Dálaigh notes (page 385): 'The original 1613 charter was lost in the seventeenth century, probably during the upheaval associated with the 1641 rebellion when the English settlers had to flee town. ... The loss of the original charter [attested copies used in their place] caused great difficulty and was to lead indirectly to the demise of the corporation in the nineteenth century.' Ó Dálaigh notes: 'Ennis was just one of forty boroughs created at this time [1613], the purpose of their creation was to provide a Protestant majority for the Dublin Parliament' (page 16).
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 27th January 2010
Hello. My great great grandmother was born in Feakle in 1831. She came out to Australia with her family in 1849 as assisted immigrants. Her name was Mary Hartneady. Her parents names were Thomas and Annie Hartneady, and they had other children – Thomas, John, Catherine, Bridget and Margaret. We are having a trip to Ireland in May this year. I’m very excited to be able to visit Feakle while there (although it will only be a very quick stop as we are travelling with friends). I was wondering if the Library would have any information on families for that time. I don’t know where they lived, or where she was baptized etc. Would it be worth my while calling into the library when I visit the town? I don’t want to waste our friends time on something that is my own particular interest, I’m looking forward to just seeing where we came from.
Kind Regards,
Therese Whalan,
Australia.
PS: do you pronounce Feakle, similar to the word treacle?
[Dear Therese,
Feakle, from the Irish 'Fiacal', meaning a tooth, serrated edge or verge, or a tooth-like crag, is pronounced liked treacle, as you suggest. See here for an 1837 description of the parish of Feakle. Note that Feakle names a parish, a townland and a town.You can see the location of the parish of Feakle at this link, where the parish of Feakle is numbered 33. For Mary Hartneady, born 1831, the closest family history resource for Feakle is the listing of tithe payments made in 1827. See here... In this 1827 listing, we note a Thomas Hartneedy returned in the townland of Lower Cahir where he held a land holding with a John Thornton. There is also a Michael Hartneedy returned in 1827 in the Knockbeha / Upper Flagmount townlands. See here for an outline map of the parish showing its townlands. For Lower Cahir (1827 terminology), you are looking at the townalnds of Caher (Power), numbered 10 and Caher (Rice), numbered 11. Knockbeha is numbered 70 with Flagmount numbered 54. Thus, the area of Feakle which is of interest for your Hartneady family history is clustered in these four townlands in the centre of the parish. I note the following historical background from John Clancy's "Short history of the parish of Killanena, or Upper Feakle" (1964, page 7):
The river Graney emerges from the lake (Lough Graney) at its southern end and is spanned by Bunshoon Bridge, over which we pass into the townland of Caher Power. Keeping to the shore of the lake, we pass from Caher Power into Caher Rice. The two Cahers formed part of Teige MacNamara's lands until the year 1641, when they were disposed of to Thomas Power and James Rice. The Commission of Grace, set up by King Charles II, confirmed Power's title to 222 acres and one quarter of Caher, and the Deed was registered on 18th November, 1684. Caher House is in the townland of Caher Rice, but it was not built until towards the end of the eighteenth century, when the O'Haras purchased Caher. In 1790 and 1791 Robert O'Hara was awarded premiums from the Dublin Society for his "extensive and elegant plantations". You can see the location of Caher, Caher House, Knockbeha and Flagmount as well as Lough Graney and the river Graney on this 1922 map of County Clare, There are general family history resources for the parish of Feakle here. By the time of the 1855 valuations, there are no Hartneady families returned in Feakle. Unfortunately the Catholic parish register for Feakle begins relatively late, in 1860/61, and so it will sadly not be possible to trace Mary Hartneady's baptism. Biddy Early was a noted woman of Feakle and you can read about her here. I wish you and your travelling companions a wonderful trip to Ireland in May.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 27th January 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
Do you know of a website from which I can download a recording of Cúirt an Mhean Óiche.
I want to place it on an Ipod to listen to.
Kindest Regards,
Ryan Redmond
[A Chara,
Thank you for your enquiry. I don't know of any such website but we do have CD copies of Fiachra O'Ceallaigh reciting Cúirt an Mhean Óiche which I can send to you free of charge. If you are interested please let me know your postal address.
Regards,
Siobhán Mulcahy,
County Arts Officer]

Date: 26th January 2010
Murphy Hynes Kilkee Collection
Both my parents had so much fun looking at the pictures of Kilkee this past weekend. They saw a few people they knew, like the mailman Mick Liddane, and a few people on the picture of the last day the train ran in Kilkee. We also looked up the 1901 and 1911 census and found my grandparents families. What a wonderful resource!
Thanks,
Sheila Haugh

Date: 26th January 2010
A chara,
I am an employee of Kilkenny County Council in an engineering capacity on the major inter-urban routes in the South East (M8, M9, N24, N25 etc.) and would use mapping resources on a routine basis. I find the information provided by Clare Library remarkable and wondered how the various maps were procured, e.g. were the Down Survey Barony mapping and Grand Jury mapping scanned in-house or contracted? Do you know if the Down Survey parish maps can be bought, I believe some are available from the “Reeves Collection” in London. The maps we use are usually available through the OSI by way of the CCMA agreement (Discovery, 1:2500 vector, 6” scans., 25”scans etc).
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Le dea-mhéin,
Con Daly
[Con,
thanks for your kind comments on our online maps. We have a policy of making available online as much out-of-copyright local studies material relating to Clare as possible. Our online maps are simply digitized versions of some of our map collections held in the Local Studies Centre here. We commisioned GBM in Limerick to scan each map, and then for the ones you mention below we got Digiscan in Dublin to convert these scans to DjVu format. We then simply organised these DjVu files and uploaded them onto our website. I'd recommend you contact the Local Studies department of Kilkenny County Library to see if they have copies of any of the maps you're interested in...
I hope that's of some help.
Mise le meas,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library

Date: 22nd January 2010
Subject: Kilchreest Graveyard
Hello from Australia.
Thank you for adding the cemeteries to your site. The records have kept me very occupied. There seems to be a discrepancy with the below transcription; ie Patrick O’Dea would have been born c1797 while his wife would have been born c1907!! Is it possible for you good people to verify this transcription?
Many thanks,
Margaret O'Heir
--------
C98.
Erected by John O’ Dea of Sydney
In memory of his father
PATRICK O DEA
Who died April 29th 1890
aged 93 years
Also his mother Mary O’ Dea
who died 15th Sept 1975
aged 68 years
---------------
[Hello Margaret,
Oops, that looks like an error. It probably should be 1980. I’ll contact the group who transcribed the graveyard and ask them to check it. Thanks for bringing it to our attention,
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 20th January 2010
Subject: Eugene O'Curry/Michael Cusack Image Research.
Hello, I'm hoping you can help me. I am emailing on behalf of Martello Media who are researching, designing and installing a permanent exhibition for the new visitors centre that will open in Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin, Ireland in Spring 2010. The exhibition will cover the history of the cemetery and the stories of some of the people who are buried there; names including Daniel O’Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera and Brendan Behan amongst many others. An element of the exhibition will be an interactive timeline which will contain the stories of approximately 200 people. Each individual will have an entry on a timeline which will span almost 200 years. A visitor to the exhibition will be able to select a person they are interested in on a touch screen and a short paragraph will appear with some biographical information and a selection of photographs & documents digitally reproduced. There will also be a photograph of their grave and a portrait wherever possible. Each photograph/document will also be captioned. If the viewer would like further information on the person they have chosen they will have the option to select a longer and more detailed biography. This pattern will be reproduced for all 200 entries. With that in mind we are contacting you with regard to images and documents you have in relation to Eugene O' Curry (1794 - 1862) and Michael Cusack (1847-1906) in your online photo collection. The image references are as follows:
MJG_1165_01 Michael Cusack's Birthplace, Michael John Glynne Collection;
SCH_CL795711 Michael Cusack's Birthplace, Schorman Collection;
ITA_CL350251 Birthplace of Eugene O'Curry (1943), [Irish Tourist Association Survey Collection].
We are hoping that you might be able to provide us with permission to use these images. Ideally we would require these images sent to us in a high resolution digital format. If you are aware of any other material relating to Eugene O'Curry or Michael Cusack in the library collections I would be very grateful if you could let me know. Any assistance or information you can give us would be much appreciated...
Kind regards,
Michelle Dempsey,
Martello Media,
Dublin
[Hello Michelle,
We are happy to supply you with the three images relating to Eugene O’Curry and Michael Cusack and with permission to use them - we have given Martello Media images in the past, e.g. for the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre. We have other material relating to the two men in our Local Studies Centre if you would like to contact the librarian there, Peter Beirne.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 18th January 2010
Hi,
I just tried to search for my Clare surname on your site and come up with nothing. Before when I searched there were quite a few entries. What have you changed or what am I doing wrong?
The name is GUINANE.
Thanks.
Toni Mason
[Hello Tony,
when I search the website for 'guinane' I get 54 results. Over the past year or so we moved the website to a completely new server, and are using a new (improved) search engine (on a GoogleMini server). When you did your search did you search using the GoogleMini option on the search page?
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]
Thanks for getting back to me. I did use the Google search and it said 7 results, the rest up to 54 were just repeats so I didn't go to them. This morning I did and there are the results I was looking for. I wonder how many others make this same mistake? Appreciate the timely response. You have a wonderful site and one that is always improving. Keep up the good work!
Toni Guinane Mason
New York State

