O'Briens of Scarriff

My ancestors, Patrick O'Brien and his wife, Bridget Sexton came from Scarriff.  Patrick was said to be a farmer, his parents also Patrick and Bridget.  According to his death certificate, he was born in 1796 - but he is also said to have been 22 when he married, and his wife's death certificate puts that marriage in Scarriff around 1830.  She was born in 1806 in Scarriff, her parents Phillip Sexton (a grocer) and Margaret Ringrose.   Patrick died at Taradale Feb 1867 and Bridget at Timor Jan 1883, both in Victoria.

Presumably their children were all born in Scarriff.  Those children were:  Daniel Millison b around 1831 and deceased by Feb 1867, Mary b1833 m Robert Watt Thomson South Australia 1851 d Sydney NSW 1916, Patrick b 1835 (still alive Jan 1883), Ann b 1836 m James McNamara Scarriff 20th June 1856 d Taradale Vic August 1867, Sarah b 1840 d 1863 Taradale Vic, Michael Henry b 1841 m Eliza O'Grady 27 Dec 1869 d 1914 Richmond Vic (my ancestors) and John Boromund b 1847 m Julia Houlihan 1871 d Sydney NSW 1925.

Michael was a teacher and his Victorian Education records say he was an assistant at the school in Scarriff around 1855.  I noticed that on the Griffiths there are two Patrick O'Briens living in the Main Street, one of these is two doors down from the school - coincidence?  

 Patrick, Bridget, and the three younger children went to Victoria on the The Negotiator as Assisted Immigrants in 1857.  Mary was an assistant immigrant to South Australia in 1850, then going to Victoria.  Ann and her husband went to Victoria the year they married and I think as paying passengers.  I don't know what happened to Daniel or Patrick Jnr.

I have been looking at records on the Clare library site, but I find I have a lot questions and would like to make contact with a local history group who could answer them.  Like - when was the church built?  Why do the church records only start from around 1850 something?  How fast did Scarriff recover from the famine?  Are there any books that I can buy?