Lissofin

30 registered freehold parcels lie mostly in Lissofin, from 1,069 m² to 307,758 m² (30.78 ha, 76.05 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 20 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 Lissofin 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.

• 30 Aug 2024Conditional

  to change the design the dwelling house granted under existing planning permission number P22-242 with all associated site works

  Permission · Clare County Council, 24274

• 21 Mar 2022Conditional

  to construct a dwelling house and garage with effluent treatment system, new entrance from public road, and all associated site works

  Permission, 1 home · Clare County Council, 22242

• 20 Dec 2018Conditional

  for development consisting of demolition of existing sunroom, construction of new extension to dwelling house, with all associated siteworks and connections to existing services

  Permission · Clare County Council, 181050

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 Lissofin.

Recorded monuments

• CL035-050 Ringfort - cashel
  Description

  In generally level, improved rough pasture, having a very slight SE-facing slope. The monument is named on OS historic mapping as ‘Lissofin Fort’ and is depicted as an oval enclosure (diam. 32m N-S; 35m E-W). According to Curry in 1839, Lissofin is Anglicised from Lis-Aodha-Finn referring to the Fort of Hugh the Fair (OSL, vol. 2, 284). Described by Westropp (1908-9, 384) as a 'ring-wall' that 'measures 117 to 123 feet over all, being oval; the walls, usually 12 feet thick, faced with good masonry, with small filling; the eastern part where best preserved, is 5 feet high'. According to the SMR file, this monument was levelled sometime between 2005 and 2010. Local information confirms that it was constructed of stone. There is a bare trace of this monument on recent aerial imagery (Digital Globe, 2012, https://binged.it/2zusgSU, accessed 8 November 2017), although it is no longer visible at ground level. The monument has been completely levelled and immediate boundaries adjoining to NE, SE and W, also removed. A roughly circular ring of briars (diam. c. 15m) has formed in this area and appears to define the perimeter of the interior, as correlating to OS historic mapping and modern aerial photography. The area of the interior defined by the ring of briars is slightly higher (H c. 0.15m) and drier than the current external ground level. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Alison McQueen Date of upload: 8 November 2017

• CL035-051 Enclosure
  Description

  On top of a low hillock, in an ungrazed area of scrub, overlooking lower ground NE-S-NW. The monument is at the corner of four fields and is truncated by the townland boundary. Hachured as a circular embanked area on the 1840 OS 6-inch map but depicted on the 25-inch map as a subcircular sunken area (c. 37m NW-SE; c. 31m NE-SW). The monument appears to be low in profile N-W, however is not accessible due to dense overgrowth of scrub vegetation and thorn tree thickets. A farm road skirts the exterior of the monument S-W and according to OS mapping truncates the NW-sector. It is not possible to clarify this on the ground as the monument is densely overgrown. A potentially modern uneven embankment (Wth 1.8m; H 0.5m) encloses the area of the monument WSW-WNW where it is truncated by the farm road. The following images have been uploaded: CL035-051----_01.jpg From W. General view of monument, densely overgrown. CL035-051----_02.jpg From W. View into interior, densely overgrown. CL035-051----_03.jpg From S. Cross sectional view of potentially modern embankment at W. Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 20 June 2018

• CL035-052 Children's burial ground
  Description

  In generally level pasture, immediately N of the Ennis to Scarriff road (R352). This road has been widened in modern times and a low embankment and concrete post field fence abut the monument at S. Depicted as a circular area and named ‘Burial Ground for Children’ on the 1840 OS six-inch map and slightly more irregular in plan on later OS historic mapping, where it is named ‘Children’s Burial Ground’. A roughly circular area (c. 14m N-S; c. 13m E-W) defined by a denuded scarp (Wth 1.2m; H 0.45m) which is best preserved SW-N-NE and is extremely low NE-E-SW. Mature thorn trees enclose the whole area and there are some in the interior. The interior is generally level but the surface is uneven and strewn with frequent low, uninscribed limestone boulders, none of which appear to be forming any discernible pattern. There are several notable upright, uninscribed gravemarkers, the tallest of which (H 0.8m) is off-centre to W. All of the stones, upright or otherwise, are obscured in mature, green mosses and covered by ivy in places. Field boundaries to E and W, depicted on OS historic mapping, have been removed. The following images have been uploaded: CL035-052----_01.jpg General view of children’s burial ground from NNE. CL035-052----_02.jpg Denuded scarp at N. CL035-052----_03.jpg Interior of children's burial ground from N. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Alison McQueen Date of upload: 8 November 2017