Date: 12th January 2010
I continue to be very impressed by your website and your commitment to place data online – invaluable to people like myself who cannot just pop in to the library! Last night I found the graves of my great-great-grandparents Thomas and Mary Clancy, and two of their sons, among your records for Drumcliff graveyard – a huge thank you for that! Thomas Clancy was a boot and shoemaker in Chapel Lane, Ennis. After his death in 1868, his widow Mary ran the business until it was taken over by their eldest son Stephen, who had moved the business to Church/Abbey Street by 1893. Another son, John, also became a boot and shoemaker in Ennis, and three daughters ran shops in the town. Three sons – Michael, Antony and James – became priests. Finally one son, Thomas – my great-grandfather – left Ennis to join the British Civil Service, working in England and Scotland... I have written up my notes, and I attach these in case you would like to have a copy to put in the library and/or on the website.
Virginia Silvester,
England
[Dear Virginia,
Many thanks for sending us your excellent account of Thomas Clancy and his family. I will add it to the Family History section of Donated Materials.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 12th January 2010
(Continued from 11th Jan below re map of Clare re traditional musicians:)
Here is what's left of the page..., per the note at the bottom...but nothing you click on will open. Perhaps this will ring a bell with Clare Education or your own folks...it was superb. When you clicked on the bottom icons, each page opened beautifully, showing exactly what was listed as seen on this page.
Thanks.
Judith Merrill
[Hi Judith,
that map page belonged to the Clare Education Centre (http://www.clareed.ie/). It isn't available from its creators anymore, as you say, but by using the Wayback facility of the Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/) I was able to find it! See http://web.archive.org/web/20071118201316/http://clare-education-centre.ie/mtm/map2.php for this map which has been preserved by the Internet Archive...
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 11th January 2010
Hello there
...trying desperately to locate again a Map of Clare, by Parish, that upon clicking on each Parish, it had a beautiful list of the most famous Traditional Musicians by Instrument. It was fabulous in that it had the instruments and the Clare people who made them famous. Could you give me a pointer if you know of it? The map was grand, colourful, done not too long ago, so it's NOT historical, but very interactive, and still gave the names/instruments of the most famous musicians of Clare deserving to be listed in such a tribute...
Thanks so very much.
Judith Merrill,
Spanish Point.
[Hello Judith.
I'm afraid we have never encountered that map. We would love to find it ourselves as it does sound very very useful. I'd recommend you contact Comhaltas (http://comhaltas.ie/) - they may be able to help. They do have an archive of Clare music at Cois na hAbhna . See this link also for a good site for info on Clare musicians - http://www.rocheviolins.com/html/traditional_irish_music_in_mun.html#Clare. If you do locate the map please do get back to me as we'd love to have that info. You could also try posting your query on our online forum facility at http://www.ourlibrary.ca/phpbb2/. You will need to register first before you can post but that is a simple enough operation.
All the best,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library
(Continued on 12th January above)

Date: 11th January 2010
Hello. I am researching my family tree that goes back to late 1600's in Ireland. There is a leaf that has Eliza. Johnson marrying a Ralph Westropp Esq, around 1750's. She was the daughter of William Johnson born in Limerick. She also had a sister Amy who married Thomas Roberts Esq. who later became a peer of the realm. This William Johnson was my GGGGrandfather. If you have any info it would be greatly appreciated or any sites I can go to find more info, especially on a place called Dromleigh Lodge.
Thanks for your time,
Heather Jennings
[Dear Heather,
Note that the forename Ralph is prevalent across different generations in the Westropp family. The Westropp family was also intricately connected with the Roberts family over time, a strategic connection for both families. There is a marriage of a Ralph Westropp with a Mary Johnson of 'Lizard, Co Limerick' (presumed to be Lissard, Co Limerick, parish of Galbally, poor law union of Mitchelstown). This marriage may have taken place in 1759. Mary Johnson's mother was an Amy Johnson, née Massy, of Duntryleague, Co Limerick, parish of Galbally, poor law union of Mitchelstown. So it would seem that the Johnsons and Massys (Amy Massy was the second daughter of Colonel Hugh Massy of Duntryleague) were from the parish of Galbally in eastern county Limerick. Dromleigh names a townland in the parish of Kilgullane, County Cork, poor law union of Mitchelstown and I imagine that Dromleigh Lodge must name a house in this vicinity (or perhaps in the adjoining parish of Brigown which adjoins the Cork and Limerick border). The parishes of Kilgullane and Brigown (both county Cork) and Galbally (county Limerick) all fall within the one poor law union (a form of nineteenth century public administration similar to a county council in the twentieth century) of Mitchelstown. Possibly Limerick County Library (http://www.lcc.ie/Library/Local_Studies/) might be able to advise you on prominent families of Galbally, County Limerick (such as the Johnsons and Massys; the Westropps had strong Clare, Limerick and Cork associations) and someone in Cork (http://tinyurl.com/ypq5bq) might be able to assist you with the location of Dromleigh Lodge (possibly in Brigown or Kilgullane parishes, county Cork). Useful reading: If you can locate these works they should be of help to you: "Burke's Irish family records" (London, various editions, with entries on the Westropps and the Roberts); and George Westropp, "The Westropp family 1250 - 2000", published by G.V. Westropp, 36 Holley Road, London W3 7TS, January 2000).
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 6th January 2010
Hi,
I was wondering if it would be possible to get a soft copy of your photograph KHC_CL236927 The 'St. Patrick' without your watermark on it. It's not for any commercial reproduction, just for personal use - I'd like to frame it and give it to my grandfather. He recently passed the St. Patrick on to my brother and I and I know he would love to have a picture of it in its prime as a working boat. We were never able to find one before. Your archive looks like a full time job so I'm sure that you're very busy but any help would be very much appreciated.
Many thanks,
Mark Shanley.
[Hello Mark,
All the photos of which the library holds copyright can be downloaded from the website. This includes the photo of the St Patrick. The watermark will be removed. I give detailed instructions on how to do this below. If you have any trouble doing this, contact me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.

Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page. On the Foto homepage click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page. Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes. Click the Login button. The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.) Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (in this case, Killaloe Heritage Centre Collection). Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download. This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then print it yourself, or take it to a digital photo booth. You will also be offered the option of emailing or copying the image.]

