The Ordnance Survey Name Books indicated that the first reference to this townland was during the reign of James I (1603-1625) when it was spelled Clarery. At the time of William III (1689-1702), it was referred to as Claryry and Clarry. The OS Books indicated that local people called it Clary, but that this form of the name was corrupt, and that the standard name was Clarary. The Irish form given was Claraire, meaning a level tract. Both George D.H. Kirkaldy and Rev. Francis Coghlan wrote the name as Clarary. The Placenames Commission gives the official Irish spelling as Cláraire. The townland contained some arable land, a small portion of bog, two limekilns, stone quarries and a few houses.
Location
Clarary lies between Kuilebeg in the parish of Abbeygormican, Rathmore Demesne, Kilnamullaun and Boleyroe also in the parish of Abbeygormican.
Census 1841, 1851
Census statistics showed the population was eighty five in 1841, reduced to fifty three in 1851, while the number of houses decreased from twelve in 1841 to eleven in 1851.
Griffith’s Valuation 1855
According to Griffith’s Valuation, the landlord was James McDermott who owned the whole townland of one hundred and fifty two acres, one rood and fifteen perches at a total annual valuation of £74.0s.0d. He held fourteen acres and four perches of bog for himself, and he rented out the remainder of the land. Michael Conway, John Conway senior, and John Conway junior, between them, rented out two plots totalling sixty one acres and thirty perches of land on which each held a house and offices (sheds). Michael Conway and Michael Graney held land only, while Patrick Kane and Michael Duffy both held a house and land. Patrick Ferguson, Catherine Conway, Peter Conway, Edward Cohen and Anne Conway rented a house, office(s) and land.
Census 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891
Census statistics denoted a population of fifty one people occupying twelve houses in 1861, fifty two in fourteen houses in 1871, and an increase to sixty people occupying fourteen houses in 1881 but a reduction to forty three people living in thirteen houses by 1891.
1901 Census
The 1901 census recorded nine houses in this townland.
Catherine Conway
Form A, of the 1901 census return, showed Catherine Conway as head of family in house 1. She was a 50 year old farmer and was widowed. Her 3 sons, listed as farmer’s sons, were; John, 23, Tom, 21, Michael, 18, and her daughter, Bridget, was 14 and a scholar. They were not married. They were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway and all could read and write.
Catherine Conway was a landholder on whose land her 2nd class private dwelling was built. The walls were of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was thatch or wood. It had 3 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms.
Listed on Form B 2 were their 4 out-offices: a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a shed.
Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator and Catherine Conway signed the census form which was collected on April 9th.
John Fahy
John Fahy and his family resided in house 2 in 1901. John was 50, a farmer and was head of family. He was married to Maria, 39, and they both could read and write and spoke Irish and English. Their 4 children, John, 13, Margaret, 10, Martin, 8, and Patrick, 6 were listed as scholars and all could read and write except Patrick. Their younger son, Joseph, was aged 3. They were all born in co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
John Fahy was the holder of the land where his 2nd class private dwelling was built. The walls were of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was thatch or wood. It had 3 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms.
Form B 2 listed their 4 out-offices as a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a shed.
John Fahy signed the census form which was collected on April 9th. Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Anne Conway
House 3 in Clarary in 1901 was that of Anne Conway who was listed as head of family. She was 60, a widow and a farmer and she spoke English and Irish. Her son, Peter, 23, recorded as farmer’s son, was not married. Her daughter, Celia, 18, a farmer’s daughter, was also not married. Another son, Michael, 15, was a scholar. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They could read and write.
Ann Conway held the land where her 2nd class private dwelling was built. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. The house had 3 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms.
A stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn were listed as out-offices for house 3 on Form B 2.
Anne Conway signed the census form which was collected on April 9th. Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Bridget Conway
Form A of the 1901 census showed that Bridget Conway was head of family who resided in house 4. She was a 78 year old farmer and was widowed. She spoke English and Irish. Her son, Richard, 38, was also a farmer and was not married. They both could read and write, were born in Co. Galway and their religious profession was Roman Catholic.
Bridget Conway’s 2nd class private dwelling was built on her own land. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. It had 3 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms.
Bridget Conway signed the census form which was collected on April 9th. Constable Michael Mulligan was the Enumerator.
Honora Lowrey
House 5 on Form A of the 1901 census showed it was that of the Lowrey family and Honora was head of family. She was a 60 year old widow and a farmer and could read and write. Her son, Thomas, 30, who could not read was not married. His profession was given as coachman/domestic servant. Her other son, Patrick, 20 listed as farmer’s son was also not married and could read and write. Her daughter, 18, a seamstress, could also read and write and was not married. They were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Honora Lowrey was the holder of the land on which their 3rd class private dwelling was built. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. It had 2 front windows and they occupied 2 rooms.
