Overview
What sets Craggagh apart from most small graveyards is what you can find out afterwards. The Clare Library has put the local 1901 Census, Griffith’s Valuation and historic maps online, so the names on these stones lead somewhere. Be honest about why you’re coming, though: without a family connection or a genealogy project on the go, this is a small roadside graveyard you would otherwise drive straight past. The cemetery, also called Fanore Cemetery, sits on the R477 just outside the village of Craggagh, near the coastal hamlet of Fanore in County Clare. It is small and weather-worn, set against rolling pasture and the distant Atlantic, well away from the busier Lisdoonvarna and Ennis, with the Burren all around. The coordinates are 53.09944 N, 9.29798 W.
History
The exact founding date isn’t recorded in the available sources, but the character is plainly 19th-century rural Irish: a range of styles from simple slate markers to more elaborate Celtic-cross motifs, tracking the changing tastes and fortunes of the community. The alternate name, Fanore Cemetery, ties it to the nearby seaside village, which grew around fishing and small-scale farming.
The genealogical record is the strong point. The Clare Library gives online access to the 1901 Census for Craggagh townland and to Griffith’s Valuation from 1855, which together let you trace the families whose names appear on the stones. Historic Ordnance Survey maps – from 1663, 1787 and 1842 – are online too, showing how the landscape and townland boundaries around the cemetery changed.
What to see and do
- Read the headstones. Many carry traditional Irish names – Clarke, O’Hara, Ryan, Walsh – a quick read of the area’s families.
- Genealogy. Bring a notebook or phone and cross-reference names against the 1901 Census and Griffith’s Valuation links from the Clare Library. This is really what the site is for.
- A short walk. The cemetery sits on the edge of the Burren, so the surrounding fields carry limestone pavement, wildflowers and the odd Atlantic view. Step beyond the gate and you’re on the R477 coastal route, a popular drive for photographers.
- Other graveyards nearby. Within about 10 km you’ll find Kilmoon Cemetery (Lisdoonvarna), Toovahera Graveyard, Gleninagh Cemetery, and Rathborney Church and Graveyard – enough for a themed day around the Burren’s older burial grounds, if that is your kind of day out.
Practical information
Entry is free and the cemetery is open year-round; there are no posted hours, as the site is unstaffed and can be visited in daylight. There is roadside parking near the entrance, and a short unpaved path to the gate. Access is by car on the R477.
It is a working historic graveyard, so keep noise down, stay on the established paths, and don’t move stones or markers. There are no toilets or visitor centre on-site.
For research, the key links are:
- 1901 Census – Craggagh townland: https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/1901census/dereen_ded_craggagh4_6.htm
- Griffith’s Valuation – Craggagh: https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/genealogy/griffiths_parish/killonaghan.htm#craggagh
- Historic maps: the 1842 Ordnance Survey map (https://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/maps/browser.htm?5309831!-930150!15!5!!42), with earlier editions for context.
Fanore village, just up the R477, has a small café and a few places to stay if you’re making a day of the Burren’s older graveyards.