Date: 23rd November 2009
I've been trying to use the online 1842 OS maps on your website but they're not appearing on the GIS screen. I've used this system successfully many times before, but now I'm unable to load search lists of townlands or monuments.
Please advise.
Hugh Carthy
[Hi Hugh,
it's working fine at the moment. I've just tried it. Please try again and let me know if you've still got a problem with it.
Regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for getting back to me so promptly. Looks like the problem is with my ancient PC running Internet Explorer 7!! I can see the maps on my laptop with IE8. Thanks for your help.
Hugh
[Hugh,
it should work with IE7 as well 8. It may be a setting on the PC. Open Internet Explorer on the PC and go to Tools, Internet Options, Advanced. Go right down to the end (to the 'Security' options) and make sure that the 'Allow active content to run in files on My Computer' is NOT checked (i.e. that the second option in 'Security' is left blank). This might fix it - it has been an issue in the past.
All the best,
Anthony]
Hi Anthony,
Yep, that worked. Many thanks!!
Hugh

Date: 23rd November 2009
Hi,
I'm Katie G. Jones. I found your blog and I'm so glad you found my film! It's been two years since I began making the film, and it brings me such joy to know you've found it and watched it. Please look at my other work here if you'd like: www.katiegjones.com
Cheers,
Katie Glanville Jones

Date: 23rd November 2009
Hello,
I was wondering if you could tell me if there were any houses or estates in the 1900's in the Cahiraclla More area or if there are any resources on the website that could help me? My great grandfather was a land stewart on the 1911 census and I was hoping to perhaps find further records for him. I think the estate he worked on was burnt down and are no remains now.
Many thanks,
Cara McDowell,
UK
[Dear Cara,
Further to your e-mail enquiring about landed estates in Cahircalla More, Clare in the early 1900s. Note that Cahircalla More names a townland in the parish of Drumcliff. You will find an outline map of Clare and its parishes here. The parish of Drumcliff (Ennis falls within this parish) is numbered 43. Within Drumcliff parish you can see the location of Cahircalla More here. The 1901 census returns for this townland are here, if you wished to compare them with the 1911 census returns. There were three possible 'big houses' in the immediate vicinity of Cahircalla More in the early twentieth century: Ashline House; Greenhill (or Greenhills) House; and Cahircalla House. Ashline House dates from the early eighteenth century and was demolished in the 1960s. In the early twentieth century it was the residence of the Roman Catholic bishop of Killaloe (see Thomas McRedmond returned there in 1901. In 1911 Michael Fogarty was the Bishop of Killaloe and resident in Ashline). Greenhills House, dating from the early to mid nineteenth century is still standing and inhabited. Cahircalla House dates from the late eighteenth century and is used today as a local hospital for Ennis. The Crowes were its proprietors in the past, and we note Wainwright Crowe as occupier in 1901 and in 1911. Was your great-grandfather named Daniel Greene or William McDowell? McDowell was a Presbyterian and Greene a Roman Catholic. It is likely that persons who worked for Ashline (then occupied by the Catholic bishop of Killaloe) would have been Catholics. Persons who worked for an estate such as the Crowe estate at Cahircalla House (Wainright Francis Crowe is listed as Church of Ireland which is to say Anglican) may well have been of one of the Protestant denominations. As your surname is McDowell I presume you are William's great-granddaughter. Note that in the 1870s Wainwright Crowe of Cahercalla owned over 3,000 acres of land in Clare. As such, he was one of the county's principal land owners and this may suggest that your great-grandfather was employed by the Crowes. See
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/landc.htm. Note that given Cahircalla More's close proximity to the town of Ennis there were a number of 'big houses' and estates within close distance. Accordingly, your great-grandfather may have been employed as a land steward on a number of estates. See this 1845 description of Drumcliff to get an idea of other likely houses or properties in the immediate area: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/dromcliffe1845.htm
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 16th November 2009
Dear Librarian.
I am hoping you might be able to help me with some information on one of my ancestors. Her name was Mina Keppie and I have found mention of her skills in embroidery, on your web site. Can you tell me anything more about her. For instance, do you know when she was born and when and where did she died. As she was so accomplished in the art of embroidery and it is also one of my loves, I am hoping you might be able to give me something more about her. Can you also tell me where I might see some Clare Embroidery. Thank you for any assistance you might be able to give.
Ann in Australia
[Dear Ann,
I have some few items on Clare embroidery which make passing reference to Mina Keppie. In one of them ('Ballyalla and the Clare embroidery class,' The Other Clare volume 29, 2005) there is a photograph of Mina Keppie. I do not have details on the birth or death of Mina. She is not listed in the Clare 1901 census
nor is she returned on the 1911 census returns which have been released to the public on the National Archives of Ireland website. Perhaps she returned to Scotland after her period as manageress of the Clare embroidery school in Ballyalla. If you e-mail me your full postal address in Australia I will be happy to post out to you a few items dealing with the local embroidery school and with Mina Keppie.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.

Date: 9th November 2009
Hi Clare Library,
please accept the attached donations regarding Baptism & Marriage Records for the Parishes of O'Callaghans Mills and Tulla.
Kind Regards
Vicki Allen,
Australia
[Dear Vicki,
It was very considerate of you to donate the Baptism & Marriage Records for the Parishes of O'Callaghans Mills and Tulla. We will post them on our site as soon as possible.
Sincere thanks,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 29th October 2009
Digital Books.
Congratulations on the idea of pulling together this bibliography of Clare & Irish literature which can be accessed online with a few mouseclicks. Congratulations too on the amount of material you have harvested and on its simple and easily browseable presentation. There really is something for everyone here - art, history, archaeology, politics, folklore, genealogy, you name it. The organisations which are putting the old books and papers on line are generating a veritable avalanche and hundreds (or thousands?) of new titles are appearing each week. I've just come across one which you might like to add to your list. It's called "A general history of Ireland, from the earliest accounts to the close of the twelfth century, collected from the most authentic records. In which new and interesting lights are thrown on the remote histories of other nations as well as of both Britains, Volume 1" by Silvester O'Halloran. Published in two volumes in 1778 and dedicated to the Right Honourable Morough O'Brien, Earl & Baron of Inchiquin, Baron of Burren, and Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the County of Clare. Volume 1 has 307 pages and an extensive index. I presume Volume 2 will also come online at some future date. Not being a professional historian I can't vouch for the accuracy of this book and leave those judgements up to others. Whatever, it's fun to read.
Paddy Casey,
Switzerland
[Hello Paddy,
thank you for your kind comments on our new project. Your suggested book has now been added to the list - under 'General History - Ireland'.
Regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd October 2009
Yesterday on RTE1 radio there was a programme discussing a short-list of 30 Irish books. I don't even know what I was doing, or when, but the radio which is constantly on in the background somehow filtered into my brain. One book in particular was discussed, briefly, and the presenter even said that they had an earlier interview with the author. This was then played and it was the author reading from his book - bear with me - and it went something like this: “17 hours ago I was playing with my daughter, 15 hours ago I was etc, 12 hours ago I was et 10 hours ago etc.” There was something about the police calling, obviously the daughter dies, something about this man going upstairs, turning out the lights, turning off the phone and seeking a few quiet hours before the friends relatives etc arrived to console and grieve. Have you any idea what I am talking about? I thought the author's surname was McKenna, but I have spent the morning Googling, and even going through RTE book reviews to no avail. Do any of you literary genii know what I am talking about?
Yours, in earnest,
Frances G
[Hi Frances,
the book that you heard discussed yesterday on RTE as one of the 30 Great Irish Books – would it be The Space Between Us by John MacKenna? It is available in the library.
Carrie Stafford,
Clare County Library]
Dear Carrie,
...thank you for bothering to reply, and yes, that is exactly the book and the author. I of course had mis-spelled his name and had reached a dead end. Truly grateful for your time and knowledge.
Frances G

