The following is a summary list of the Clare Roots Society publications as of the end of October 2014. More details on some of the publications are shown below the list.
- Corrovorrin Cemetery, Ennis, Co. Clare
- Drumcliff Cemetery The Hidden History of Ennis
- Drumcliff (Calvary Section)
- Clare Castle & Ballyea: The Parish Remembers
- O’ Connell Street, Ennis
- Memorials of Past Lives: St. Columba’s Church
- From A Rock To a Hard Place: the 1948 Pan American Crash
- A Terrace of Houses (A Passion of People): St. Flannan’s Terrace
- Garraunakilla, Ennis
- Steele’s Terrace
- A Century of History & Memories by Paddy Brennan in collaboration with Simon O’ Donnell, Anthony Lynch and Larry Brennan along with Clare Roots Society who prepared the historical background.
- Ennis Cathedral:The Building & Its People. A Presentation by the Clare Roots Society is available for download (pdf, 1mb) http://www.ennisparish.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cathedral_history.pdf
- A Broad History of A Narrow Street, Abbey Street, Ennis.
- St. Cronan’s Church, Crusheen.
- Old Cloughleigh Road
- The Great War 1914 - 1918 The Clare War Dead WW1.
- Waterpark House, Ennis, From The Big House To Council Chamber.
- Ennis at Work in the 19th Century
- Memories of Cusack Road / Claureen
- McNamara Park 1965 - 2014
- By McNamara Park Residents in association with Clare Roots Society.
- Summerhill - Times Past / New Beginnings
Memorials of Past Lives, St. Columba’s Church of Ireland
As part of its local history publishing programme and following on the success of Steele’s Terrace, O’Connell Street and Drumcliff (Calvary Section), Clare Roots Society will launch its latest publication Memorials of Past Lives, St. Columba’s Church of Ireland, Ennis on 4 April 2013. This very attractive and colourful booklet which has been compiled by Eric Shaw presents over forty of the fascinating wall-memorials that adorn the walls of the Church and tells the stories behind them.
At a concert in the Church some years ago, Eric was seated beside a large wooden battlefield cross that had come from an Ypres cemetery of the Great War 1914-1918. Close by was a marble memorial to George Wyndham Maunsell of Islandmagrath. These memorials made Eric determined to find out the stories behind them and the many other inscriptions on stained-glass windows, brass plaques etc that form part of the fabric of the Church.
With the kind permission of Canon Bob Hanna, all the memorials were photographed and the research work began. The Church dates from 1871. Worship had previously been held in the Ennis Abbey.Some of the wall-memorials come from other churches such as Ennistymon and Killadysart , as well as
from Ennis Abbey, and therefore predate St. Columba’s.
The memorials tell the story of the many clergymen associated with St. Columba’s over the past 140 years as well as the story of prominent business men who had contributed to the economic life of the town. Many of the memorials are to soldiers who served with the British Army in various parts of the
world , and old battlefields and conflicts are recorded. But Eric felt that the listings of the young men who had died in the Great War were the most poignant. He found these men in the 1911 Census living in the town (particularly in Bindon Street) and it was sad to see their deaths recorded on the memorials just a few short years later. Their loss had a profound effect on these Ennis families.
Names such as Blood, Crowe, Cullinan, Dwyer, MacNamara, Maunsell, O’Brien, Stacpoole, Westby are recorded as well as more controversial names such as Marcus Keane. A map of the Church is included in the booklet and all the memorials are referenced to that map. The booklet is presented in a manner that will aid a logical tour of the Church in line with the map. The publishing of the booklet has been made possible by the generous support once again of Ennis Town Council and Ennis Tidy Towns.
Memorials of Past Lives will be formally launched in St. Columba’s Church on Thursday 4 April 2013 at 7.30pm and all are invited. It will subsequently go on sale in local shops and from www.clareroots.org (see our bookshop). The launch is one of the events in the week leading up to Clare Roots Society’s 2nd International Genealogy Conference to be held on Saturday 6 April 2013 in the Templegate Hotel.
Drumcliff Cemetery - the Hidden History of Ennis
Larry Brennan and Eric Shaw have compiled a book entitled "Drumcliff Cemetery - the Hidden History of Ennis", based on Clare Roots findings from the transcriptions in Old Drumcliff Cemetery. It has been produced in a joint project with Ennis Tidy Towns and Clare Roots Society. It contains articles on the history of Drumcliff and guides readers through the historical graves in the cemetery from the Cholera outbreaks of 1832 & 1849 to the Famine Grave, Paupers’ Burial Plot and the tragic drowning at Ballybeg Lake on the 1st April 1896. There are sections covering the stonework, ironwork, flora and fauna, map of the cemetery and a full graves Index.
There are details, along with a map, of over 1,200 graves and 2,700 inscriptions which was carried out by volunteers from the Clare Roots Society and pupils of Ennis National School in 2007 and 2008. The front cover of the book is particularly striking, featuring a wonderful photograph, by Pat Brennan, of the rising sun over Drumcliff.
The book has been printed in a limited edition and is now out of print. A number of copies with a few printing errors plus errata sheet are still available. Any member who wishes to get a copy can write to Eric and enclose €10 and he will post it to you directly. Eric's home address is:
Eric Shaw
"Kimony"
Lissane Road
Clarecastle
Co.Clare
The book was launched by CRS on Thurs. 11 August 2011 in the Old Ground Hotel at 8 pm. The launch comprised a short presentation on Drumcliff and the book then went on sale at €10.
