Local History

The Kinvara Crest is in purple and gold – the parish colours. On the Crest are emblems closely associated with Kinvara.

On the top of the Crest is Dunguaire Castle with an anchor on either side. On the lower half is the Mac Duagh Hooker. The motto is “Ar aghaidh le cheile” which encouraged unity and co-operation as we move forward to scale new goals and aspirations. “Let us go forward together”.

Brian Merriman was a farmer and a school teacher from Co. Clare. In later life he moved to Limerick where he taught Maths.

In 1780 he wrote his infamous poem “Cuirt an Meanoiche”. This is a lyrical poem of 1000 lines. Merriman wrote this poem to shock people and he laughed as he wrote. The language of this poem is coarse and impolite and the poem was banned for a time.

The poem was dramatized in the 1990’s. The Merriman Inn in Kinvara which opened in April 1997, is named after this Co. Clare man.

Mise Rafiteiri

Mise Rafiteiri, an file,
Lan dochas is gra
Le suile gan solas
Le cuinas gan cra,
Dul sios ar m’aistear
Le solas mo chroi,
Fann agus tuirseach,
Go deireadh mo shli,
Feach anois me,
‘S m’aghaidh le Balla
Ag seinm ceoil
Do phocai Folamh’.