~ A Maritime County on the west coast of Ireland
County Clare is a maritime county, forming the north-west district of the province of Munster. It is bounded, on the north, by Galway bay and the county of Galway; on the north-east, by the county of Galway; on the east, by the county of Tipperary; on the south-east by the county of Limerick; on the south, by the counties of Limerick and Kerry; and, on the west, by the Atlantic ocean.
The river Shannon, from the broadest part of its expansion of Lough Derg, down to its embouchure at the Atlantic ocean, forms all the eastern and southern boundary-line; the rivulet Bow, which falls into Lough Derg, traces the north-eastern boundary; and a rivulet which falls into Galway bay traces part of the northern boundary; so that the county is completely peninsulated, and has but a comparatively small extent of artificial boundary-line.
description* in 1845 :- "Its greatest length, from east to west, is about 52 miles; its greatest breadth, from north to south, is about 33 miles; and its area comprises 455,009 acres of arable land, 296,033 of uncultivated land, 8,304 of plantations, 728 of towns, and 67,920 of water, in all, 827,994 acres.
The chief portion of the mountain-group in the east of the county consists of the Slieve Baghta mountains, which raise their principal summits to altitudes from 2,000 to 2,500 feet, and are prolonged across the northern boundary a considerable distance into the county of Galway; and the chief single mass in the western region, is Callan mountain.
Available records for research are as follows:
Referenced material includes that of : Pauline Cass - One place study - Broadford, Co.Clare
Transcription of the RC parish registers for Kilseily parish from 1844 to 1866.
Transcription of the townland residents, and owners, from the Griffith Valuations (GV) of 1852. Some information on the changed inheritance under the GV revisions (microfilm)
Transcription of the 1827 Tithe Applotments (TA)
Link between the GV and TA data.
Analysis of 1901 and 1911 Census data with a particular focus on those people who were born between 1840 and 1870.
Australian migration data 1848-1870 which mention Broadford or east Clare parishes or townlands. It includes parents’ names, whether they were alive or dead at the time of migration and relatives in the colony - consider linking them to other relatives on board the ship.
Link occupation and literacy analyses from previous data.
Findmypast Ireland has some records (searchable by place)
Ancestry.com can also be searched by place.
Newspaper place search (download).
Valuation maps which can be annotated with residents in the Griffith Valuation.
Census statistics from Histpop.
Reference books, theses and journal articles.
Broadford: near the Eastern extremity of County Clare. Broadford is the Birthplace of Michael Egan c.1847 son of Patrick Egan and Bridget (Lynch). An extraordinary number of persons by the name "Bridget Lynch" appear in the Register across different generations and to date I have not determined a correct line of descent for Bridget Egan nee Lynch born Newport Tipperary and who arrived in Australia in 1859.
Broadford lies in the Diocese of Killaloe, parish of Kilseily, barony of Tulla, union of Limerick, county Clare, and province of Munster. It is about 5 kilometres (3.4 miles) from Doon Lough (bog), 13 km. (8 miles) (N.) from Limerick, and 151 km. (94 miles) (S. W. by W.) from Dublin.
Broadford, is a small pretty village founded around 2100 B.C.E.. Today there are 71 houses and 383 inhabitants.
sources: Lloyds Tour of Clare (1780)
County Clare Library provides detail of the emigrants of the Irish people - refer http://www.clareroots.com/emigration.htm
* 1845 - a description of County Clare - http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/gazclare.htm
Records are also available in the griffith valuations conducted in Ireland between 1841 and 1856.
Note:- There is also a Broadford in Victoria, Australia
Broadford is the Birthplace of Michael Egan c.1847 son of Patrick Egan and Bridget (Lynch).
An extraordinary number of persons by the name "Bridget Lynch" appear in the Register across different generations and to date I have not determined a correct line of descent for Bridget Egan nee Lynch born Newport Tipperary and who arrived in Australia in 1859.