The parish of Kilfearagh is situated in Moyarta barony on the south west coast of Clare in the peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Shannon Estuary. Its Atlantic coastline is well known for its steep cliffs, an inhospitable sight for the sailor in former times but now much admired by the tourist. Here and there small inlets are to be found but at Farrihy and Kilkee there are larger opening. The bay at Kilkee is a beautiful one, shaped like a horseshoe, and the incoming tide moves across a very fine strand, on the edge of which the town grew up. From the cliffs the land slopes down to Poulnasherry Bay on the Shannon. To the north Kilfearagh parish is bordered by Hillard, to the east by Kilrush and to the south and south-west by Moyarta. The present area of the Catholic parish is over 10,000 acres but this includes land gained in a territorial adjustment with Killard in 1854. In the period with which we are dealing the civil and ecclesiastical parishes coincided, having 9,870 acres according to the Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland.