•  Moyarta, County Clare

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In 1837, Samuel Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described Moyarta like this:

MOYARTA, or MOYFERTA, a parish, in the barony of MOYARTA, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 9 miles (S. W.) from Kilrush, on the western coast; containing 7441 inhabitants. It forms part of a peninsula bounded on the north-west by the Atlantic, and on the south-east by the river Shannon, and comprises 7967 statute acres, as rated for the county cess, the greater part of which is under tillage; sea-weed and sand are extensively used for manure, and the state of agriculture is gradually improving: loose limestone is found in the cliffs on that part of the coast called the White Strand. ...

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Within the limits of the parish are the bay of Carrigaholt (noticed in the article on that place), the creek of Querin, and part of an inlet called Scagh or Poulanishery, all on the Shannon side of the peninsula. Querin creek produces fine shrimps and flat fish, and affords a safe harbour for boats that fit out here for the herring fishery. The inlet of Poulanishery, which extends three miles inland in two different directions, also affords safe anchorage for small vessels: a vast quantity of turf is annually sent hence to Limerick and other places, and at its mouth is a ferry, communicating between Kilrush parish and "the West", as this peninsula is generally called. To distinguish by night the proper course on entering the Shannon, a light has been established on the summit of Kilkadrane Hill, red seaward, with a bright fixed light towards the river. At Kilkadrane is a station of the coast-guard, being one of the six constituting the district of Miltown-Malbay. At Querin is the residence of Lieut. Borough, R. N., a curious building in the old Dutch style, with a long projecting roof, which, together with the bricks, is said to have been made in Holland for Mr. Vanhoogart, who built the house; at Dunaha is the ancient residence of the Moroney family; and at Mount Pleasant is the residence of Joseph Cox, Esq. The parish is in the diocese of Killaloe; part of the rectory is impropriate in the Representatives of Lord Castlecoote, and the remainder forms part of the corps of the prebend of Inniscattery; the vicarage forms part of the union of Kilrush. The tithes amount to £470. 15. 4 ¾., of which £208. 18. 5 ¾ is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the incumbent, as prebendary and vicar. In the R. C. divisions it forms part of the union or district of Dunaha, also called Carrigaholt, comprising the parishes of Moyarta and Kilballyhone, and containing the chapels of Dunaha, Carrigaholt, and Cross: that of Carrigaholt is a modern edifice. At Clarefield is a school, established by, and under the patronage of, Joseph Cox, Esq., aided by subscription. The ruins of the old church still remain, and the burial-ground contains some tombstones inscribed with the celebrated French name Conti, some of whom are supposed to have been visitors of the Clare family, at the neighbouring castle of Carrigaholt. On a small spot containing about an acre of land, nearly insulated by the Atlantic, are the remains of Dunlicky Castle, the approach to which is guarded by a high and narrow tower with a wall on each side; at Knocknagarron are the remains of an old signal tower, or telegraph; and at Carrigaholt are those of the castle called Carrick-an-oultagh, or "the Ulsterman's rock," said to have been built by a native of the county of Down, and once the residence of the ancient family of Mac Mahon.—See CARRIGAHOLT.

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