Clara is a relatively small town, situated in the north of Offaly, with a population of approximately 3500 people. It is somewhat unique in Offaly in that it is mainly an industrial town, with its history and growth largely influenced by the industries it supported. It was its proximity to the Brosna river and the Grand Canal that played significant part in Clara's early industrial development. Clara was a famous trading town in the early 19th century.
Clara was once home to successful distilleries and a brewery and perhaps most famous for weaving - particularly cotton and linen. It also supported the manufacturing of tobacco, soap, and candles, and a significant Flour Mills. About 1825 the flour Mills were bought by a Robert Goodbody, perhaps the best known of the industrial names of the town.
The Goodbody family later expanded their industrial operations and established a jute manufacturing plant. At that time Goodbody's employed most of the local population. As well as providing employement in the area, the Goodbody's also provided housing for some of the employees, particularily in the areas known as high Tullamore and the Terrace. Clara has some lovely old houses and demesnes from this period.
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Naturally any town on the River Brosna attracts a great many anglers, and Clara is beautifully located in esker country, ideal for gentle hill walks - To the north is Aughamore, which overlooks the town and provides a great birds-eye view of the area. To the south are the Eskers, a ridge carved out by the last ice age which runs parallel to the town. To the west of Clara these hills are known as the Erry Hills, and to the east they have been given the name the Ballinough Hills.
Probably the most well known feature of Clara is what has now become internationally known as Clara Bog. Situated just south of Clara, this raised bog has become famous for it rare species of flora, which according to visiting experts are rare and valuable, and contain some of the finest specimens of this type in Europe. In fact, Clara bog has attracted such national and international attention that it has now been declared a national nature reserve
For more information visit http://homepage.eircom.net/~clara/