...but the pronunciation where I'm from would most definitely be "Claire-uh". I remember talking to my friend about that once, Clah-ra-vs. Claire-uh, and she said that to her, Clah-ra sounded "off" or that you were "trying very hard to sound fancy" and I had to agree with her. Nobody would ever use the "right" pronunciation if you went with Clah-ra anyways (where I'm from) and correcting people like that is a pain.
I would definitely use it as a first name!! It goes with so many lovely options. It has a darling old-world charm and freshness to it that makes it hip again.