Hear Eric talking to ClareFM about the cemetery and the book on Wednesday 10 August 2011.
Clare Castle / Ballyea – The Parish Remembers
2 November 2011 saw the launch of a book written and compiled by Eric Shaw entitled Clare Castle / Ballyea – The Parish Remembers. In conjunction with Clare Roots Society, Eric has documented all the readable gravestone inscriptions in Clare Abbey, Clare Hill, Killoo, Killone, and Ballyea & Clare Castle Churches. These amount to about 2,000 records, some dating from the late 1600s. The book will help to preserve the inscriptions and to make them available for family history research. It will also help to draw visitors and fits in with development plans to promote the attractions of the Parish. The first edition of this book has been sold. It is planned to produce a second edition before Christmas 2011 and these will become available through the Clare Roots website.
A Terrace of Houses, A Passion of People by Brian Dinan
This book (available from our bookshop) is based on the history of St. Flannan’s Terrace in Ennis and the people who lived there over the past 100 years. It outlines the history, from the purchase of the land, to the laying of the foundation stone, and continues with stories of the families who moved into the houses and lived there over the years. Brian explains the original names of the Terrace were Redmond Terrace on the Clare Road side and Fogarty Terrace on the Clonroad side. Both were renamed St, Flannan’s Terrace in later years.
"From A Rock To A Hard Place" By Tony Cassidy As part of its local history publishing programme and following on the success of books on Steele’s Terrace, O’Connell Street, St Columba’s Church of Ireland and Drumcliff Cemetery (Calvary Section), as an extension to the latter and to coincide with the 65th anniversary, Clare Roots Society launched its publication "From A Rock To A Hard Place" - The story of the crash of Pan American "Empress of the Skies" at Shannon Airport on 15 April 1948. The booklet has been written by Tony Cassidy, married to a Co Clare lady for over forty-three years and living in Ennis for past eight years. Tony has had an interest in this tragic accident going back over 22 years and with assistance from the first man on the scene and now 91; from a Pan American Radio Officer, again 91 and living in New Mexico who flew sister Constellation aircraft at that time; and from aviation experts in Zurich, Switzerland and Belfast, he has finally been able to complete the tragic story. Many of the photographs have never been published before. The book was available in the Clare Roots Society bookshop but is now out of stock/out of print.
Ballynacally / Lissycasey The Parish & Its People was researched and written by Mary Hester. This book combines the history and genealogy of the combined villages of the Parish. It is the story of a group of people in a place over time. The book is for the people of the Parish, those who now live there, those whose origins are there but are now scattered all over the world and those who lived there in earlier times. The book has taken Mary a number of years to complete, gathering news cuttings, stories and most importantly meeting and sharing the memories of the people from the area who entrusted her with their family photos, histories and memories. While Mary has written a number of historical articles on different topic for magazines and booklets, this is her first book publication. Copies were available from the Clare Roots Society bookshop but are now sold out.
St. Michael’s Villas – A History & Miscellany documents the story of this Local Authority estate which was completed in 1953 – the year a beautiful community was born sowing the seeds of loyalty, friendship, good will and common cultural heritage. The coming together of rural and urban people created a vibrant St. Michael’s community, full of tradition, storytelling, music, dance and craic but, above all, friendships that have lasted the test of time. The researcher and writer of this book Cora (Hahessy) McNulty was born in 28 St. Michael’s Villas in 1957. Her book describes the simple lives people lived in the Villas on the edge of Ennis town in post World War 2 Ireland, when the economy was stagnant but the sense of community was vibrant. Cora takes great pride in documenting the place of her birth, the occupants of every house, their origin, and their achievements in sport, music and dance. The imaginative childhood of 1950s children is vividly described in word and photo. Even the dogs of the Villas are recalled. This social history project is dedicated to the memory and the legacy of the first settlers of St. Michael’s Villas. This is Cora’s first publication which is now sold out.
Other Publications
The following booklets were published after mapping, photographing, transcribing of gravestones and burial plots:
- Drumcliff, Ennis.
- Corrovorrin Gravestones
Publications by affiliated societies
Reflections from Home and Abroad by Tulla Reaching Out: at the end of 2015 Tulla Reaching Out launched their publication ‘Reflections from Home and Abroad’ in the Tulla Courthouse. This publication was a collaboration amongst Tulla Reaching Out committee members, diaspora members and other local individuals. The publication includes Tulla postcards of the village and local landscape as well as two articles written by diaspora members, Christine Loundes and Patrick MacMahon. Both members have researched their families and shared a particular family member’s story. In addition, local members, Ray McInerney, Sean Fitzgerald also contributed previous articles about two local historical places: the infamous “Souper School” and the Loughaun Mass Rock.
Committee members Michael McMahon, Sr. Eileen Callinan, Kathleen Moloney and Jane Halloran Ryan all contributed articles for the publication on various subjects and places within the parish.
Dr. Mark McCarthy and Shirley Wrynn contributed a very well-researched article on Liam Mellows and his stay in Tulla during the Rising. Dr. Kevin A. Griffin also contributed a previously published article about Tulla and its ecclesiastical origins. The publication is available for sale for €10.00 and can be posted worldwide. It is for sale locally in Tulla Pharmacy, Tulla Courthouse office (check opening times), An Bia Folláin and Tulla Laundrette. For further information, please email: .
Current projects