Clare

Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare

This 'bridge' can be seen near the village of Ross in the Loop Head Peninsula. Little fingers of land battered by the Atlantic form arched bridges. Eventually the bridge will collapse leaving a small tower of land separated from the mainland.

Photograph by Roger & Sue Diel. Courtesy Clare County Library

Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare
Photograph by Roger & Sue Diel. Courtesy Clare County Library

Bridges of Ross, Co. Clare

This 'bridge' can be seen near the village of Ross in the Loop Head Peninsula. Little fingers of land battered by the Atlantic form arched bridges. Eventually the bridge will collapse leaving a small tower of land separated from the mainland.

Photograph by Roger & Sue Diel. Courtesy Clare County Library

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Co. Clare, which is located in the northeast of the province of Munster, has one of the most dramatic landscapes in Ireland. It is famous for the unique karst region of the Burren with its unusual flora and fauna, the imposing Cliffs of Moher, and the abundant marine life along the Shannon estuary.

Much of Co. Clare is bordered by water. The River Shannon provides the border to the southeast, while Lough Derg borders the northeast. The only county in Ireland to be connected to Clare by land is Co. Galway. The highest point in Clare is found in the Slieve Bearnagh mountain range to the east, where Moylussa stands at 532m.

The most recent statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) (2006) shows a population of 110,905. Much of the county is countryside, with the major urban centres at the towns of Ennis and Shannon.