• CL035-055001 Earthwork
  Description

  In gently undulating rough pasture with reasonable views in all directions. According to Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997, vol. 6, no. 116), the tower house (CL035-055002-) is situated on a low limestone platform. It is in a reasonable condition, however it is degraded by cattle in places, where subsurface rock is absent and is in poor condition along the SE side. This rock on which stands Lissofin tower house (CL035-055002-) appears to have been modified by the addition of earthen material to create a sub-rectangular platform (c. 23.75m NE-SW; c. 28m NW-SE) defined by a distinct scarp (Wth c. 4.5m; H 1.45m) to the SW and N sides. The bawn is uneven in profile along the NE side, where the scarp (overall H 2.5m-2.75m; overall Wth 12-14m) is stepped. This is potentially where stone, derived from the collapsed NE wall, may have been spread out. The scarp is not readily visible along the SE side due to dense overgrowth, although it appears degraded. According to local information, the castle was struck by lightning a few hundred years ago and large blocks of masonry broke off. Some of these were apparently broken up and drawn away to construct field walls and outbuildings in the vicinity. Since then, at least three large blocks of masonry have fallen and are resting on the SW side of the bawn. The castle well (CL035-055003-) is c. 20m to the ESE. The following image has been uploaded: CL035-055001-_01.jpg From NE. General landscape/context view of castle earthwork showing the location of the surviving portion of the castle. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Alison McQueen Date of upload: 9 January 2018

• CL035-055002 Castle - unclassified
  Description

  On top of a rectangular limestone rock outcrop (CL035-055001-), in rough pasture with reasonable views in all directions, across a gently undulating landscape. Named ‘Lissofin Castle’ on the 1841 and 1921 edition OS 6-inch maps. According to Curry in 1839, Lissofin is Anglicised from Lis-Aodha-Finn referring to the Fort of Hugh the Fair (OSL, vol. 2, 284). The following historical details are cited by Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997, vol. 6, no. 116). Lissofin castle was a McNamara stronghold associated with McNamara Finn who was an ancestor of Hugh the Fair. It dates to the 15th century and was repaired by Rory McNamara in the earlier 16th century and was apparently forfeited in favour of the O’Brien’s sometime in the later 16th century. Ellen Butler is recorded as the owner in 1570 and by the 1580s Donough O’Brien had retained possession. The castle is recorded as being in ruins by 1611 and was rebuilt by William Costello in 1641, who is assumed to have been a tenant of the Earl of Thomond. It is mentioned in the account books of the Earl in 1685 and is described as being in a good state of repair in 1703 with up to 19 cabins on its estate. Only the NW wall (L c. 10.75m; T 1.95m) survives to a height of three storeys, with a very short return of both the SW wall (L c. 3.5m; T 0.8m) and the NE wall (L 2.75m; T 1m). The first floor is carried on a wooden floor and was vaulted over, though this vault has completely collapsed and only the scar survives on the internal face of the NW wall. There may have been a storage level under the vault. The tower house is constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble with a base-batter (H 2.2m; Wth) and large quoins at the W angle. The quoins at the N angle have been robbed at ground-floor level and are obscured by ivy above this, as is much of the NE end of the NW elevation. It is likely that the tower house was originally entered through the NE wall as there is a small guardroom at the NW end of this wall. This vaulted guardroom was lit by a round-headed loop in the NE wall. Of the ground-floor chamber, only the NW wall and NW end of the SW wall survive. There was a single-light window in the NW wall, broken out, within a splayed outer embrasure and straight-sided inner segmental-headed embrasure. The short return of the SW wall has the remains of a window, only the NW side of the outer splayed and inner straight-sided segmental embrasure survive. The upper floors of the tower house are no longer accessible. There is evidence of mural chambers in the NE wall (Salter 2004, 44) and it seems likely that the upper floors were accessed from a stair in the E angle. The first-floor window in the NW wall is broken out, though the inner embrasure, which rises from floor level into the vault, survives. There is a wall cupboard in the W side of the embrasure. There was also a window at the NW end of the SW wall, though only the NW side of the inner and outer embrasure survives. Between first and second-floor level there is a garderobe chamber, lit by a round-headed loop at the SW end of the NW wall. It is likely that this chamber was accessed from a mural chamber in the NE wall. The garderobe chute was possibly reused as a chimney flue during later occupation, as the internal masonry of the chute has collapsed, possibly having been quarried into to provide fireplaces. The second-floor chamber was lit by a two-light ogee-headed window in the NW wall, with external hood-moulding. The remains of internal wall plaster at first-floor level possibly date to the last period of occupation. The interior space at ground level contains a large deposit of sod-covered masonry at the NW and NE sides. A mature thorn tree is located in the E corner and a dense clump of briars are located along the SE side. According to local information, the tower house was struck by lightning a few hundred years ago and large blocks of masonry broke off. Some of these were apparently broken up and drawn away to construct field walls and outbuildings in the vicinity. Since then, at least three large blocks of masonry have fallen and are resting on the SW side of the bawn platform (CL035-055001-). The tower house well (CL035-055003-) is c. 35m to ESE of the surviving castle ruin. The following items have been uploaded: CL035-055002-_01.jpg From E. Landscape view of tower house and bawn. CL035-055002-_02.jpg From NE. Landscape view of tower house and bawn. CL035-055002-_03.jpg From SE. Interior of NW-wall: First and second floor level. CL035-055002-_04.jpg From SSW. Exterior of short return of SW-wall. CL035-055002-_01.pdf Details from Risteárd Ua Cróinín and Martin Breen, The Castles and Tower-houses of Co. Clare (unpublished report). Uploaded courtesy of R. Ua Cróinín and M. Breen. Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 9 January 2018

