PROFILE OF COUNTY CLARE

GIVEN THE SIZE AND GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CLARE COUNTY COUNCIL, THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE POSE A SIGNIFICANT RISK TO CITIZENS, THE ECONOMY, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE DELIVERY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES. IT IS THEREFORE IMPERATIVE TO INTRODUCE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION MEASURES IN A PLANNED AND COORDINATED APPROACH ACROSS THE COUNTY THAT IS TAILORED FOR THE UNIQUE CONTEXT OF COUNTY CLARE.

County Clare consists of an area of approximately 3,450 km2 and is bounded by the counties of Galway to the north, Tipperary to the east and Limerick to the south. As per the Census of population 2022 County Clare had a population of 127,419. The county’s coastline is approximately 360 km long and faces into the Atlantic Ocean on its western coast. The county is drained along its southern border by the River Shannon and Lough Derg. The other main river is the Fergus which originates from the mid-northern end of the county and flows through the town of Ennis before discharging into the Shannon estuary via a tidal barrage at Clarecastle. Some of the county’s main towns and centres of population such as Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush and Kilkee are on or close to the coastline.

Clare’s natural heritage and biodiversity is of international significance. The county is home to a diverse range of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), including the Lower River Shannon, the Carrowmore Dunes and Moneen Mountain, as well as several Special Protection Areas (SPAs), such as the Loop Head Peninsula and Lough Derg. The Burren National Park covers 1,800 ha and is home to rare and unusual plants (e.g., the Spring Gentian); the Shannon estuary which is the most significant site in Ireland for over wintering wildfowl and waders; and the Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark which contain one of the principal colonies of seabirds in Ireland.

Commerce and trade are the greatest sources of employment in the county. Outside of the industrial/business, retail and administrative employment centres of Shannon, Ennis and Kilrush, tourism and agriculture are two of the primary industries in County Clare. The ESB operate one of the country’s largest hydropower schemes on the River Shannon at Ardnacrusha in southeast Clare as well as the coal fired power station at Moneypoint on the Shannon estuary. The main industrial region in the county is situated in the Shannon industrial zone adjacent to the international airport. The county’s tourism sector is an important component and driver of the local economy. In 2019, Fáilte Ireland reported that the Cliffs of Moher Visitor experience generated over 1.6 million visitors. In 2018, the tourism industry generated €244 million and supported 6,600 jobs, with 769,000 tourists visiting Clare in 2018, which was 8% of all overseas visitors to Ireland3

County Clare’s air, road and rail transport facilities are unique in the region. The County is well served by strategic road access with the M18 motorway which bisects the county linking to Galway, Limerick and beyond. Shannon International Airport caters for almost 2 million passengers per annum providing flights directly to the UK, US and Europe, with worldwide connectivity. The Western Rail Corridor already provides for daily commuter rail transport between Ennis/Limerick and Dublin and to Athenry and Galway.