County Clare is located in the West of Ireland and measures about 320,000 hectares in area. It is bounded on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and on another two sides by the River Shannon, Ireland’s biggest and longest river.
The County town of Ennis is located on the banks of the River Fergus which is a tributary of the River Shannon. It is about fourteen miles from Shannon International Airport, one of Ireland’s main Trans Atlantic Airports and is also linked by rail with Limerick and Galway, the two adjacent cities. It is served by the N18 which is a National Road Route which links the South and West of the country and provides a direct road link with Rosslare one of Ireland’s principal ferry ports.
The topography of Clare is extremely varied. On the Western edge of the County is the Atlantic coastline with a combination of spectacular cliffs and soft dune systems. The North of the County contains the Karstic area of the Burren, one of Ireland’s and indeed Europe’s hidden treasures, containing as it does, spectacular landscape, a rich archaeology and a unique ecological heritage. Indeed a large area of North Clare has recently been identified for inclusion in the country’s lists of Natural Heritage Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.
The East of the County contains the high hills of Clare which run down to the great water body of Lough Derg. This lake is part of the Shannon River system and is navigable for pleasure craft and small commercial craft.
Along the Southern Boundary of the County lies the Shannon Estuary, containing some of Ireland’s deepest natural anchorages which are capable of accommodating some of the world’s largest ocean going ships.
The North East of the county contains high moor land mountains with an integral system of lakes and large tracts of afforestation.
POPULATION
In 1996 the population of Clare was 94,000 people which was a significant increase on that recorded in 1986. This positive trend conceals, however, a substantial drift of population from the more rural areas of the west of the county to the more industrialised and urbanised areas of the east.
In common with the rest of rural Ireland the county has a low average density of population at approximately 28 persons per square kilometre.
It is also a largely rural county with relatively few settlements of a substantial size.
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
Clare is a renowned centre of cultural and sporting activity. As well as containing a wide range of sporting facilities Clare is well known as the centre of Traditional Irish Music and dance. The county hosts a number of traditional music festivals each year. County Clare also hosts regular performances of theatrical and musical events as well as festivals, recitals and art exhibitions which are held at various locations throughout the county.