• CL035-055003 Well
  Description

  In gently undulating, rough pasture with reasonable views in all directions. According to Ua Cróinín and Breen (1997, vol. 6, no. 116), ‘a small, circular well can be seen…to SE [of Lissofin Castle (CL035-055002-)]’. Depicted and named ‘Castle Well’ on 1840 and 1921 edition OS 6-inch map. According to local information this was a spring that rose from a naturally formed fissure in the limestone bedrock. Not visible at ground level. The well was blocked up and the area backfilled within the last twenty years (local information). A slight depression is evident on the ground surface at this location and is surrounded by a small thicket of mature thorn trees. It is understood to have been used as a draw-well by the castle dwellers and more recently by the McNamara’s farm adjacent to SW (local information). The bawn (CL035-055001-) is located c. 20m to WNW and the remains of Lissofin Castle (CL035-055002-) are located c. 35m to WNW. Compiled by: Mary Tunney and Alison McQueen Date of upload: 9 January 2018

• CL035-164 Enclosure
  Description

  In gently undulating, unimproved, rough pasture with limited views of the surrounding landscape due to dense overgrowth of thorn trees. Not depicted on OS historic mapping. A roughly oval area (23m N-S; 20m E-W) defined by the remains of a wide earthen and stone bank (int. H 0.25m; ext. H 0.2m; Wth at top 3.65m; overall Wth 5.8m), where seen N-E-S. Only the external scarp (Wth 3.25m; H 0.6m) of the bank could be seen S-W-N, where obscured by overgrowth. The interior is also densely overgrown and is largely impenetrable. The following images have been uploaded: CL035-164----_01.jpg General view from E. CL035-164----_02.jpg View of bank at E. CL035-164----_03.jpg Bank exterior at N. Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 13 November 2017

• CL035-165 Enclosure
  Description

  In gently undulating, rough pasture, having rock outcrop close to the surface with limited views of the surrounding landscape due to overgrowth of thorn tree thickets and field boundaries. Not depicted or named on OS historic mapping. A roughly D-shaped area (18m NW-SE; 16m NE-SW) defined by an earthen and stone bank (int. H 0.25m; ext. H 0.3m; Wth at top 2.5m; overall Wth 6m) where seen intermittently, due to being obscured by impenetrable overgrowth for the most part. The interior is generally level and largely covered by tall clumps of briars. A wide, linear bank (Wth c. 6m; H c. 0.45m) of earth and stone extends (long-axis NE-SW) to NW, where it appears to abut the enclosure. The following images have been uploaded: CL035-165----_01.jpg General view from NW. CL035-165----_02.jpg Bank at NE. Compiled by: Mary Tunney, Alison McQueen and Vera Rahilly Date of upload: 13 November 2017

Architectural heritage

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

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 Lissofin, 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 Lissofin.

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

Name

Lissofin · Lios Aodha Finn

Area

1,165,667 m² (116.57 ha, 288.04 acres)

Civil parish

Tulla, and its townlands

Barony

Tulla Upper

Electoral division

Ballyblood, the unit of the census

Census 2022

154 people lived in 50 households in the Ballyblood electoral division. 86% of households owned their home. 38% of homes were built since 2001. 13% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 3% were holiday homes.

Neighbouring townlands

Ballyblood, Carrowroe, Cloonteen, Cutteen Beg, Derrymore West, Moymore, Rine, Tulla

Placenames

Lissofin 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.