Clare Places: Barony of Islands: Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845

Barony of Islands

A barony of the county of Clare, Munster. It is bounded, on the north, by Inchiquin; on the east, by Bunratty; on the south, by Clonderalaw and on the west, by Moyarta and Ibrickane. Its greatest length, eastward, is 11 miles; its greatest breadth is 8; and its area is 67,101 acres, 1 rood, 34 perches, —of which 3,471 acres, 1 rood, are tideway of the Fergus, and 3,932 acres, 1 rood, 17 perches are water. The river and estuary of the Fergus form the whole of the eastern boundary; and the entire surface declines toward these waters. The western district is chiefly low moorish mountain; but the eastern district contains a share of the rich grazing lands called Corcasses, and is similar in soil to the barony of Bunratty. —The barony of Islands contains the parishes of Clare-Abbey, Clondegad, Dromcliffe, Killone, and Kilmealy. Its towns are Ennis and Clare. Pop., in 1831, 29,264; in 1841, 29,264. Houses 4,426. Families employed chiefly in agriculture, 3,055; in manufactures and trade, 1,119; in other pursuits, 824. Males at and above 5 years of age who could read and write, 5,260; who could read but not write, 1,463; who could neither read nor write, 5,740. Females at and above 5 years of age who could read and write, 2,647; who could read but not write, 2,063; who could neither read nor write, 8,329. —Islands lies wholly within the Poor-law union of Ennis. The total number of tenements valued, exclusive of those in the borough of Ennis, is 2,257; and of these 962 were valued under £5, —636, under £10, —234, under £15, —118, under £20, —101, under £25, —29, under £30, —46, under £40, —41, under £50, —and 90, at and above £50.

The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845
Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project