These visitors include such notables as Arthur Young, William Thackery and Thomas Carlyle. While their accounts enlighten and entertain, they also provide fascinating insights into the social, religious, and cultural traditions of County Clare.

By studying the procession of travellers through the county over the centuries, the histories of urban and rural communities are revealed in a fresh and interesting light. Visitors brought their own particular prejudices with them which influenced their view of the countryside and the people they encountered.

Their descriptions often reveal as much about themselves as they do about the people they observed.