Inishcalthra Civil Parish, Counties Clare & Galway, Ireland, Lewis, 1837 description ©Jane Lyons

This page is part of an Irish genealogy web site 'From Ireland' ©Dr. Jane Lyons, Dublin, Ireland.

Civil Registration reference extracts for this parish or to see surnames associated with the parish see Scarriff BMD refs

INNISCALTHRA, a parish, partly in the barony of TULLA, county of CLARE and produce of MUNSTER, but chiefly in that of LEITRIM, county of GALWAY, and province of CONNAUGHT, 4 miles (N. E.) from Scariff ; containing 2198 inhabitants.

It takes its name from the celebrated island in Lough Derg, by which it is bounded on the south and east ; and comprises about 9000 statute acres, of which 2500 are arable, 4500 pasture, 1900 bog and waste, and 100 woodland. Much land has been reclaimed since 1820, and there is a large portion of the mountain land under pasture. Iron exists, which makes some of the springs chalybeate, and very fine limestone and sandstone are found at Salarnane. Petty sessions once a fortnight and fairs are held at Whitegates, in the vicinity.

The principal seats are Wood Park, the residence of P. Reade, Esq. ; and Kilrateera, of E. Reade, Esq.

It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Killaloe, united in 1803 to the vicarages of Moynoe and Clonrush, and in the patronage of the Bishop; the rectory is impropriate in the representatives of G. Tandy, Esq. The vicarial tithes amount to £23, and of the union to £119. 8s. 5½d. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of 12 acres in the parish of Clonrush. The church, in Mount-shannon is a neat building, and was erected by aid of a loan of £390 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1789, and repaired by a loan from the same Board in 1831.

In the Roman Catholic divisions it forms part of the union or district of Clonrush, and has a chapel at Mount-Shannon.

There is also a meeting-house for Wesleyan Methodists, and a place of worship for Baptists.

About 110 children are educated in a public and 20 in a private school. Near the shore is a circular Danish fort ; and silver coins of King John's reign, minted at Waterford, have been found in Wood Park bog.