The Antiquities of County Clare: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839 [Hardcover]

John O'Donovan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2000 | ISBN-10: 1900545039 | ISBN-13: 978-1900545037 | Edition: 1 Ed

The Antiquities of County Clare is derived from the Ordnance Survey Letters compiled in 1839, and is based on a typescript of the original manuscripts for County Clare, which were prepared in 1928 under the direction of the Rev. M. O'Flanagan. The Clare material is of special interest as two of the greatest Gaelic scholars of all time, Eugene Curry from Kilbaha, County Clare and John O'Donovan from Slieve Rua in County Kilkenny, participated in the survey. The letters give detailed accounts of every parish in County Clare, with the information included ranging from origin of place names to local lore and legends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The production is a credit to the Clare LocAl Studies Project . . . There are numerous original maps and several illustrations in colour of architectural features and ruins. -- The Irish Times, Nov. 29, 1997

The publishers... have produced with this book an invaluable collection of material that should be a reference point for all historians, folklorists and archaeologists concerned with County Clare. -- The Examiner, March 14, 1998

There are illustrations and maps, and an index to complete an invaluable (we repeat-no other word does) book. -- Books Ireland, September 1997

From the Publisher

In his introduction to the Ordnance Survey Letters for County Kerry, which were published by Royal Carbery Books in 1983, John B. Keane wrote 'no one who professes interest in the Kingdom can afford to be without a copy'. The same comment holds good for The Antiquities of County Clare and Dr. William Nolan, Geography Department, U.C.D. in his scholarly introduction writes 'this collection breathes life into the landscape and serves as a measure of both loss and survival'. It is appropriate as we reach the end of the century and millennium that we remember the heroic rescue work accomplished by Curry and O'Donovan some one hundred and fifty years ago. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in local studies of County Clare.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 323 pages
• Publisher: Irish Books & Media; 1 Ed edition (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1900545039
• ISBN-13: 978-1900545037
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,612,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Antiquities of County Clare, September 21, 2000

By 

DANIEL HAWLEY (CHULA VISTA, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Antiquities of County Clare: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839 (Hardcover)

This book is a must for anyone with an interest in County Clare history or genealogy. Included in this primary reference source are the personal letters and observations of the surveyors involved in making the Ordance Survey maps of Ireland. The material provided can not be found in any other source. Every parish is accounted for with descriptions of churches, castles, and significant topographical features. This text should be considered supplemental and more personalized than Lewis's "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland". One should not expect to find extensive genealogical information on 19th century farmers, but there the lords of castles listed and some older family pedigrees. While this is primarily a reference book it also contains comments of the travels of the authors and reads as an interesting and enjoyable novel.