class="apple-converted-space"> spot in what was then the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland. As the town was more accessible to people from Limerick rather than
Clare, holidaying in Kilkee became more of a Limerick custom, due to steamboats
travelling daily up and down the
River
Shannon.
Gradually the town grew
as wealthy merchants from Limerick wanted holiday homes by the sea, resulting
in a building boom in the 1830's. As demand for lodgings in Kilkee grew, several
hotels were built. Along with these, three churches were built, a
Roman Catholic
church in 1831, aProtestant
church in 1843 and a
Methodist
church in 1900, reflecting the
cosmopolitan feel of the town in that era.
In the 1890's, Kilkee had yet again
another boom, when the West Clare
Railway opened up to goods
transport, improving commercial life in the area, as well as providing a
relatively fast means of travel to and from the town. As Kilkee was famous for
its bathing spots and natural beauty, many prominent people in society
travelled to Kilkee including Sir Aubrey de Vere, Charlotte Bronte (who spent her honeymoon here), Lord
