Clonshire More

44 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Clonshire More, from 27 m² to 239,126 m² (23.91 ha, 59.09 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 14 neighbouring parcels touch it.

Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.

No zone of a development plan covers Clonshire More in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.

Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.

• 29 Mar 2025Conditional

  the construction of a new dwelling house, garage, entrance, driveway, packaged wastewater treatment system with percolation area and all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Limerick County Council, 2560263

• 1 Mar 2022Conditional

  the construction of the following: a four bedroom two storey dwelling house, packaged wastewater treatment system, domestic garage, front entrance, and all associated services

  Permission, 1 home · Limerick County Council, 22236

Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.

Designated sites

No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Clonshire More.

Recorded monuments

• LI020-095 Ringfort - rath
  Description

  In pasture, atop hill. Roughly circular area (32m E-W) enclosed by earth-and-stone bank (int. H 0.7m; ext. H 0.95m). Bank incorporated into field boundary system SW->NNW; continuation of field boundary to NNW now removed. Break in bank at ESE (Wth 3.5m). Interior, overgrown with bushes, is strewn with loose stones; it rises towards centre where there is rock outcropping. Four low (max. H 0.2m; L c. 14m) earth-and-stone banks, c. 5m apart, cross interior on N-S axis; these may be remains of cultivation beds. Compiled by: Denis Power Date of upload: 26 August 2011 See attached ASI aerial photographs ASIAP – taken on 04/03/2006.

