County
Clare
Contents
KILLALOE |
| KILLALOE is a post town and parish, and the seat of a diocese,
in the barony of Tulla, county of Clare, and province of
Munster, 20 miles (E. by S.) from Ennis, and 87 (S.W. by W.) from
Dublin, on the road from Scariff to Nenage; containing 8587 inhabitants,
of which number 1411 are in the town. This place, anciently called
Laonia, derived its present name, supposed to be a corruption of
Kill-da-Lua, from the foundation of an abbey, in the 6th century,
by St. Lua or Molua, grandson of Eocha Baildearg, King of Munster, and
which became the head of diocese. Turlogh O'Brien, in 1054 built
a bridge across the Shannon at this place, which had grown into some importance,
though little of its previous history is related; and, in 1061, Hugh O'Connor
destroyed the castle which had been erected here, and burned the town,
which was again reduced to ashes in 1080, and 1084, by the people of Conmacne.
In 1177, Raymond LeGros, after his triumphant entry into Limerick, came
to this place, where he received the hostages of Roderic, King of Connaught,
and O'Brien, Prince of Thomond, who took the oath of fealty to the King
of England. On Richard de Clare's obtaining a grant of certain lands
in the county of Clare, this town, as contining the only ford over the
Shannon, obtained for some time the appellation of Claresford. In
1367, after the recall of "Lionel", Duke of Clarence, from the government
of Ireland, who had acquired considerable tracts of territory around the
town, Murrogh-na-Ranagh, one of the O'Briens, made himself master of all
the country beyond the Shannon, and destroyed this town and several others
belonging to the English. Gen. Sarsfield, in 1681, posted a strong
party at this place, to defend the passage of the river; but having abandoned
their post, the English advanced into the western provinces; and in 1691
the same general, at the head of a select body of cavalry, passed the river
and destroyed a convoy of ammunition on its way to Wm. III, then at Limerick.
The town is plesantly situated on a rising ground on the western bank
of the Shannon, near the noted falls of Killaloe, and about a mile from
Lough Derg, and is connected with the county of Tipperary by a ancient
bridge of nineteen arches. It consists of one square, and a principal
and several smaller streets, and contains about 300 houses. There
is a small infantry barrack. A flourishing trade in stuffs, camlets,
and serges was formerly carried on, and two well-supplied markets were
held weekly; but both the manufacture and the markets have been discontinued.
Above and below the bridge there are numerous eel weirs, which produce
a stong current in the river, and there is also a salmon fishery.
In the vicinity are some very extensive slate quarries, from which, on
an average, about 100,000 tons are annually raised for the supply of the
surrounding country to a great distance. A mill, with machinery driven
by water, has been erected at an expense of £6000, for cutting and
polishing stone and marble, and working them into mantel pieces, flags,
slabs, and other articles, in which about 100 men are employed, and for
whose residence near the works are some handsome slated cottages.
A spirit of cheerful industry and enterprise seems to promise much for
the increasing prosperity of the town. Close to these mills is a
yard for boat building, belonging to the Shannon Steam Navigation Company,
whose headquarters are at this place, and who have established a regular
communication by steam packets, for goods and passengers, up the Shannon,
through Lough Derg to Portumna, Athlone, and Banagher, and from Banagher
by canal boats to Dublin. The company afford employment to a great
number of persons in the construction and repair of docks and warehouses.
About a quarter of a mile from the village of O'Brien's Bridge is the pier-head,
where the steamboats transfer their cargoes and passengers to a packet
boat which is towed at a rapid rate to Limerick, between which place and
Dublin packet boats ply daily; the trip to Portumna and Williamstown is
beautifully picturesque. Below the bridge the navigation of the Shannon
is interrupted by a ridge of rocks, over which the water rushes with great
noise; and the appearance of the town at this place, with the waters of
Lough Derg in the distance, and its venerable cathedral rising above the
bridge and backed by a fine mountain range, is strikingly romantic.
To remedy this obstruction of the navigation, the Board of Inland Navigation
constructed a canal through the bishop's demesne, avoiding the rocks, and
joining the river beyond the falls; it has also erected an hotel, called
Ponsonby Arms, for the accommodation of families visitng Lough Derg and
its neighbourhood. This lake is about thirty miles in length, and
abounds with beautiful and interesing scenery, more especially in that
part which is near the town; the shores are embellished with several handsome
mansions, embosomed in luxuriant woods and plantations, and with several
ancient and venerable castles. Pike, perch, trout, and various other
fish are taken in abundance, among which is found the Gillaroo trout.
Fairs are held on April 5th, May 24th, Sept. 3rd and Oct 20th; and petty
sessions once a fortnight. A constabulary police force is stationed
in town. Samuel Lewis, 1837
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Edited by Pat Connors, last updated March 1, 2002