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Irish Narrow Gauge - Kilrush

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Kilrush - WCR

• osi 100m reference: Q990549, map DM063
• Kilrush - in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of 1842
• National Photographic Archive,Lawrence Collection: LROY4255
• track diagrams: [WCRPT: d-7-p48- ]
• photos: [INGV1: b-6-p66- b-7-p73-1953.06 b-7-p75-1960.07.18 ]
  [IRIC2: c-5-p105-1953.06 ]
  [WCRPT: b-5-p182-1920 b-5-p32- b-5-p32-1900 b-5-p50-1951.05.25 b-5-p50-1958.07.17 b-5-p51-1948.06.09 b-5-p51-1959.08.19 b-5-p52-1958.07.17 b-5-p71-1950.07.05 b-5-p71-1957.07.12 b-5-p85-1935.08.06 b-5-p99-1938.08.06 b-6-p75- ]
  [JIRRS: b-6-v20p373- ]
• painting: [WCRPT: k-5-dj- ]
• goods yard: [INGV1: b-6-p73-1953.07.05 ]
• loco shed: [WCRPT: b-5-p49-1958.07.17 b-5-p85-1948.06.09 ]
• signal box: [WCRPT: b-5-p50-1958.07.17 ]
• Cassell's 1899:

  Kilrush, coast parish and market town (Wednesdays and Saturdays), Moyarta barony, South West county Clare, Ireland, 4½ miles southwest of Kilkee ; acreage 15,658. The surface is flat, with some rich soil along the Shannon, but consists chiefly of bog land, much of it now reclaimed and under tillage. The district was once forest-land, and fine specimens of Irish yew, oak, and fir have been found in the bogs. The parish church was erected in 1820 ; near it are the ruins of an ancient church. There are Protestant, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches, and a Roman Catholic chapel, erected in 1840. Kilrush has flourishing schools conducted by the Christian Brothers, and a large and handsome convent with primary and industrial schools for girls. A fever hospital was erected shortly after the cholera epidemic of 1832. During that outbreak Charles Lever was stationed in Kilrush as medical officer under the Board of Health. There is a market-house erected by the Vandeleur family, a well-paved market square, intersected from east to west by a spacious street, from which other thoroughfares branch off, and several substantial buildings, and the town has good hotel accommodation. Kilrush is a place of considerable trade, has a thriving fishery, and a large export of turf fuel, a vast bog (containing originally 24,000 acres of turbary) extending north of the town almost to the shore of the Atlantic. There are quarries of excellent flagstone, and building-stone and sand are plentiful in the neighbourhood of the town. Kilrush has a saw-mill and a large roller flour-mill, and had formerly local manufactures of flannels, friezes, and coarse linen. There is a monthly fair, with special fairs in May and October, and a petty sessions court is held twice weekly. A horse fair recently established is a great success, and there is an annual agricultural show. Kilrush is a rising place, and is the only seaport of any importance in county Clare. It stands at the head of a small natural harbour, capable only of admitting small vessels at high water, but 1 mile south a good pier was constructed in 1842, which has since had successive improvements. There is a convenient steamer communication with Limerick, and Kilrush is frequented by tourists. At St. Senan's Lough, on the south-eastern boundary of the parish, are three ruined churches. There are several holy wells in the parish. Leadmore House is a seat. Population (parish) : 6,563. Population (market town) : 4,095.