• LI020-159 Castle - hall-house
  Description

  Situated on low rise of ground 45m E of the Clonshire (Cluain Siabhra) River, Clonshire watermill (LI020-132----) depicted standing close to castle on the E bank of the Clonshire River on the 1658 Down Survey map of Connello Barony (Hib. Reg.). On this map the castle and mill are shown standing on lands belonging to the Bishop of Limerick. The townland directly opposite the castle on the W side of the Clonshire River is annotated 'Graig bishop town' on the 1658 Down Survey map of Connello Barony (ibid.). The precise location of Clonshire medieval watermill has not been identified, it was located at the junction between the townland boundary of Croagh/Graigue and the Clonshire River in the area where Smithfield Mill is depicted standing on the 1840 ed. OSi 6-inch map. It is possible that Smithfield Mill is built on or close to the location of the medieval watermill shown on the 1658 Down Survey map of Connello Barony (Hib. Reg.). Smithfield Mill stands on the W bank of the Clonshire River 300m SW of Clonshire Castle. According to O'Donovan the name is derived from Cluain siar, the "western meadow" but the earliest recorded form of the name Cluonsiebria hints at a different origin (MacCaffrey 1907, 26, 28). The land seems to have belonged to the church throughout the Middle Ages and it was probably the bishops of Limerick who were responsible for the development of the settlement there (ibid.; Westropp 1906-7, 219). The earliest evidence for the presence of a borough occurs in a plea roll of 1252 which mentions five burgages at "Clonchere" (Westropp 1906-7, 219). The Ordnance Survey Letters described Clonshire Castle as measuring ‘twenty four feet [7.3m] by fifteen and a half feet [4.7m]; had three stories, of which the one next above the ground floor was arched. The walls are forty feet [12m] high and four had a half feet [1.37m] thick. It has a square tower at the north end in which ascend the stairs. This has five stories and its walls are five feet [1.52m] thick. This Castle was a firm building and stands on low ground’ (OSL Clonshire Parish). Clonshire Castle was classified by Donnelly (1999, 28, 37) as a Type 2 Tower House that is tower houses with turrets or side towers, which he described as ‘a tall Irish Gothic tower containing a spiral staircase was added to the north-west side of the castle's earlier main block, itself perhaps a hall house’. Multi-period castle with three building phases dating from 13th/14th century, the late 15th/16th century and the post-1700 period was described in the Urban Survey of Limerick as following; 'This consists of a four storeyed rectangular keep [approx. ext. dims. 9.2m NW-SE x 6.5m NE-SW; wall T 1.3m) with a five floored stair turret [approx. ext. dims. 3m NW-SE x 4m NE-SW] to the west and a three floored addition to the east. There was also a three-storeyed structure in the south-west angle between the stair turret and the keep of which only doors from the turret and the keep and the footings remain. The keep and eastern section are built of roughly coursed rubble limestone while the stair turret is built of dressed limestone masonry. The earliest part of the complex is the lower two floors of the keep [approx. int. dims. 6.8m NW-SE x 4m NE-SW) which was raised when the stair turret was added. Dressed quoins above first floor level in the keep are similar to the masonry in the turret. The west turret contains a finely carved spiral stairs lit from the south, west and north by flat arched, tooled and chamfered splayed loops; pointed chamfered doorways open to the various floors in the keep. The stairs are missing from the third floor but originally continued to roof level; the upper section forming a mural stairs in the west wall leading into a narrow round vaulted chamber with wicker centering in the north wall. The room has windows in each wall; that on the west wall is ogee-headed with hollow spandrels and a rectangular hood mould while that on the north is also ogee-headed. Pointed doors open onto the wall walk over the keep on the east side. The walls above the windows are broken as are the walls at the top of the keep. The keep has a pointed barrel-vault over the ground floor but the remaining floors are missing. The ground floor was lit from the south by a splayed loop (largely damaged), the east and north walls are mostly collapsed and there is a pointed opening to the stair turret in the west wall. There is also a spiral stairs in the south west angle of the room which originally led to the first floor but this is blocked with collapsed masonry. The first floor is now overgrown with trees. A round arched doorway led to the eastern addition, the north wall has two large round arched openings, probably windows; the west wall had a doorway to the south-west structure and there was a round arched window, a chimney and a wall cupboard in the south wall. The second floor was supported on corbels in the north and south walls. The east wall of this floor had a flat arched doorway leading to the east section, the south splay of which has a double splayed recess opening to the keep and to the east and holds a stone basin. The suggestion by the owner that there was a chapel in the castle would seem to be strengthened by the occurrence of this feature. There is a small wall cupboard to the south of the doorway. The south wall has twin-light ogee-headed window with hollow spandrels and window seats and there may have been similar windows in the north wall but they are now blocked and the jambs are missing. There is a fireplace in the south wall and a door opening to the south west structure. The third floor was supported on timbers set into putlog holes and the room was lit by small deeply splayed rectangular slits in the north, south and east walls. There may have been a fireplace in the south wall. Only the north and east walls of the eastern building survive: the south wall is represented by low footings and a section of masonry jutting out of the keep wall at second floor level. The ground floor was barrel vaulted and there appears to have been an opening in the north wall. The first floor appears to have been lit from the north by two openings; that on the east is round arched and splayed. The floor above was supported on tapering corbels and was lit from the north by a splayed opening and from the east by a flat lintelled cusped ogee-headed single-light window with hollow spandrels. The walls are broken above this level' (Bradley et. al. 1989, 104-7). Westropp recorded the following details about Clonshire; '1201 Cluonsiebra held by the Church of Limerick (B.B.L., p. 14). Reg. de S. Jacobo granted a mark off Clonshire to said cathedral (Ib., I, xi.). 1252 Suit of Adam f. Rob. Rufi Capell and T. Oregan, or Orachan, as to five burgages in Clonchere (Plea R,, m. 5d). 1336 The manor of Cluaincheur held by Bishop de Rupefort (Rental). 1586 Cloneshere encastellan (Peyton, 197). 1608 Leased by the Bishop to W. Clarke (Vis. Reg., 1615). 1641 Jas. Crowe held it (Dep., 268). 1655 Clonshirebegg and Bohirbradagh, with two orchards, held by Captain W. Piggott in right of his wife (C.S., 52). 1659 Clonshiremore held by Captain T[homas]. Walcott with a mill and Loughill (Rev. Exch. Orders, p. 51). The late Mr. George Hewson noted that there were two enlargements of the original tower' (Westropp 1906-7, 219). Clonshire Castle was described by Salter (2004, 78) as following; ‘The vault in this tower measuring 9m by 7m blocks the original stair and may have been inserted when a wing containing a new entrance and spiral stair with a hole between the two was added in the 16th century. This part has a caphouse higher than the main block. Later on another, lower, three storey wing was added at the other end. The castle was held by Jason Crowe in 1641, and by Captain Piggott in 1655 in right of his wife’. See attached floor plans of Clonshire Castle taken from the Urban Survey of Limerick Compiled by:

