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Clonmany
Clonmany (Irish: Cluain Maine) is a village and civil parish in north-west Inishowen, in County Donegal, Ireland. The Urris valley to the west of Clonmany village was the last outpost of the Irish language in Inishowen. In the 19th century, the area was an important location for poitín distillation. Outside the village, there are a number of notable townlands, including Kinnea (Rockstown), Crossconnell, Dunaff, and Leenan.
The name of the village in Irish, Cluain Maine, has been translated as both "the meadow of (St) Maine" and "the meadow of the monk(s)". The former is the more widely recognised translation.[citation needed] The village is known locally as "The Cross", as the village was initially built around a crossroads.[citation needed]
The parish was home to a monastery that was founded by St Columba. It was closely associated with the Morrison family, who provided the role of erenagh. The monastery possessed the Míosach, an 11th-century copper and silver shrine, now located in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
The village is sometimes claimed to be the youngest in Inishowen.[citation needed] The 18th-century travel writer, Richard Pococke, did not mention the village when he toured the area in 1752. The village is mentioned in Topographia Hibernica, published in 1795. It did not feature in the census of 1841 or 1851. In the 1861 census, 112 inhabitants are recorded as living in Clonmany in 21 houses. A further 3 houses are recorded as uninhabited.
In the early 19th century, Urris - a valley three miles west of Clonmany - became a centre of the illegal poitín distillation industry. The Urris Hills were an ideal place for poitín-making. The area was surrounded by mountains and only accessible through Mamore Gap and Crossconnell. Notwithstanding its remote location, Derry was about 16 miles away, providing a major market for the trade. To protect their lucrative business, the locals barricaded the road at Crossconnell to keep out revenue police, thus creating the "Poitin Republic of Urris". This period of relative independence lasted three years. But in 1815, the authorities re-established control of the Urris Hills and brought this short period of self-rule to an end.
In 1840, the village experienced an earthquake, a comparatively rare event in Ireland. The shock was also felt in the nearby town of Carndonagh. The Belfast News Letter from Tuesday, 28 January 1840 reported that "In some places those who had retired to rest felt themselves shaken in their beds, and others were thrown from their chairs, and greatly alarmed."
Fr. William O'Donnell, also known as the "Waterloo Priest", was a prominent figure in the Parish of Clonmany from 1829 to 1853. Born in Cockhill, Buncrana in 1779, he initially declined the opportunity to become a priest after graduating from Maynooth College. Instead, he joined the army and fought in the Peninsular war, participating in the battles of Vitoria, Roncesvalles, Pyrenees, and ultimately at the Battle of Waterloo.
In 1819, Fr. O'Donnell was ordained and began serving as parish priest in Lower Fahan and Desertegney. He later moved to Clonmany in 1829, where he remained until his death in 1856. During his time in Clonmany, Fr. O'Donnell became deeply devoted to the people of the parish and worked tirelessly to improve their lives. He established five National schools in the Parish and was a strong advocate for the rights of local people.
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Clonmany
Clonmany (Irish: Cluain Maine) is a village and civil parish in north-west Inishowen, in County Donegal, Ireland. The Urris valley to the west of Clonmany village was the last outpost of the Irish language in Inishowen. In the 19th century, the area was an important location for poitín distillation. Outside the village, there are a number of notable townlands, including Kinnea (Rockstown), Crossconnell, Dunaff, and Leenan.
The name of the village in Irish, Cluain Maine, has been translated as both "the meadow of (St) Maine" and "the meadow of the monk(s)". The former is the more widely recognised translation.[citation needed] The village is known locally as "The Cross", as the village was initially built around a crossroads.[citation needed]
The parish was home to a monastery that was founded by St Columba. It was closely associated with the Morrison family, who provided the role of erenagh. The monastery possessed the Míosach, an 11th-century copper and silver shrine, now located in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.
The village is sometimes claimed to be the youngest in Inishowen.[citation needed] The 18th-century travel writer, Richard Pococke, did not mention the village when he toured the area in 1752. The village is mentioned in Topographia Hibernica, published in 1795. It did not feature in the census of 1841 or 1851. In the 1861 census, 112 inhabitants are recorded as living in Clonmany in 21 houses. A further 3 houses are recorded as uninhabited.
In the early 19th century, Urris - a valley three miles west of Clonmany - became a centre of the illegal poitín distillation industry. The Urris Hills were an ideal place for poitín-making. The area was surrounded by mountains and only accessible through Mamore Gap and Crossconnell. Notwithstanding its remote location, Derry was about 16 miles away, providing a major market for the trade. To protect their lucrative business, the locals barricaded the road at Crossconnell to keep out revenue police, thus creating the "Poitin Republic of Urris". This period of relative independence lasted three years. But in 1815, the authorities re-established control of the Urris Hills and brought this short period of self-rule to an end.
In 1840, the village experienced an earthquake, a comparatively rare event in Ireland. The shock was also felt in the nearby town of Carndonagh. The Belfast News Letter from Tuesday, 28 January 1840 reported that "In some places those who had retired to rest felt themselves shaken in their beds, and others were thrown from their chairs, and greatly alarmed."
Fr. William O'Donnell, also known as the "Waterloo Priest", was a prominent figure in the Parish of Clonmany from 1829 to 1853. Born in Cockhill, Buncrana in 1779, he initially declined the opportunity to become a priest after graduating from Maynooth College. Instead, he joined the army and fought in the Peninsular war, participating in the battles of Vitoria, Roncesvalles, Pyrenees, and ultimately at the Battle of Waterloo.
In 1819, Fr. O'Donnell was ordained and began serving as parish priest in Lower Fahan and Desertegney. He later moved to Clonmany in 1829, where he remained until his death in 1856. During his time in Clonmany, Fr. O'Donnell became deeply devoted to the people of the parish and worked tirelessly to improve their lives. He established five National schools in the Parish and was a strong advocate for the rights of local people.