Clonlara

Village and amenities

Clonlara is in the east of County Clare in the civil parish of Kiltonanlea or Doonass, barony of Tulla Lower. Clonlara village is on the road between Killaloe and Limerick, 8 km north-east of the centre of Limerick city. In 1841 there were 219 people in 31 houses.

Clonlara has an equestrian centre and a Gaelic Athletic Association club, Clonlara GAA.

Religion

The village is part of Clonlara parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe, and the Church of Ireland parish of Kiltenanlea. The parish has two churches: Mary, the Mother of God (Truagh) and St Senan's (Clonlara), both Roman Catholic. Kiltenanlea's Protestant church (Church of Ireland) is no longer a functioning parish church, but is used for weddings and seasonal carol services.

In 1956 in Clonlara, a group of people were reputedly prompted by a local Catholic curate to physically assault two Jehovah's Witnesses and to burn the literature which they had been trying to distribute. Several people were charged for involvement in the "Clonlara affair". While Taoiseach John A. Costello reportedly "responded to a protest from Bishop Joseph Rodgers of Killaloe" by writing that he "appreciated 'the just indignation aroused among the clergy and the people by the activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses'", he also "insisted that the law had to be upheld".

Notable people

• Colm Honan and Darach Honan, hurlers
• Marcus Horan, Irish rugby union player
• Jan O'Sullivan, Labour Party Teachta Dála (TD) and former Minister for Education

References

References

1. "Census Interactive Map – Towns: Clonlara". [[Central Statistics Office (Ireland).
2. "Cluain Lára/Cloonlara". Placenames Database of Ireland.
3. "About Us". Scoil Seanáin Naofa, Clonlara.
4. "Clonlara GAA website".
5. "Clonlara Equestrian Centre website".
6. "Clonlara (Doonas and Truagh)". Diocese of Killaloe.
7. (March 2023). "The List Of Church Of Ireland Parish Registers".
8. Dwyer, Ryle. "Church pays the price for its history of sectarianism and blind arrogance".
9. Whyte, Barry. (16 July 2017). ""For him, the end times are not to be feared, but welcomed. "Jehovah's Witnesses are not," he says. "In fact, it excites us.""". [[The Sunday Business Post]].
10. McIntyre, Niall. (2 November 2017). ""I could still be playing if I had trained that bit smarter" – Darach Honan on early retirement".
11. (29 January 2010). "Horan vows to battle on for club and country".
12. (11 July 2014). "Profile: Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan".
13. (1845). "Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland".