Kilmaley () is a village in

County Clare County Clare () is a Counties of Ireland, county in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster in the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern part of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council ...

, Ireland, west of

Ennis Ennis ( , meaning 'island' or 'river meadow') is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in Cou ...

. The name is from the Irish language or 'church of (Saint) Maley'.

Geography

The Kilmaley River runs through the village. Kilmaley is in the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Islands This is a list of the lists of islands in the world grouped by country, by continent, by body of water, and by other classifications. For rank-order lists, see the #Other lists of islands, other lists of islands below. Lists of islands by count ...

, much of whose land is moor or mountain. There is forestry, in which you can go on short trails and many lakes for fishing. There was a castle at Ballymacooda that in 1580 belonged to the Baron of Inchiquin.

Kilmaley Parish

The Kilmaley Parish area is the largest in County Clare. Every hill in the parish holds the remains of an ancient fort or rath, over 30 in total. As at 1845, the parish was crossed by the road from Ennis to

Milltown Malbay Milltown Malbay (), also Miltown Malbay, is a town in the west of County Clare, Ireland, near Spanish Point, County Clare, Spanish Point. The population was 921 at the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census. Name There is a townland on the souther ...

. In the 1830s fairs were held at Cornally four times a year. In 1841 the population was 4,908 in 758 houses.

Sports

The Kilmaley

Gaelic Athletic Association The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...

(GAA) club was senior champions of Clare in 1985 and 2004. There two sport fields in Kilmaley. The main field is a GAA field and the second is located behind Kilmaley National School and is used for hurling and camogie. Athletics is also very prominent where St. Cronans Athletic club lead the way in activities.

Religion

Kilmaley church was established in 1195 by Domnall Mór Ua Briain, King of Limerick and Thomond. He placed it in the charge of the

Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...

. In 1893 only part of the old church was still standing. Nearby there was a large cemetery and not far away two holy wells. The modern Catholic parish of Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly is in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe The Diocese of Killaloe ( ; ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in mid-western Ireland, one of six suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cashel and Emly. The cathedral church of the diocese is the Cathedral of Ss Peter a ...

, and has its parish office is in the Parochial House, Kilmaley. Churches in the parish include Our Lady of the Wayside in Inch, St John the Baptist in Kilmaley and St Michael the Archangel in Connolly.

Amenities

There are three primary schools in the parish of Kilmaley, Inch and Connolly: Kilmaley National School, Connolly National School and Inch National School. Two other schools, Kinkurk National School and Lisroe National School, closed in 1969 and 1970 respectively due to low class numbers. There is also a playschool or crèche located adjacent to Kilmaley National School and the main parish church (St Johns Church). There are three pubs and three shops in the Kilmaley Parish area. Other local businesses including a number of local tractor and car repair garages.

Townlands

There are 54

Townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

s in the parish, these are Ailldavore, Balleen, Ballydonohoe, Ballyillaun, Ballymacaula, Ballymacooda, Ballyvoe, Bealcragga, Booltiagh, Boolybrien, Boolynaknockaun, Boolynagleragh, Boolyneaska, Caherea, Cahermore, Cappalea North, Cappalea South, Carncreagh, Cloonlaheen, Cloontabonniv, Cloonbooly, Culleen, Derrynacarragh, Drumanure, Drumatehy, Feighroe, Furroor, Garrynagry, Glenletternafinny, Gortaganniv, Kilcloher, Kilcolumb, Kilmaley, Kinturk, Knockadangan, Knockatunna, Knockmore, Knockmoy, Kyleatunna, Lehaknock, Lecarrow Beg, Lecarrow More, Letteragh, Lisbiggeen, Lispuckaun, Lisroe, Loughburke, Magowna, Rathcrony, Reanagishagh, Sheeaun, Slaghbooly, Slievealoughaun and Tullaghaboy.

Notable people

References

Citations Sources * * * * * * * * *

External links

{{Civil parishes of County Clare Towns and villages in County Clare Civil parishes of County Clare