Their 4 out-offices were a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a shed.
Honora Lowrey signed the census form which was collected on April 9th. Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Thomas Fergus
Thomas Fergus, aged 43 and a farmer, was listed on the 1901 census Form A as head of family and his wife Margaret was 31. Their son, Patrick 8, and daughter, Margaret, 6, were listed as scholars and they, along with the parents, could read and write. Their daughter, Jane was 3 and Bridget 2, and another son, William, was 1 month old. Thomas’s brother William, aged 32, a farmer, not married, could read and write. A general domestic servant, Honoria Madden, not married, also resided in the house. She was 17 and could read and write. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Thomas Fergus was the landholder where his 2nd class private dwelling was built. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. It has 3 front windows and the residents occupied 4 rooms.
They had 6 out-offices listed on Form B 2: a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house, a barn and a shed.
Thomas Fergus signed the census form and Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator. The form was collected on April 9th.
Andy Keane
Andy Keane and his family were residents in house 7 in Clarary in 1901. Andy was 45 years old, a farmer and was head of family. His wife, Catherine, was 50. Their son, Patrick, 18, was not married and was listed as farmer’s son. Their 3 other sons, Ned, 16, John, 12 and Andrew, 8, were listed as scholars. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Andrew Keane owned the land where his 2nd class private dwelling and shop were built. The roof was slate/iron or tiles and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. They occupied 3 rooms and it had 4 front windows.
Their 5 out-offices were: a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a barn and a shed.
Andy Keane signed the census form which was collected on April 9th.
Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Stephen Connor
Stephen Connor, a blacksmith, aged 50, was head of family in 1901 in house number 8. He was married to Nan, 40. Their son, John, 20, also a blacksmith, was not married. Their other son James, 16, was a scholar. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Stephen Connors’s 2nd class private dwelling was built on his own holding. The walls were of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was slate/iron or tiles. It had 4 front windows and they occupied 4 rooms.
Form B 2 listed their 3 out-offices as a piggery, a fowl house and a forge.
Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Stephen Connor signed the census form which was collected on April 9th.
Margaret Barrett
House 9 in the census return, in 1901, in Clarary, was that of Margaret Barrett, who was recorded as head of family. She was a 70 year old farmer and was widowed. Her son, John, 46, listed as farmer’s son, was not married and both could not read but spoke Irish and English.
Two lodgers, Patrick Farrell, aged 50 and Margaret Farrell, 34, were given as pedlars and were married. They could read and write. A visitor named Mary Trasy, 76, was a widow and she could not read but spoke Irish and English. They were all Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Margaret Barrett was the landholder and her 2nd class private dwelling had 3 front windows, a slate/iron or tiled roof and the walls were stone/brick or concrete and they occupied 3 rooms.
No out-offices were listed on Form B 1 for house 9.
Margaret Barrett’s mark x on the census form was witnessed by Michael Mulligan, Constable, who was also the Enumerator. The form was collected on April 9th.
1911 Census
The family surnames and the number of houses remained the same in the 1911 census as that in the 1901 census.
Catherine Conway
In the 1911 census return, Form A listed Catherine Conway, aged 69, as a farmer and widowed and spoke English. Her son, John, 36, was single and given as farmer’s son. They both could read and write and were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Their private dwelling was 2nd class and was built on their own holding. The walls were stone/brick or concrete and the roof was thatch or wood. They occupied 3 rooms and it had 3 front windows.
Form B 2 listed their out-offices as a stable, a cow house, a fowl house, a barn and a shed.
Catherine Conway signed the census form which was collected on April 10th.
Constable William Pender was the Enumerator.
Maria Fahey
Maria Fahey was head of family in house 2 in 1911. She was a 52 year old farmer and was widowed. She spoke Irish and English. Her son, John, 23, listed as farmer’s son, was single.
Her daughter Margaret, 20, was also single as were her other 2 sons, Patrick, 16, and Joseph, 13, who were scholars. Pat and Joseph spoke English and Irish. The family were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Catherine Conway owned the land on which Maria’s 2nd class private dwelling was built. They occupied 3 rooms. The roof was of thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete and it had 3 front windows.
Form B 2 listed her 5 out-offices as a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn.
Maria Fahey signed the census form and William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator.
The form was collected on April 10th.
