Parish history and genealogy

This page offers some links and resources for those searching for family history in Clarecastle/Ballyea  (Clare Abbey) parish. Click on these links to see more:

Introductory Videos:

Clarecastle Heritage, Identity and Wildlife Committee have created four videos to introduce you to the beauty and history of our community. We are very grateful to all involved for their generosity in sharing these here.

Welcome to Clarecastle

Clare Abbey and Kilone

Old Clare Castle

Wildlife and biodiversity

A brief introduction to the abundance of flora and fauna of the Clarecastle & Ballyea area’s.

Can genealogy help me to find out about my family history?

Baptism and Marriage records offer key information for families who want to discover their genealogy. Combined with national census material, family oral history and anecdotes; it is possible to draw up a very good picture of the people, places and circumstances that made up your family history

Parish Baptismal and Marriage registers are usually held by parishes (not at a central diocesan or national venue), and for conservation reasons, direct access to the registers is reserved to parish personnel. County Clare consists of 47 parishes with approximately 500,000 baptismal records dating from 1802 to 1900. The commencement date for records varies from parish to parish. Civil Record of Births, Marriages and Deaths commenced in 1864. The earliest full census available is 1901. Outside of the land records the Parish Records remain the main source of Genealogical Data for 19th Century County Clare.

It is important to remember that even in the best kept Parish Registers it is estimated that there was up to 30% omission rate. The dates shown are baptism dates, which normally took place within days of the birth. The correct copying of indexing from old manuscripts is fraught with difficulties. It is inevitable that mistakes will occur. While every effort has been made to record the index as accurately as possible, Clare Roots Society wishes to apologise to any individual or family whose family records are recorded inaccurately. Should any family or individual become aware of errors in these records, please contact the parish office to have them amended.

Information that will help your search of parish records:

The more of this information you have, the easier and faster your search will be:

  • Baptism: Parents names, date of birth and/or baptism, sponsors names, church, address.
  • Marriage: Couples names, names of priest and/or witnesses, church, addresses.