Date: 16th October 2009
Placename query
Dear Sir/Madam,
I was wondering if you knew where the village of Montpelier (part of O'Brien's Bridge/Montpelier) got its name from and if there is a connection between it and Montpellier in France? I have searched your website and other websites and have had no luck in finding out yet.
Thanks and kind regards,
Dónal Palcic,
Dept. of Economics,
University of Limerick
[Dear Dónal,
Montpelier names a town and a townland in the parish of Stradbally in County Limerick. Obriensbridge, for its part, names a town and a townland and a parish in County Clare. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/parishes_map.htm where the parish of O'Briensbridge is numbered 52. Within O'Briensbridge parish, you can see the location of the townland of O'Briensbridge (numbered 26) here, http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/obriensbridge_townlands.htm. Note that Montpelier also names a townland in County Galway (parish of Athenry) and in County Dublin (parish of Monkstown). I think for reliable information on the placename Montpelier in County Limerick it would be best to check the County Limerick Ordnance Survey name books, otherwise known as the 'Field name books for the civil parishes of County Limerick' (looking in Stradbally parish). These date from 1839/40 and are contemporaneous with the Ordnance Survey maps for the county. These are available for consultation in Limerick County Library, http://www.lcc.ie/Library/Local_Studies/. Patrick J. O'Connor in his 2003 book on fairs and markets notes an 1814 faction fight in Montpelier during a fair day. Montpelier, like nearby Castleconnell, also boasted a spa in its past. Brian Hodkinson of the Limerick Museum has alluded to Montpelier in recent editions of the North Munster Antiquarian Journal (vol. 40, 2000, pp. 96/7; vol. 43, 2003, p. 117) where he suggests that the townland might in fact be part of its adjoining townland of Portcrusha, Montpelier being in effect Portcrusha Upper or Portcrusha North. Hodkinson has some dicta on the origins of the placename Montpelier in the 2000 volume at page 97. I hope Limerick County Library can assisit you further with the name books for Stradbally parish.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.]

Date: 25th September 2009
Thank you for your very helpful site, and to the people who donation information re County Clare. My ancestors are from Killow, Patrick and Bidget (O'Neil/l) Hehir, and from the Graveyard and Headstone maps we were able to find their grave site and headstone. The descendants of this family are all very thrilled with our results of this find, now hopefully we can find Patrick's brother and sisters names, born about the early 1800s...
Regards,
Margaret,
Victoria, Australia.

Date: 22nd September 2009
Thank you for all the family history information you have made available on line. I have discovered my great great grandmother on a census record and not only has this helped my research but also brought a huge smile to my mother originally from Clonderlaw!
Keep up the good work
Tony

Date: 17th September 2009
Dear Librarians,
Thank you for your wonderful website It is very helpful to those of us who live in far away countries like Australia. You have done wonders with all your information about County Clare, what a lot of hard work and time you have committed to this project. CONGRATULATIONS.
Margaret,
Victoria, Australia.

Date: 1st September 2009
I am happy to donate my extractions of "Hennessy Baptisms" from the RC Parish Registers of Quin & Tulla. Your website has been a great source of information for me, not only for genealogy but for all kinds of great info about County Clare. Please keep up the great work!!
Joe Hennessey
[Dear Joe,
Thank you for sending us the Hennessy Baptisms for inclusion in our Donated Materials (Births/Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths) section of the website. We’ll get them online shortly. Glad you enjoy the site.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 28th August 2009
Just a note to say what a excellent website you have there at Clare County library - informative, lively, easy to follow and great reading .... béidh mé ar ais arís! I came across it when I looked up Máire Rua (a name I blog with) and found out about the real/original Máire Rua...what a girl! Well done. You've certainly brought your library facilities right up to speed.
Regards
Mary Fraser

Date: 28th August 2009
Hullo to all. Congratulations on a great library site. The genealogy section has so much information. It has been an immense help in my efforts to trace my McMahon ancestors from Doonass. I visited Ennis in 2008 and met with Peter Beirne - he is a national treasure, guard him well. His assistance was spot on and very useful. Long may your site, and Peter, continue.
Jim McMahon,
Australia

