About Clara

Clara is wonderful town in the centre of Ireland that is home to c. 3,500 people.

The town is positioned on the main Dublin to Galway and Dublin to Ballina / Westport railway lines and 9km from the Dublin / Galway motorway.

Between the early 19th and late 20th centuries, Clara created a unique industrial story for a town it’s size in Ireland. The town boasted a large jute factory with global supply chains and distribution networks as well as flour mills, distilleries, a brewery, a tobacco processor, soap, candle and clothing manufacturers, and food processing companies. For 150 years, Clara was an amazing success story in the context of Irish industrialism.

Clara town centre lies approximately 2km from the globally renowned Clara bog. Clara Bog is the finest remaining example of a raised bog in Ireland today. This ecological gem is one of the largest remaining areas of uncut raised bog in North West Europe. The bog boasts some of the most concentrated floral diversity on the continent.

The decline in Irish manufacturing since the 1970s has affected Clara deeply. There has been a generation of underinvestment in the town, which, given it’s strategic location, transport access, industrial heritage and unique natural amenities, offers major opportunities for development.

The Clara Town Team is fully committed to planning for, facilitating, and promoting the development of the town. We strive to make Clara a unique place to live, a beautiful place to visit, and a compelling site for commercial development.