Clifden

41 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Clifden, from 90 m² to 170,562 m² (17.06 ha, 42.15 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 21 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 Clifden 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.

• 5 Mar 2024Conditional

  to construct a new detached single storey dwelling house, wastewater treatment system, percolation area, well, upgrade an existing site entrance and all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 2460097

• 6 Feb 2024N/a

  to construct a new detached single storey dwelling house, wastewater treatment system, percolation area, well, upgrade an existing site entrance and all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 2460043

• 30 Sept 2022Refused

  to construct a new detached single storey dwelling house, new site entrance, wastewater treatment system, percolation area, well and all ancillary site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 22884

• 4 Apr 2022Conditional

  to construct a new upper floor extension along with extensive modifications to existing split level dwelling and all associated site works

  Permission · Clare County Council, 22302

• 25 Apr 2019Conditional

  to RETAIN a single storey sunroom extension to the existing dwelling house

  Retention · Clare County Council, 19327

• 14 Dec 2017N/a

  to demolish an existing road boundary wall and construct a new road boundary wall and site entrance and all ancillary site works

  Permission · Clare County Council, 17970

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

Designated sites

• Special Area of Conservation: East Burren Complex SAC 001926
• Special Protection Area: Corofin Wetlands SPA 004220
• Proposed Natural Heritage Area: East Burren Complex 001926

Recorded monuments

• CL016-155 Enclosure
  Description

  Near the S edge of a plateau in rough pasture surrounded by coniferous tree plantations. A roughly rectangular enclosure (c. 26m NNE-SSW; c. 23m WNW-ESE) is visible in the NW corner of a field on black and white aerial imagery dated 1995 (Osi MapGenie Imagery). On inspection a D-shaped area (int. dims. 26.8m N-S; 23.9m E-W) defined by a bank at E (Wth 2.3m; int. H 0.1m; ext. H 0.3m) and a slight scarp at S (H 0.1m) was visible, surrounded by a fosse (Wth 2.5-2.7) overgrown with rushes and reeds. Compiled by: Olive Alcock and Lynda McCormack Date of upload: 5 August 2022

• CL017-109 Enclosure
  Description

  On a knoll in pasture, overlooking the Craggaunboy River c. 70m to the S and a slight depression to the N. Hachured on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. This subcircular enclosure (53.5m N-S; 49m E-W) is defined by a largely overgrown scarp (H 0.4-0.8m). The E edge may have been pushed in toward the enclosure’s centre as large boulders and spoil heaps are visible along here, and the scarp looks slightly truncated. There is a modern entrance gap (Wth 6m) at ENE and the interior is covered in grass and some blackthorn growth.   Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott   Date of upload: 16-10-2025

• CL017-110 Castle - tower house
  Description

  In a bawn (CL017-110002-), on a raised rock outcrop ridge (H c. 20m over E-SE; H 3m over W), at the E-foot of Clifden Hill, with Lough Teervicbran (a.k.a. ‘Molly Blood’s Lough’ - Macnamara 1901, 205) c. 85m to the SE and the early 19th-century ‘Adelphi House’ (NIAH reg. no. 20401712) c. 75m to the NE. Indicated and named ‘Castle’ on the first edition (1842) of the OS 6-inch map. Drawn and named ‘Teervicbran Castle (in Ruins)’ on the OS 25-inch plan (1897) and Cassini edition (1920) of the OS 6-inch map. Dated to the mid-/late 16th century on architectural evidence (Ua Cróinín and Breen 1997). Built on lands already owned before 1512 by Domhnall son of Tadhg an Chomhaid O’Brien (Ua Cróinín and Breen 1994, 25). After the Cromwellian Settlement (1650s) the castle passed to the O’Brien earl of Inchiquin, who leased it to Garrett Fitzmaurice, a transplanted Catholic. However, it appears unlikely that Fitzmaurice ever lived in the castle as it was probably slighted by the Cromwellian commission in 1655 (ibid. 25-26). The lands and a mill were sold to the Hollow Blade Company in 1703 (ibid. 26). The Hollow Sword Blades Company was founded in 1691 for the manufacture of hollow ground rapiers, a popular weapon in England at that time.   Only the SW half of this rectangular tower house (L 8.15m NW-SE; Wth 5.45m NE-SW) of five floors survives, standing almost to its original height (extant; H c. 15m) with the NW wall against a cliff and land to the SE sloping severely (ibid. 26; Ua Cróinín and Breen 1997). The NE half of the tower house is marked by a rubble mound (c. 12m NE-SW; H 2-3m). Macnamara (1901, 206) noted the straight edges of the upstanding walls at the point where the NE section collapsed, suggesting that the two halves of the tower house were not built at the same time, and were not sufficiently bonded together. There is a slight base-batter on the upstanding, ivy-covered walls (Wth 1.15-1.45m), which are built of uncoursed rubble with cut quoinstones (Ua Cróinín and Breen 1997). On the SE side of the tower house (facing the bawn entrance) is a pointed doorway (H 1.69m; Wth 1.12m) with punch-dressing on the doorframe, and a hood-moulding on the outside. There is a yett-hole and a long bar-hole (or perhaps a shot-hole (ibid.)) in the S door jamb. To the S of the doorway is a rectangular window (Wth 0.15m; H 0.61m) with a chamfered edge and a lintelled embrasure. There is another window in the NW wall, also in a lintelled embrasure. On the inner face of the SW wall are two cupboards, one at either end. Above these are corbels for supporting the first floor above. The ground floor walls are plastered internally. On the SE wall of the first floor is a two-light window with a square hood-moulding. A window in the NW wall has been narrowed to create two gun loops, one facing W and the other N. Both windows’ embrasures are lintelled. The first floor is also plastered on the interior, and there is a cupboard at the SE end of the SW wall. At the top of this wall are three corbels (originally five) to support the second floor above. The second floor is very similar to the first, with a two-light window in the SE wall, and a window in the NW wall also narrowed to two gun loops, with the masonry here incorporating some brick. There is a fireplace in the SW wall which has been robbed out except for its E jamb. There are four corbels on the SW wall. The third floor above is very similar in all respects, except that it has no fireplace. On the fourth floor there are only three corbels on the SW wall, with the gable above set back from the inner wall-face. On this floor there is a two-light rectangular window with square hood-moulding in the NW wall and a window in the SE wall has hammer-dressed stonework.   Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott    Date of upload: 16-10-2025

