Where is West Clare ?!?!

longyjohny

Hi

Doing some tourism promotional work , and wondering where exactly/ officially does West Clare begin? Is their any official map showing this? Is it from Lissycasey back, or does it extend more towards Ennis ?

baxterooneydoody

Lahinch to cross and back as far as kilrush up towards coore and the hand direction

longyjohny

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122285656#Comment_122285656

Surly it goes more east than kilrush town and the hand?? More towards Lissycasey. Is it shown on any maps ?

baxterooneydoody

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122285676#Comment_122285676

Not that I know of but over the years if working with people from that area anything west of kilrush was "back the west" and south of Lahinch was west clare also, unless there's an electoral map or something similar showing a definite point I would think its more an interpretation than a geographical area

Calculator123

I would have said anything west of a vertical line through Ennis was "West Clare" which would include pretty much all of the Burren as well as the ocean coastline and outer Estuary. West Clare is mostly a concept though and perhaps nostalgically includes all the tourist hotspots and more rugged landscapes irrespective of boundary.

This map from the Visit Clare website would suggest even more complication!

iniscealtra

The map is good regarding how areas are referred to n Clare.

jackboy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122289223#Comment_122289223

A line drawn between ennis and lahince would be more accurate. I would have always considered Lahince to be right on the border of where North clare starts.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122289223#Comment_122289223

That tourist map seems to be based on the official 2018 Electoral Divisions in Co. Clare, except the official area names are Kilrush LEA, Ennistymon LEA, Ennis LEA, Killaloe LEA and Shannon LEA, rather than West Clare, North Clare, Ennis, East Clare, and South Clare. The same divisions were used in the 2024 local elections.

Back in 2013, things were very different. There was a "West Clare", but it stretched right up to Galway Bay. Ennis and Killaloe were different shapes, and there was no North Clare/Ennystimon district.

The point is, the terms West Clare, etc. aren't (always) official and depend on context. The exact boundaries would depend on who you talk to.

I'd personally include Lahinch as the most southerly coastal point of North Clare, and Miltown Malbay as West Clare. But others might disagree.