Date: 17th August 2009
Do you have the number of persons / number of houses of any townlands in Feakle Parish for the years 1841 & 1851? If you do, how would I be able to obtain this information? Thanks you for your time and consideration.
Kevin Rice
Los Angeles, USA
PS: Your web site and online data therein is terrific. As a result of the information, it has made us want to visit County Clare.
[Dear Kevin,
The population of Feakle Parish (including the towns of Feakle and Baurroe) was 10,156 in 1841; and 6,014 in 1851. The decrease in population is doubtless due to the Great Irish Famine which gathered force from 1847 forwards. There were 1,642 inhabited houses returned in the 1841 census with 1,068 inhabited houses returned in 1851. Unfortunately, the personal details and information about these persons and households is not known to us, as the census head-of-household returns for the 1841 and the 1851 censuses were destroyed when the Public Record Office in Dublin was burned in 1921. In the absence of these nineteenth century records, the tithing records for Feakle parish date from 1827, http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/tithe_applot/feakle_tab.htm
and the primary valuations (known as Griffith's Valuation) from 1855,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/griffiths_parish/feakle.htm
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 17th August 2009
Thynne Family
Hi. What a wonderful site you have. It is great. I would like to see if you could help me. I am researching our family tree. My grandfather had gone down south to work and he met a girl from Churchill, Ennistymon, her name being Bridget Thynne and they got married. His name was Robert Atcheson. They had a son and a daughter and then they moved back up to Northern Ireland to live. We have been trying to trace Bridget’s parents and family through the 1901census. We have come across what we think is her family. This family comes from Churchill, Ennistymon, father being John Thynne, mother Catherine Thynne, sons Michael, Pat,and John – who all lost their lives at war - daughters Mary, Catherine and Bridget who married Robert Atcheson. We have been told that Catherine emigrated to America - no more information here - and also Mary who we have no information on either. What we would like to find out is, did Catherine and Mary marry at all and if so did they have any of a family? If Mary had any of a family, would they still be around Ennistymon or Clare area? Can you help in any way? If so it would be much appreciated.
Regards,
Joyce Finlay.
[Dear Joyce,
You have noted this family on the 1901 census (dated 31 March 1901),
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/1901census/ennistimon_ded_old_church_hill48_31_9.htm
On the 1911 census of Clare (not currently digitised or available online) there are only three members of this family returned in Clare: John Thynne, head of household, aged 60 and working as a general labourer; and his two daughters, Mary, aged 19 and a general servant / domestic; and Bridget, aged 11 and attending school. The fate of Bridget's brothers Michael, Pat and John all losing their lives in the First World War is very sad. Ennistimon military historian Gerard ('Gus') O'Halloran has noted the death of these soldiers and they are listed on the library website; see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/soldiers/north_clare_soldiers.htm
Note also this short listing of old inhabitants of Church Hill, Ennistimon: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/et_houses/churchill.htm
Note also our Vistor's Book and Kerryn Taylor's posting of 9 July 2008. http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/guests.htm
Unfortunately I have no information to hand on Catherine Thynne or on Mary Thynne. Another Thynne from Ennistimon, Sir Henry Thynne (1838 - 1915) served with distinction in the Royal Irish Constabulary and trained as a lawyer. Duly knighted, he died in Dublin. Henry's brother Andrew (born 1847) emigrated to Queensland, Australia with his and Henry's parents. Bridget Thynne may well have had relatives 'Down Under.'
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th August 2009
Hello.
Thank you for your brilliant site!! It has been a Godsend! I have a question for you. In the “Ennis National School Registers”, Register 3, Page 19 of 27, there is a Joseph Dillon listed from Mill Street, Ennis. How can I find out his parent’s name? Looking for a record of a Joseph Dillon, parents names Nora Dillon and Michael Dillon. I am looking for a Joseph Dillon who was actually born April 12, 1913, and taken back to Ireland with his Mother Nora Dillon ( Mescal ) and a Mary Mescal in 1915.The Mescals I believe are from Ruan and I find, a Patrick, Bridget, James, John, Bernard, Nora and Mary in your 1901 census. Their destination was Ennis a 22 either Mills Street, or Walls, or Mall--- difficult to read the writing! Joseph Dillon returned to the US in 1928. I would desperately love to have this information. Joseph Dillon was my father, about whom, I know little and would love to piece together his early years. He is now deceased. We will be in Ireland the first two weeks of September and will spend time in Ennis. We come to Ireland every year, and always spend time in Ennis. We love it so much. I never dreamed that is where my family actually came from - it was simply fantastic to learn that!! We have spent many music festivals in May in Ennis!! We usually rent a house in Dingle for a couple of weeks in the summer. But must spend our time in Ennis, too!!!! Please let me know any suggestions that you my have… Do you have the record of the parents of the Joseph Dillon listed in the Ennis register? Please let me know any suggestions that you may have!
All the best,
Ellen Van Zandt,
New York, USA
[Dear Ellen,
I have passed your query on to Ms Fiona de Buitleir who is on the staff of the Ennis National School. Ms de Buitleir is also very active in the Clare Roots Society. Fiona will be in touch with you shortly and will be able to check the register in the school for you.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 4th August 2009
Thank you for your wonderful web site, but I do have a problem before I can go forward in my research. My grandfather (John Scanlan) is from Lisseycasey, his brother Patrick stayed on the family farm, but as I try and look at Griffins and the census, I cannot understand the parishes, townlands, etc. In 1800-1900, where would I find Lisseycasey, townlands, civil parish, counties, baronies…?
Thank you,
Margaret Scanlan Ferris Kenagy
Oregon, USA
[Hello Margaret,
The whole townland/parish set-up can be confusing for a beginner. Your first problem with Lisseycasey is that 'officially', i.e. on maps and in government surveys like Griffiths and the Census, it is spelt Liscasey. However, it is locally and generally called Lissycasey. Liscasey in the 19th century was a townland in the Civil Parish of Clondagad in the Barony of Islands in the County of Clare. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/baronies.htm for the Baronies. The parish is number 46 on the map on this page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/parishes_map.htm of our website and Liscasey is no 22 on this map of the parish: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/clondagad_townlands.htm
Today, there is a village of Liscasey/Lissycasey in the townland of the same name.
On page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/townlands/liscasey.htm
you will find information relating to Liscasey townland, e.g. Griffiths and the Census. The Tithe Applotment Books, which pre-date the above mentioned, can be seen on page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/tithe_applot/clondagad_tab.htm. The townland here is called Lissicasey. It is not the exact townland referred to in the Census and Griffith, but would approximate it. Liscasey is also in the Catholic Parish of Clondagad. Its baptismal and marriage records date from 1846. We don't have these records in the library, but for them contact the Parish Priest, Ballynacally, County Clare.
Contact me if I can help any more,
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 29th July 2009
Firstly I'd like to say how great I think the work you've done putting the 1901 Census on line. I came across it completely by accident and have now managed to find both sets of Grandparents and Great Grandparents, so thank you very much for giving me the information to do that… Further bit of flattery for you, so pleased was I with what I found on your website that I went on to try to find my husband's Grandfather (from Co Limerick) but the Limerick site was not nearly so helpful as yours - so Up the Banner! Also I'm trying to find the words to a song which my Mother used to sing called The Quilty Fisherman but have not had any success so far. Could you suggest a website I could try?
Many thanks,
Veronica Barry (nee Keane)
[Hello Veronica,
Delighted to hear you enjoy the website. The Quilty Fishermen song is already online:
see http://www.anfearrua.com/db.asp?a=topicdisplay&tid=557814. It’s the 8th post down, submitted by ‘Pog Mahone’. There isn’t any title given, but it is the correct song.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 22nd July 2009
Dear Sir / Madam;
During my visit to County Clare in May / June of 1979, I recall some type of outdoor festival in Ennis, with people in traditional folk dress parading in the streets dancing and playing instruments. As I recall, at the time I was told that there was an annual festival hosted by a different city in Ireland each year - and in 1979 Ennis was hosting it. Can someone tell me what the name of this festival or event was that I
saw in Ennis thirty years ago? Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.
Kevin Hammett
[Dear Kevin,
I imagine that this was probably the Fleadh Nua '79, a national festival of Irish music and dance organised by Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (see http://comhaltas.ie/). The 'fleadh' (Gaelic for festival or celebration) took place in Ennis from 25th - 27th May (see enclosed attachment) and was the sixth annual fleadh. A national cultural parade took place on the Sunday of the festival.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 16th July 2009
Re: Lucas Family
I was stunned when I found this site. For five years we have been searching for information regarding the Lucas Family. In 1973 I was told that we were from Callaghan Mills. Since that time I have searched and searched, and was told there is no place called Callaghan Mills. There is a place called Callaghan, and another place called Mills, these towns exist in Waterford. So I have been searching there, but although there were Lucas Familys there, I could never find a connection. I even traveled there, and connected with another Lucas Family, but they could never find my line. I now believe I should have been searching in Clare County. My great grandfather was named Thomas Lucas he was born in Estimated birth year 1820 in Ireland. His father was Carlos (not exactly a Catholic name) Lucas, and Mother's name was Mary Noonan supposedly lived in Callahan Mills. I now believe this was parish not a town. Thomas Lucas came to Canada, then to Rochester, New York. I can do the research, but I want to believe this my first lead since 1973… Were there any Lucas families living there in the late 1700s early 1800s? Let me guess a fire burned the parish, and that is why there no records before 1850. Can you help please?
Frederick T. Lucas
Rochester, New York
[Dear Frederick,
O'Callaghansmills names a small town in eastern county Clare. It would be a little to the north, north-west of Sixmilebridge on this map of Clare http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/places1.htm.
You can see O'Callaghansmills town on this 1922 map of Clare, due east of Ennis, the county town,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/rumsey/bartholomew_john.htm.
O'Callaghansmills town is situate within the parish of Killuran. The parish of Killuran is numbered 48 on this outline map of county Clare and its constituent parishes,
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/parishes_map.htm.
Within the parish of Killuran, O'Callaghansmills town sits on two townlands, the townlands of Clooncool and Fox-and-Geese. You can see the location of the townlands of Clooncool (numbered 5) and Fox-and-geese (numbered 13) here http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/killurane_townlands.htm.
In 1826, there is a Charles (Carlos) Lucas returned in Killuran in the townland of Gurtnalassa (Gortatrassa, numbered 14 on the map of Killuran above). See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/tithe_applot/killuran_tab.htm for the 1826 tithe records for Killuran. Gurtnalassa is at the bottom of the page. Charles Lucas shared a holding with an Edward and a John Nunan (Noonan) in Gurtnalassa in 1826. Note that there is also a Thomas Nunan (Noonan) returned in Gurtnalassa in 1826. Gortatrassa lies a little to the east of O'Callaghansmills town. The name Gortatrassa comes from the Gaelic Gort an treasa which translates as the field or place of a battle or skirmish. Presumably some battle took place there in ancient times. In the 1852 valuations for Killuran parish, there is a Michael Lucas returned in Gortatrassa, see
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/griffiths_parish/killuran.htm. There are no Nunans or Noonans returned in Killuran in 1852 (dated 1855 on this page). You can see a digitised image of the 1852 valuations for Gortatrassa at this link, using Killuran as your parish and Limerick as your Poor Law Union - http://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie/gv4/gv_start.php. There is reference to a Michael Lucas from Killuran, County Clare, married to an Ann Conlan in the early 1850s in the immigrants' classified advertisements in "The Boston Pilot". At the time of the advertisement Michael and Ann were in Williams-port, NY; see http://infowanted.bc.edu/. Also in the "Pilot" is an advertisement from a Charles Lucas from the same part of Clare, then resident in Illinois. It would appear that your Lucas ancestors did indeed come from the O'Callaghansmills area of County Clare.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th July 2009
Re: 1901 Census for Moneen, Clare: Bonfil surname
Thank you for making the 1901 Ireland census available on line. It’s a fascinating record.
My wife’s mother’s (nee Bonfil) family is recorded in Moneen at:
http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/1901census/kilballyowen_ded_moneen76_9.htm but it would appear that at some stage the name has been recorded as Bonfield rather than Bonfil. In addition, the 1901 Census for Henry Street in Kilrush shows a Thomas Bonfil, lodging with a family in Kilrush, presumably the Carmody’s, who he follows on the list. Thomas is shown as being 15 years old, and from Moneen, so he presumably is another son of Patrick Bonfil’s family in Moneen and fits in neatly between Martin (aged 17) and John (aged 14). This looks like good evidence that the family’s surname is indeed Bonfil. Is there a way I (or you) can check the original Moneen census form to see what surname was recorded there? There’s also good evidence that Bonfil is the correct name from the school records http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/kilbaha_ns_roll/kilbahans_1890.htm. Here Bonfils are recorded from 1876-1970, and no Bonfields are present. We have my wife’s mother’s birth certificate, where her name is recorded as Bonfil, so we’re very sure this is correct. By the way, is the 1911 census available on line yet, or do we have to wait until 2011?
Best regards
Mr Stef Niewiadomski
Oxfordshire
England
[Hello Stef,
I have checked the 1901 census form and the name is recorded as Bonfield. It is also written as Bonfield for the same family in the 1911 census. Patrick Bonfield signed both forms. The 1911 census states that Patrick and Mary were married for 40years and had 16 children, 14 of whom were still living in 1911. The National Archives in Dublin is currently digitizing the 1911 census. According to their website, Clare will be online by mid July, so you won’t have long to wait.
See http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/about/futureplans.html
I would be happy to post copies of both Bonfield forms to you if you give me your postal address.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 16th June 2009
I was interested in your exhibits relating to Clare soldiers in WW1. Thomas Casey was born about 1882 in presumably Tubber, Co. Clare, died on 8 Aug 1918 in battlefield on outskirts of village of Mericourt, Somme, France about age 36, and was buried in Heath Cemetery, 1.5 Miles N Of Harbonnieres, Somme, France. I have his war medal and a lot of military service records that I obtained from the Australian Department of Defence.
Regards,
Paddy Casey,
Switzerland
[Dear Mr Casey,
Thank you for your email, yours is the first we have received regarding the First World War exhibition that went online just a few days ago. The narrative of your family research is very interesting and I can appreciate how rewarding this activity can be. I am delighted that you have such an extensive record of Thomas Casey's military service in the British Army. All too often the records of Irish soldiers were among those lost in the blitz in the Second World War. However, if he served in the Australian Expeditionary Force, this would help to explain why they still exist as they seem to have kept their own records. The only other complete service record of a Clareman from the First World War that came to light during the exhibition was that of a Canadian soldier. Our online exhibition is ongoing and it is intended to expand it to include other Clare people who served or lost their lives in the First World War. In this capacity we would be delighted to include Thomas Casey. I am sure his military records would provide excellent primary source information on his time in the army, the places he served, injuries received etc. Let me know if you are interested and we can discuss how we might do it. I look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
John Rattigan,
Curator,
Clare Museum]

Date: 15th June 2009
Dear Sir or Madam,
I recently visited Ireland for a holiday and to carry out some Family History research. My Great, Great Grandfather and his wife married in 1839 at the Parish Church of Clooney. When I went to Clooney, I found there was a very modern church, Pope John XX111. I understand that the original church was demolished in 1975 and I note that you have a copy of a photo from the Michael John Glynne Collection, Image 00005362.jpg of the old parish church. I would like to be able to obtain a copy of this photo in a digitised format to add to my research notes and wondered if you would be able to advise on this matter. I am compiling a family history and would like to be able to give copies to my relatives. The family history would not be for professional publication or for monetary gain. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours truly,
Phillip Coffey,
[Dear Phillip,
The photo of the old Clooney Church which you are interested in can be downloaded from the website. I give instructions below. If you have any trouble downloading it, get back to me.
Regards, Maureen Comber, Clare County Library.
Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page.
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs doesn't appear, then the image cannot be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (Michael John Glynne Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box (you can also search by JPG number). Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download. This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself, or email it.]

Date: 5th June 2009
Hello to all the staff. I would like to join with Pat Cusack in singing the praises of Clare Library - it is a Fountain of Knowledge!! I need a half dozen 'panes' to open all the 'windows' I use when tracing families - from Tithes, to Griffith Vals., Census of 1901 and of course the evictions!! I discovered that my Great Grandfather's Grandfather was evicted from Moveen in 1849 - John Mullany, 10 acres - he obviously moved to Kilrush as it appears his son Thomas Mullany married Bridget McNamara in St. Senan's Church, Kilrush on 21 July 1861. They had 3 sons and 6 daughters (I knew of 2 sons and 5 daughters and am making progress with the others with help from the 'Family Search' site.) Their eldest daughter, Mrs. Mary McMahon, is shown in Baptismal Records as 'Mary Mullany' for maiden name for her first two children. After that, in mid 1880s, she is shown as Blunny!! It now has 3 spellings - Blunny, Blunney and Blunnie. The name got lost in translation - possibly pronounced O Vulluny in local accent - but the Church wrote 'Blunny' in Kilrush!! Last year in the U.S. I met a great granddaughter of Mary McMahon who had done an amount of work on the family history - and I introduced her to your website. She was thrilled. I enjoy my visits to Kilrush Library - a great facility. Thanks.
God Bless,
Miriam Blunnie Scahill
(or my pen name, Aylevaroo, which I used on Kilrush Connect!! (I live in Dublin).

Date: 2nd June 2009
Hello,
Could you please tell us where Gurraun is? I enjoy your website, especially the genealogy. We were able to find my cousin's aunt, age 6, living with her grandmother. Are there any O'Briens or Taltys left in the area?
Thank you.
Jill Gwatney
[Hello Jill,
Garraun is a townland on the south west coast of Clare, on the River Shannon, mid-way between the towns of Kilkee and Kiilrush. On the map on page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/parishes_map.htm, it’s situated in parish number 56 (Kilfearagh). You can see its situation and extent of the townland on page http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/kilfearagh_townlands.htm. I have searched the online Irish phone book (http://www.eircomphonebook.ie) but it doesn’t show any O’Briens or Taltys listed in Garraun.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]
From Bob O'Loughlin:
I don't know if my information is relevant to Jill's inquiry but my grandfather's sister Mary O'Loughlin married a Patrick Talty at St Marys Chapel Wigan, Lancashire, England in October 1870. Patrick's father was Peter Talty. There are Talty's in Wigan, England. The O'Loughlin's once lived for a short time at Craggaun & Rineroe County Clare.
Regards
Bob O'Loughlin,
Australia

Date: 29th May 2009
Hi folks. I get communication from all over the world from people who come to Kilrush Connect having found the Clare Library site first. Others I am happy to direct to there, as they search for family and origins. In both cases they are blown away by the quality and content of the Clare Library website. I myself have been able to take my Cusack ancestry back to the 1840s, all through the website alone, without ever opening a church record or visiting a state archive. Clare Library has been plugged every week since the original Kilrush Connect was established 6 years ago. I could tell you some amazing stories of family re-unions that have been brought about from initial research on the Clare Library website. In the last few weeks we’ve heard some tough stories of the Irish Industrial Schools, but believe you me, we also have stories of such children who re-claimed their Clare roots through your site. All us Clare Wild Geese spread around the world are immensely proud of the Clare Library website – you folks have played a blinder for years.
Patrick Cusack

Date: 27th May 2009
I see on your website of Mountshannon there is mention of a memorial in St Caimin’s Church to the two sons of Rev Augustus Coglan who drowned in Lough Derg in 1876. I would be very grateful if you could provide me with any information about this happening, or about the family. They were cousins of my great grandmother. I live in New Zealand so it is rather far to come and look into it in person, but I quite understand if you are too busy or do not do this sort of thing.
Kind regards,
Geraldine Murphy,
New Zealand.
[Dear Geraldine,
This incident took place on 4 September 1876 and was reported in the Clare Journal newspaper. The news report begins: "On Monday afternoon at 1.30, the Messrs. Charles Henry and Augustus Irwin Coghlan, the only children of the Rev. A. C. L. Coghlan, rector of Mountshannon, left the harbour of Mountshannon in their schooner yacht of about 3 tons, to cross the lake to Castle Lough to meet a young friend from Dublin who was coming to them to enjoy the regatta ... ... " The tragedy is also noted in Gerard Madden's "For God or King: the history of Mountshannon, Co. Clare, 1742 - 1992" and in "Inspiring stones", a history of local Clare and Limerick parishes of the Church of Ireland. I will be happy to post out to you a copy of the newspaper report and from the two books noted upon receipt of your full postal address in New Zealand.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library]