• CL017-110002 Bawn
  Description

  Enclosing Teervicbran Castle, a tower house (CL017-110----), on a raised rock outcrop ridge (H c. 20m over E-SE; H 3m over W), at the E-foot of Clifden Hill, with Lough Teervicbran (a.k.a. ‘Molly Blood’s Lough’ - Macnamara 1901, 205) c. 85m to the SE and the early 19th-century ‘Adelphi House’ (NIAH reg. no. 20401712) c. 75m to the NE. Partly indicated on both the first (1842) and Cassini (1920) editions of the OS 6-inch map. This sub-triangular bawn (L 55m NE-SW; max. Wth 20m NW-SE) is defined by a collapsed and robbed-out wall which is entirely overlaid by a crenellated modern wall (probably 19th century) with a pointed gateway at the NE end. This gateway leads to a masonry wall-lined pathway (Wth 1.5m) on a very narrow outcrop ridge with severe drops on either side but there is no indication that this path was part of the original access to the bawn. The bawn entrance is at the SE, from where a ramp through the rock outcrop leads out of the bawn, to a ledge (Wth 3m) that runs SW and then NW around and c. 3m below the rock outcrop. This ledge extends NW as far as a lane which runs outside the bawn’s NW wall. The bawn interior comprises tree-covered rock outcrop and the tower house (CL017-110----) is situated against the bawn’s W side, with a rubble mound (c. 12m NE-SW; H 2-3m) immediately to the NE. Nineteenth-century paths run around the edges of the bawn near this mound.    Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Conn Herriott   Date of upload: 16-10-2025

Architectural heritage

• Clifden House, country house, 1780–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached seven-bay two-storey over basement country house, built c. 1800. Hipped artificial slate roof with cut-stone chimneystacks. Lime rendered walls with blind niche over entrance. Timber sliding sash windows. Carved limestone doorcase comprising engaged Tuscan columns flanking moulded architrave and timber panelled door, having entablature with rosettes above. Retaining interior features. Attached eight-bay single-storey stable range with half-dormer attic to right, now in use as house. Detached two-bay three-storey gable-fronted former mill to site, now in ruins. Cast-iron piers with wrought-iron gates to site.

• Adelphi, house, 1800–1820 · Regional interest
  Description

  Detached five-bay single-storey over part-raised basement house, built c. 1810, with three-bay recessed central block having tripartite window openings and single-bay advanced end bays having relieving arches. L-plan two-bay two-storey return to rear. Hipped artificial slate roof with four diagonally placed chimneystacks and deep eaves with exposed timber rafters. Roughcast rendered walls. Slate hanging to west walls. Glass lens set in wall beside front door step allowing view up from basement. Timber pilasters and cornice to timber panelled door with overlight. Diamond pane cast-iron windows set in cut-stone frames. Tripartite windows flanking door. Bow window to right side elevation. Retaining interior shutters. Detached two-bay single-storey gable-fronted rubble stone-built coach house to site. Cut-stone gate piers with cast-iron gates to site.

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 Clifden, about 1 in 10 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 high, moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred. Parts of the land are water.

Terrain model

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

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 Clifden with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Clare.

Name

Clifden · Tír Mhic Bhrain

Area

1,916,973 m² (191.7 ha, 473.69 acres)

Civil parish

Rath, and its townlands

Barony

Inchiquin

Electoral division

Rath, the unit of the census

Census 2022

268 people lived in 105 households in the Rath electoral division. 87% of households owned their home. 30% of homes were built since 2001. 9% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 8% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Applevale, Baunkyle, Carrownagarraun, Curraghkeel, Inchiquin, Knocknareeha, Nooan, Roxton

Placenames

Clifden 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.