• LI021-029001 Church
  Description

  Clonshire parish church known locally as Templenacille described in the Urban Survey of County Limerick as following; 'First mentioned as a church of the diocese of Limerick in 1201 (MacCaffrey 1907, 26, 28) this church pops up regularly in the medieval rentals preserved in the Black Book of Limerick. None of these references provide any information regarding the structure of the building. According to Westropp (1904-5, 412), it was known locally as Templenacille. This small ruined church, built of coursed rubble limestone and incorporating boulders in the lower courses, is set in a rectangular graveyard. The east and west gables, at c. 5m and 7m respectively, are not intact. The side walls are 3.5m high (max) although much of the south wall is missing. The church was lit from the east, south and north by splayed narrow round arched windows with chamfered jambs; that on the north is blocked and the jambs are missing. There is a wall cupboard in the east wall to the south of the window and the south wall has a blocked door in the centre of the wall. The east splay of the door has a deep bar-hole. The west wall has a rectangular flat lintelled doorway and a small rectangular flat lintelled window above; this probably provided light for a west loft or gallery which was supported on corbels in the north and south walls. There is a bellcote above with round headed opes for two bells' (Bradley et. al. 1989, 107-8). Westropp (1904-5, 412) recorded the following details about Clonshire; 'Cluonsiebria, 1201. Reg. de S. Jacobo grants a silver mark on Clonshire, and a fishery at Cathyrasse (see 92) to the Cathedral, 1256 (B.B.L., lxi.); Cluaincheuer manor, 1336 (rental); Cluoinsarra, 1410; Cluancheur, 1418; Cloneshere-en-temple parish, under Kyltennan, 1586 (Peyton, pp. 179, 251). Fabric - It is called Templenacille, and is 46 feet [14m] by 16 feet [4.87m] of early, large, uncemented masonry. The east window has a round-headed light and splay of limestone. In the side walls are oblong little lights, the north defaced. The west door has a sandstone lintel 5 feet [1.5m] by 11 feet 7 inches [3.53m] by 3 feet 6 inches [1.06m] running through the wall; the jambs are inclined. There is a bell-chamber, with two round-headed opes on the west gable; below it an old oblong slit (O.S.L., p. 240 ; P. O'Keeffe, view on p. 257). The shafts of two very ancient crosses [LI021-029003-/004-] were near it in 1834 (Lewis 1837, 380). Pre-Romanesque church described by Ó Carragáin (2010, 307, 137-8) as following; ‘This antae-less church (int. dims. 7.05m E-W x 5.2m N-S) was extended to the east in the Transitional period, and only footings of most of its south wall remain. It steep west gable survives quite well until 6 May 2010 when it collapsed into the church. Its plain trabeate doorway is still intact’. See attached drawing of church doorway taken from OSL This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/2010). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 11 December 2018

• LI021-029002 Graveyard
  Description

  Clonshire parish church (LI021-029001-) known locally as Templenacille stands in S quadrant of a rectangular shaped graveyard (approx. dims. 65m N-S x 40m E-W ) enclosed by a post-1700 stone wall with entrance gate in S wall. The graveyard contained the shafts of two very ancient crosses (LI021-029003-/004-) in 1834 (Lewis 1837, 380). This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/2010). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 11 December 2018

• LI021-029003 Cross
  Description

  Clonshire parish church (LI021-029001-) known locally as Templenacille stands in S quadrant of a rectangular shaped graveyard (LI021-029002-) enclosed by a post-1700 stone wall with entrance gate in S wall. The graveyard contained the shafts of two very ancient crosses in 1834 (Lewis 1837, 380). These crosses are no longer visible in the graveyard (Bradley et. al. 1989, 108). This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/2010). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 11 December 2018

• LI021-029004 Cross
  Description

  Clonshire parish church (LI021-029001-) known locally as Templenacille stands in S quadrant of a rectangular shaped graveyard (LI021-029002-) enclosed by a post-1700 stone wall with entrance gate in S wall. The graveyard contained the shafts of two very ancient crosses in 1834 (Lewis 1837, 380). These crosses are no longer visible in the graveyard (Bradley et. al. 1989, 108). This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 2/2010). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 11 December 2018

Architectural heritage

No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Clonshire More.

Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).

Radon

At the centre of the townland of Clonshire More, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home

Landslides

The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as moderately low, low, partly inferred.

Terrain model

No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Clonshire More.

Flooding

The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.

Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.

No address of the register names Clonshire More with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Limerick.

Name

Clonshire More · Cluain Siabhra Mhór

Area

888,348 m² (88.83 ha, 219.52 acres)

Civil parish

Clonshire, and its townlands

Barony

Connello Lower

Electoral division

Croagh, the unit of the census

Census 2022

833 people lived in 248 households in the Croagh electoral division. 87% of households owned their home. 31% of homes were built since 2001. 11% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 1% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Ballinvira, Clonshire Beg, Coolballyshane, Croagh, Garraunboy, Gortnagrour, Graigue

Placenames

Clonshire More on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland

Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.