Peter Conway
Peter Conway and family were the residents of house 3 in Clarary in 1911. Peter was a 34 year old farmer, head of family and was married to Norah, 26, for 2 years. They had 1 living child named John J, aged 1 year. They were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Form B 1 showed that Peter Conway was the landholder where their 3rd class private dwelling was built. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. It had 2 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms.
Form B 2 listed their 7 out-offices as a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house, a barn and 2 sheds.
Form A of the census return showed Peter Conway’s signature and also that of Constable, William Pender, who was the Enumerator. The form was collected on April 10th.
Richard Conway
House 4 on the 1911 Census Form A was given as Richard Conway’s. He was 53, a farmer, and was married for 5 years to Margaret, 36, and they had no children. His mother, Bridget, aged 90, was a widow. They were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Richard owned the land where his 2nd class private dwelling was built. It had 3 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were stone/brick or concrete.
His 4 listed out-offices on Form B 2 were a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn.
Richard Conway signed the census form and William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator. The form was collected on April 10th.
Andrew Keane
Andrew Keane, aged 60, was listed on Form A of the 1911 census as head of family in house 5. His profession was given as farmer/road contractor and he was married to Catherine, aged 65, for 30 years. They had 7 children with 4 still living. They both spoke Irish and English. Their 4 sons, Patrick, 26, Edward, 25, John, 22, and Andrew, 19, were listed as farm labourers and were single. They all could read and write, were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Form B 1 showed that Andrew was the landholder on which his 2nd class private dwelling was built. The roof was slate/iron or tiles and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. It had 4 front windows and they occupied 4 rooms.
Their 5 out-offices were: a stable, a cow house, a fowl house, a barn and a shed.
William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Andrew Keane signed the census form which was collected on April 10th.
Thomas Fergus
Thomas Fergus, 54, and his wife Margaret, 48, and their family lived in house 6 in Clarary, according to Form A of the 1911 census return. Thomas, a farmer, was married for 20 years and had 9 children with 6 still living. Their son, Patrick, 19, given as farmer’s son, was single and spoke Irish and English. Their 5 other children were also single and listed as scholars: Margaret, 17, Jane, 14, Delia, 12, William, 10, and Thomas aged 6 and they spoke Irish and English. All the family could read and write. They were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Their 2nd class private dwelling was built on Thomas’s own holding. It had a thatch or wood roof and the walls were of stone/brick or concrete. It had 3 front windows and the family occupied 5 rooms.
Listed on Form B 2 for house 6 were 7 out-offices: a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a barn, a calf house and 2 sheds.
Thomas Fergus signed the census form as Thomas Ferguson.
William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator. The form was collected on April 10th.
Thomas Lowery
Form A of the census return showed Thomas Lowery as head of family in house 7 in Clarary in 1911. He was a 40 year old farmer and was married to Catherine, 35, for 5 years with 3 living children. Their daughter, Bridget, was 3, Francis, their son, was 2 and Thomas was 2 months old. Thomas’s (senior) mother, Norah, 74, was listed as old-age-pensioner and widowed and his brother Patrick, 35, was a farm labourer and was single. The parents only could read and write while the rest of the family could not read. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Thomas Lowry’s 2nd class private dwelling was built on his own land. The roof was thatch or wood and the walls were of stone/brick or concrete. It had 3 front windows and they occupied 3 rooms.
Their 2 out-offices listed were a stable and a cow house.
Thomas Lowery signed the census form which was collected on April 10th.
William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator.
John Barret
John Barret was the only resident in house 8 in the 1911 census. He was a single, 73 year old farmer who could not read but spoke English and Irish and signed the census form as head of family. He was Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Galway.
Patk. Barrett was listed as the landholder on Form B 1 on whose land the house was built. It was 2nd class and the roof was slate/iron or tiles and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. It had 3 front windows and 3 rooms were occupied.
No out-offices were listed on Form B 2.
William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator.
John Barret signed the census form which was collected on April 10th.
Stephen Connors
House 9 in Clarary was that of the Connors family in 1911. Stephen Connors was a 58 year old blacksmith and was married to Mary, aged 64, for 35 years and they had 5 children with 4 still living. Their daughter, Mary, 30, was single and their son James, 23, was also a blacksmith and was single. They could all read and write, were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Stephen owned the land where his 2nd class private dwelling was built. The roof was slate/iron or tiles and the walls were stone/brick or concrete. They occupied 4 rooms and it had 4 front windows.
Their 2 out-offices were a stable and a cow house.
Stephen Connors signed the census form as head of family. Constable William Pender was the Enumerator. Form A was collected on April 10th.
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