Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for KILLOFIN

KILLOFIN, a parish, in the barony of CLONDERLAW, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (S. W.) from Kildysart, on the river Shannon; containing 4073 inhabitants. It comprises 3948 statute acres, and is almost entirely under tillage, yielding abundant crops; there is some bog. In several parts of the parish are indications of coal, and culm is obtained at Slievedooly and Clonkerry. The south-western part of the parish consists of a peninsula, projecting into the Shannon, and forming the south-east side of Clonderlaw bay. On Kilkeran Point, at its extremity; is a battery mounting six 24-ponnders and two howitzers, with a bomb-proof barrack for a detachment of artillerymen. The principal seats are Ballyartney, the residence of R. Barclay, Esq.; Clonkerry, of T. Lloyd, Esq.; and Kilkeran Lodge, the property of T. Spaight, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, forming part of the union of Kilmurry-Clonderlaw: the rectory is impropriate in Bindon Scott, Esq.: the tithes amount to £284, of which £160 is payable to the impropriator, and £124 to the vicar. In the R. C. divisions it is also part of the union or district of Kilmurry-Clonderlaw, and has a handsome cruciform chapel near Labasheeda. There are six private schools, in which about 420 children are educated. Some remains of the parish church still exist, the burial-ground of which is still used; at Kilkerin are the ruins of a small church, with a burial-ground, which is only used for the interment of children; and at Killanna are the ruins of an ancient building, supposed to have been a monastery. In Millpark is a chalybeate spring.—See LABASHEEDA.


(Samuel Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); Transcription © Derek Rowlinson, 2005-10. Reproduced from LibraryIreland. We are deeply grateful to LibraryIreland for allowing us to use their transcription.)

Linked entities:
Feature Description: "a parish"   (ADL Feature Type: "countries, 4th order divisions")
Administrative units: Killofin IrlPar       Clonderalaw IrlBarony       Clare IrlC
Place: Killofin

Go to the linked place page for a location map, and for access to other historical writing about the place. Pages for linked administrative units may contain historical statistics and information on boundaries.