History of Kilnamona

History of Kilnamona

Welcome to my website about Kilnamona, County Clare, Ireland. This site covers the history of Kilnamona from ancient times to the early part of the 20th century, with a special emsphasis on the 19th century. It is by no means a complete history, but hopefully it will give people interested in tracing their ancestors in this area some useful information. A good place to start is the genealogy page. This section now has a page on parish registers. A history of the local church and hurling club is also available. Politics and the land struggle is covered here. A general history page up to the nineteenth century and a page on the Great Famine can also be found on this site. If you feel you can contribute some more information or wish to provide feedback about this site, please don't hesitate to contact me.

The history page consists of an outline of parish history from the earliest tribe to inhabit the region up until the penal laws. This page also covers the holy wells and the medieval church in Kilnamona. The history section also includes a page on the Great Famine of the mid 19th century and the few references that are still in existence regarding Kilnamona during this period. The census section includes links to the 1901 and 1911 censuses as well as a summary page of the lost censuses of 1821-1891 for Kilnamona. The genealogy section includes widely available census substitutes such as the Tithe Applotments and Griffith's Valuations. It also includes sources that are not as well known, such as lists of people struck off the Public Works 1847 at the height of the Great Famine in Kilnamona and a list of people in Inagh and Kilnamona parish in 1859.

The Politics and Land section includes a summary of land agitation and politics in Kilnamona during the nineteenth century. It also includes pages on two local branches of national movements which were set up in Kilnamona in the early part of the 20th century: the United Irish League and the Land and Labour Association. A record of the sale of Ballyduffmore from the Landed Estates' records with details of tenants is also in this section. The GAA section concentrates on the early years of the hurling club, the first decade of the 20th century as well as a summary of Kilnamona players involved with the County Clare hurling team during this period. A series of team photos from the 1950's up to 2007 has recently been added. A brief history of Kilnamona Church and clergy can be found here. This section also includes a page on Fr. Thomas Quinn as well as a page on the gift of the stained glass window to the church. A recent addition to the site is an account of the Gaelic League in Kilnamona.

For those with ancestors from County Clare interested in starting to research their own family history, an essential resource is the Genealogy Section of the Clare County Library. They also provide a page on genealogy in Kilnamona.