Clare.—a maritime co. of Munster province, an-
ciently called Thomond; is bounded W. by the Atlan-
tic Ocean, N. by Galway Bay and co. Galway, and E.
and S. by the river Shannon, which divides it from cos.
Tipperary, Limerick, and Kerry ; greatest length, NE.
and SW., 67 miles; greatest breadth, NW. and SE.,
48 miles; average breadth, 21 miles; coast-line, 145
miles ; area, 827,994 ac. (67,920 water), or 4 per cent,
of the total area of Ireland; pop. 141,457, 97'9 per
cent, of whom are Roman Catholics, 1‘9 Protestant
Episcopalians, 0T Presbyterians, and 0T Methodists.
The Atlantic coast is bold and rocky, the cliffs being
occasionally about 1000 ft. high. Extensive oyster-beds
lie off the shore of Galway Bay ; and the salmon fish-
eries on the coast and in the estuaries of the Shannon
and Fergus are very important. The surface varies,
rising from the central valley of the river Fergus into
bleak upland or mountain on the E. and W. Clay
slate is the prevailing rock; limestone is abundant;
slate and lead are worked. The chief crops are oats and
potatoes. (For agricultural statistics, see Appendix.)
The co. comprises 11 bars.—Bunratty (Lower and
Upper), Burren, Clonderalaw, Corcomroe, Ibrickan,
Inchiquin, Islands, Moyarta, Tulla (Lower and Upper);
80 pars.; and the towns of Ennis and Kilrush. It re-
turns 2 members to Parliament—2 divisions, viz.. East
and West, 1 member for each.—2. Clare, town with ry.
sta., Clareabbey par., mid. co. Clare, on river Fergus,
2 miles SE. of Ennis and 23 miles NW. of Limerick,
pop. 790; P.O., T.O., 1 Bank.—3. Clare, bar., mid.
co. Galway, 127,486 ac., pop. 23,228.—4. Clare, or
Claremorris, town with ry. sta., Kilcolman par., S.
co. Mayo, 14 miles SE. of Castlebar and 135 NW. of
Dublin, pop. 1319; P.O., T.O., 2 Banks. Market-days,
Wednesday and. Saturday.—5. Clare, vil., 3 miles SW.
of Tanderagee, E. co. Armagh; P.O.—6. Clare, island
(6 miles by 3 miles), in Clew Bay, Kilgever par., W.
co. Mayo, 3946 ac., pop. 621; P.O., called Clare Island.
On the N. point is a lighthouse, with a fixed light seen
at a distance of 27 miles.—7. Clare, place with agri-
cultural school, 3 miles from Castlederg, W. co. Tyrone;
P.O.—8. Clare (co. Galway). See Claregalway.

Clare Castle, ry. sta. See Clare, town (co. Clare).

Clare Fontal, hamlet, Throwley «ar., E. Kent, 5
miles S. of Faversham.    V,

Clare Island, P.O. See Clare, isldhn(co. Mayo).

Clare Park, seat, on the sea coasTsJpL mile NW. of
Ballycastle, N. co. Antrim. '

Clareabbey, par., mid. co. Clare, containing Clare
town, 7023 ac., pop. 1567.

Clarebrand, hamlet with school, Crossmichael par.,
Kirkcudbrightshire, 24 miles N. of Castle-Douglas.

Clareen.—hamlet, 5 n^les^tjE. of Parsonstown, S.
King’s co.; P.O.—2. Clareen,nmuent of river Fergus,
bar. Islands, mid. co. Clare.

Claregalway, par. and vil., in co. and 7 miles NE.
of Galway, on C. rivulet (flowing into Lough Corrib),

11,983 ac., pop. 2378; P.O.

Claremont Park, seat (ry. sta. Esher and Clare-
mont), Esher par., W. Surrey, 144 miles SW. of London.
In the reign of Queen Anne the estate was acquired by
Sir John Vanbrugh, the celebrated architect; in 1768,
or shortly afterwards, it came into the possession of
the great Lord Clive, who erected a new mansion and
remodelled the grounds; in 1816 it was sold to the
Crown; it was then settled on the Princess Charlotte
and her husband Leopold, Prince of Saxe-Coburg,
afterwards first King of the Belgians. Louis Philippe
resided in exile at C., and died there in 1850. In 1865,
on the death of King Leopold, C. reverted to the
Crown. In 1882 it became the private property of
Queen Victoria, and the residence of her son Leopold,
Duke of Albany, who died at Cannes, March 1884.

Claremorris, ry. sta. See Clare, town (co. Mayo).

Claremount, hamlet, 3 miles SW. of Moviile, NE.
co. Donegal.

Clarencefield, vil., Ruth well par., SW. Dumfries-
shire, 74 miles NW. of Annan; P.O.

Clarendon Park, par., liberty, and seat, S. Wilts, 2m.
SE. of Salisbury—par. and liberty, 4313 ac., pop. 217.

Clareton, township, Allerton Mauleverer par., E.
div. West-Riding Yorkshire, 3 miles NE. of Knares-
borough, 416 ac., pop. 15.