Date: 15th May 2009
Dear Sir/Madam.
I am currently researching a book (to be published by the O'Brien Press) about members of the Irish diaspora who found fame abroad but are little known in Ireland. Among the subjects in the book are Paddy Hannan, the Australian gold prospector and John Philip Holland, inventor of the submarine. I have found your website to be an excellent source of research material on these two individuals and on Clare history in general and I would kindly ask your permission to use this material, purely as a source of reference, as it would greatly assist me in bringing the achievements of these two Clare natives to a wider audience in Ireland. I would of course provide Clare Library with full accreditation in the reference section of the book. I would be extremely grateful for your assistance in this matter.
Thank you for your attention,
Colin Murphy
[Dear Colin,
You are welcome to use the material on our website on John P Holland and Paddy Hannan for your forthcoming book.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 13th May 2009
Checking through an old genealogical chart I was surprised to see that some antecedents are buried in Corcomroe Abbey. In one case, John and Judith Hynes and fourth son were buried in a family tomb at Corcomroe Abbey. I have a suspicion this information may be incorrect because I looked up Corcomroe Abbey on the Internet & it seems to be a ruin. I would like to check its authenticity by checking local burial records. Would it be possible to see the Abbey cemetery records/death records to circa 1836-1900 to check the veracity of my records? If so could you advise what is the best way to obtain/see such records.
Barry Caligari,
Queensland,
Australia.
[Dear Barry,
There is a graveyard attached to Corcomroe Abbey which is well-maintained and still in use, and I have seen a Hynes tomb there. As far as I know, there aren’t any transcriptions for the graveyard generally available. I’ll photograph any Hynes graves there for you the next time I'm visiting the site.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th May 2009
Dear Sir/Madam,
Could you tell me please, if Clare Library has an online record of the Clare Ejectment Records of the Circuit Court from the famine years? The Ejectment Books are listed in the Circuit Court County Indexes which are at the National Archives, Dublin, but I was wondering if the Clare Library has an online copy of these records available for genealogical research, or is planning a project for their retrieval for the Clare Library. (Apparently there is almost a complete record of all Clare evictions, listing comprehensive family records.) Thanking you in anticipation. (I have recently returned from six weeks in County Clare where I visited the Library regularly in my research. I would like to again pass on my thanks for the assistance I received from your very helpful staff at the branches I visited, Ennis, Ennistymon and Lisdoonvarna.)
Regards,
Paul Gallagher,
Sydney,
Australia.
[Dear Paul,
no, we don’t have the Clare Ejectment Records for the Famine period online. We have reports on evictions from the Kilrush Union, which covered a large section of south-west Clare, for 1849. See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/kr_evictions/kr_evictions_enclosures.htm.
We also have some pre-famine ejectment records, donated by Sharon Carberry, on the website: See http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/court_rpts/ejectments1827_1833.htm and http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/court_rpts/ejectments1816_1824.htm.
It is unlikely that we will have the resources to transcribe the Clare Ejectment Books in the near future.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th May 2009
Hi,
I have looked through your archive of photos. It is fantastic. I have come across pictures of family in the above collection [Micheal John Glynne Collection]. I know it would mean a lot to my mother if she had copies of them. Can people buy copies? It would make a great gift for her.
Regards,
Dave Barry,
UK
[Hello Dave,
Glad you enjoyed looking through our online photographs. All the photographs of which the library holds copyright are downloadable free from the website. This includes the Michael John Glynn Collection. I give instructions below on how to do this... If you have any trouble downloading, please get in touch with me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.
Photos of which the library holds copyright of can be downloaded from the library website as follows:
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page.
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image can't be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (Michael John Glynne Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself, or email it.]

Date: 6th May 2009
My name is John O’Leary and I am researching my family history, part of which is the Frost family from Meelich. My great-great-grandmother was Bridget Frost, daughter of James Frost and Honora Ryan. James, his wife and four of their children came to Australia as Bounty Settlers in about 1839. One of his daughters, Mary Ann, who was married to John Millane, came out to Australia later. James’ father Thomas, married to Mary Halpin, originally lived with his parents near Meelich at their home called “Punchbowl House”. After he was married he moved to his own place near Sixmilebridge calling his home “Rosmanagher House”. I believe that Punchbowl House and Rosmanagher House still stand. Thomas and Mary had eight sons and two daughters, one of whom was James and another George, however I do not know the names of the others, nor anything about their families. I am trying to find out information about the Frost family in Ireland to add into my ancestry. Could you advise me where any of this information might be and how can I access it?
Yours sincerely
John O’Leary,
Australia.
[Hello John.
Have you seen this article on the Frost Family on our website: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/don_tran/fam_his/frost/frost_index.htm?
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 8th April 2009
I have just come across the wonderful collection of photos of Kilkee that you have on line going back through the years…
Regards
Jon Houlihan

Date: 2nd April 2009
Dear Sirs, I have in my possession a letter from Daniel O'Connel dated 4 Feb 1815 sent to William Macnamara which I think relates to the following:
"Geoghegan also highlights an incident in 1815 when O'Connell fought a duel with a man called D'Esterre, who died five days later from injuries caused by O'Connell firing into his thigh. On hearing of D'Esterre's death, O'Connell told his brother to hire a Protestant lawyer, fearing that he would be arrested. But, adds Geoghegan, D'Esterre apparently exonerated O'Connell from any blame two days before his death." [from the Observer, Sunday 16th Nov 2008]
Do you have any information regarding this?
Kind regards,
Sue Trapmore
[Dear Ms Trapmore,
Daniel O'Connell's duel with D'Esterre is quite well known, and you appear to have most of the story as I understand it. The only additional information I can offer is that Norton D'Esterre challenged O'Connell to the duel following corruption allegations made by O'Connell about Dublin Corporation. Also, following the death of D'Esterre, O'Connell set up a fund for his challenger's wife and children and vowed never to fight a duel again. It may also interest you that there are two O'Connell letters in the Clare Museum collection. These relate to electioneering in Clare in 1828: Letter 1 and Letter 2.
I hope I have been of some assistance.
Regards,
John Rattigan,
Curator, Clare Museum]

Date: 30th March 2009
Dear Librarian.
I found a great aunt Jane Murphy (married name Monahan) in your new resource Drumcliff Old Graveyard Transcriptions. The image of the Monahan headstone (Gravesite No 521) shows inscriptions for Jane and various family members. However I note that the base of the headstone has inscriptions for Edward Monahan and his wife Nora, and they don't seem to appear in the transcription database. Is this an oversight? I first discovered Jane Murphy in another of your great resources Census Search Forms 1841-1851. So much of my family history is being compiled using your brilliant website. Thank you.
Regards,
Kevin Murphy,
Queensland, Australia
[Hello Kevin,
thank you for pointing out the omission in the Monahan headstone in Drumcliff Graveyard transcription. I have added Edward and Nora to the transcription table and to the text accompanying the photo of the headstone. I’m glad you have found the website so useful.
All the best,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 27th March 2009
Hi. I have just spent several hours going through your website and am amazed by the wealth of information you have been able to put out there. I appreciate the time and effort it takes to gather that information and commend you on a job well done. I look forward to my continued research through your site...
Theresa Mullins Cerio,
New Jersey, USA.

Date: 25th March 2009
Hi. You have received many congratulations on your website but I will add mine. I have spent many hours exploring it but I still keep coming up with little goodies to help my research.
Best regards,
Kevin Murphy,
Queensland,
Australia

Date: 23rd March 2009
Hello, I have just been looking at the wonderful old photos on your library website and wondering if any of them are for sale? Would make a lovely present for my grandmother who was born in Lahinch.
Thank-you,
Saskia Sessions
[Hello Saskia,
Thanks for your inquiry regarding buying photos on the library’s website. Any photos that the library holds the copyright of can be downloaded free from the website. I give instruction below on how to do this. If you have any problems, just get back to me.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library.
On the library’s homepage click on “photos” or the photograph in the middle of the page.
On the Foto homepage click on the "Download Images" link at the top right-hand corner of the page to open the download page.
Type "download" in the Username and Password boxes.
Click the Login button.
The collections that can be downloaded will be displayed at the top of the page. (If the collection to which your photo belongs to doesn't appear, then the image cannot be downloaded.)
Click on the collection to which your photo belongs (e.g. Michael John Glynne Collection).
Find the image you want to download either by browsing or using the search box. Click on the magnifying glass underneath the photo you want to download.
This will open the image in a new window and the watermark will be removed. Right-click on the photo. Selecting "Save as" from the drop-down menu will offer you the option of saving it to your hard drive, CD, memory stick etc. You can then take it to a digital photo booth for printing, or print it yourself etc etc.

Date: 2nd March 2009
Hello,
I am trying to find the location where my wife's grandfather was born. I have a copy of his birth certificate that has the following information. The birth was registered in Ballyvaughan, he was born in 1871 and his family is listed as living in Ballynee. His name was John McMahon, his father's name was Michael and mother Mary (Collins). I cannot locate any reference to this town. I hope you can help as we would love to return to Ireland and see if we can locate other members of my wife's family still living in County Clare.
Thank You,
Russell Monaghan
Plymouth, MA.
[Dear Russell,
I would suggest that Ballynee is probably the townland of Balliny in the parish of Killonaghan. You will find an outline map of county Clare and its constituent parishes here, with the parish of Killonaghan numbered 5. (Note that Ballyvaughan is in the neighbouring parish of Drumcreehy, numbered 2). Within the parish of Killonaghan, you can see the location of the townland of Balliny here. Note that Balliny is divided into two townlands, north and south. The name Balliny comes from the Gaelic, Baile na Oi, meaning the 'sheep pasturage.' Sometimes this placename is rendered Ballynee in English as well as Balliny. There are family history resources for the parish of Killonaghan on our website at this link. I note six children born to a Michael McMahon and a Margaret Collins in the Ballyvaughan baptismal register, 1854 - 1900. Bridget (baptised 10 May 1867); Margaret (6 August 1868); John (11 June 1871); Michael (11 May 1873); Catherine (23 February 1875); and Martin (4 June 1877). You can see Balliny on the 1840 - 1842 Ordnance Survey maps at this link on our website. Balliny is very close to the village of Fanore. See this map also showing Fanore in North Clare.
With best wishes,
Peter Beirne,
Clare County Library.

Date: 26th February 2009
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am trying to trace my family. Can you let me know if there are census available on line after 1901, as this is the only one I can find on your website?
Thank you.
Emer Boland.
[Hello Emer,
The 1911 census of Clare isn’t available online at the moment, and Clare County Library doesn’t have any plans to digitize it. The National Archives of Ireland is currently digitizing the census, however, and counties Antrim, Down, Dublin and Kerry are available on their website. See http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ for information on the project. They plan to digitize 11 more counties before Clare. Our Local Studies Centre holds films of the census if you are in a position to call in, or they are available in the National Archives in Dublin.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 9th February 2009
Dear Clare Library,
Thank you for the wonderful website. I am pursuing my ancestor, John Fodge. I believe the Griffith Valuation is telling me that John Fodge lived in "Moy" in the parish of Kilfiddane or Killadysert. Can you tell me where Moy is? Is it a town? Road? Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. My wife and I are visiting Clare this Spring and would like to visit the township (if we can find it).
Regards,
Aaron Fodge,
Colorado, USA
[Dear Aaron,
In Griffith's Valuation, John Fodge is indeed listed in Moy townland, Kilfiddane parish. Kilfiddane parish is shown as number 62 on our map of Clare parishes and Moy is number 18 on the townlands map of this parish. Moy is a rural area about 30 miles outside Ennis in the Kildysart direction. If you contact the Valuation Office in Dublin (www.valoff.ie), they will be able to tell you exactly where the Fodge house and farm was located in the townland. By 1901 there was only one Fodge left in the townland, James, living with and working for a Greene family: http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/1901census/kilfiddane_ded_moy72_9.htm.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 5th February 2009
I am researching my family history and found your site today. I don't know if I actually found any of my family information here, but your website has an incredible amount of information available and I certainly appreciate the hard work that you have done to provide it. Thank you.
Cindy Hoppe
USA
[Dear Cindy.
Many thanks for yor kind comments. If you have any specific queries in relation to to your family's history, I would recommend you post your query on our Clare Past Forum. You will need to register and log in to post but that's a simple enough operation.
Best regards,
Anthony Edwards,
Clare County Library]

Date: 2nd February 2009
Dear Sir/Madam,
Your “Clare In camera” (Clare Champion, Dec 12th 08, p.23). Picture No. 3 is of particular interest to me as I actually took this photograph and still have the original copy! Paddy Ryan (second left, back row) is my brother and Dennis MacNamara (centre, front row) is my cousin. Picture No. 2 is also of interest as it includes my late father Tim Ryan-Hannon and my late uncle Tommy Hayes. I have attached another photo, which you may like to publish. It was taken in Killaloe in 1959. From the left – Jack Hogan, Mick Monahan, Pat Costello, S O’Dwyer (possibly), myself (Michael Ryan) and Pat Mulcahy. Where are they now?
Kind Regards,
Michael Ryan,
England
[Dear Michael,
Thanks for getting in touch with us about the Killaloe Heritage Centre Collection photos in the Clare Champion newspaper. I don’t know if you have seen the collection on our website, but there’s a photo of yourself in the collection, taken outside The Glen National School. If you search for ‘00005943.jpg’, or for ‘Michael Ryan’ you will find it. Thanks for sending the photo of yourself with your friends. I’ll add it to the online photos.
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

Date: 7th January 2009
Thank you for your wonderful website. It is very helpful to those of us who live on the other side of the world and are interested in County Clare. I have studied the Townland maps, Griffith’s valuation records, and the 1829 Tithe Applotment Records and they have been very helpful in locating my Keane family. The one thing I haven’t been able to work out is the current location of the old Townlands that existed at the time of the Tithe Applotments. For instance, my Mary Keane, daughter of Laurence Keane, was born at or near Ballinafad. Ballinafad was a Townland in 1829, but by the time of Griffiths Valuation it no longer existed. The same applied to Ballinacragga. I have found a Laurence Keane at Ballinacragga and other Keanes at Ballinfad in 1829. By the time of Griffith’s there are two Laurence Keanes, one in Muckinish East & the other in Muckinish West (or one Laurence leasing land in both Townlands). Can you please tell me if there is any resource which would tell me which current Townland, Ballinafad & Ballinacragga have been absorbed into? I have obtained the death certificate of a Laurence Keane who died at the Ballyvaughan Workhouse in 1910. This certificate states,“Laurence Keane of Muckinish”. Does the Library contain any records relating to the Ballyvaughan Workhouse please? Thank you very much for your assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Judy Smith,
Adelaide,
South Australia.
[Dear Judy,
It can be difficult to relate the townlands mentioned in the Tithe Applotment Books to the current townlands, as we don’t have any maps of the Tithe Applotment townlands. In your case, though, you are in luck. Although Ballinfad and Ballinacragga are no longer townlands, both are marked on the Ordnance Survey 6 inch maps of 1842. Ballinfad is an area situated in the present day townland of Muckinish East, west of Muckinish Castle. It is called Ballinafad on the map. Ballinacragga is shown as a small village of about a dozen houses on the Ordnance map in Muckinish West where it is called Ballynacregga. The Ordnance maps are available on our website here. In case you are not familiar with using the maps, I am attaching the relevant sections (see here and here). Did you know that the Valuation Office in Dublin (www.valoff.ie) holds copies of the Griffith Valuation maps which will show exactly where Laurence Keane’s house/s and land were situated? They offer an online service. Unfortunately, the records for Ballyvaughan Workhouse have been destroyed. Please contact me if you need any more assistance,
Regards,
Maureen Comber,
Clare County Library]

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