Cloonoghil

CLOONOGHILL, a parish, in the barony of CORRAN, county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 3½ miles (W. S. W.) from Ballymote, on the road from Boyle to Ballina; containing 2241 inhabitants. This place was formerly called Clonymeaghan, and was the seat of a Dominican monastery, founded about 1488, by the sept of Mac Donogh, which afterwards became a cell to that of Sligo: at the dissolution its possessions were granted to Richard Kyndelinshe. The parish contains 4551 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land is generally good, and there is not much bog. Limestone quarries are worked here.

Fairs are held at Buninadan on Jan. 14th, June 2nd, Aug. 6th, Sept. 10th, Oct. 7th, and Nov. 27th. The principal seats are Ballinaclough, the residence of J, West, Esq.; Grayfort, of J. Rea, Esq.; Roadstown, of D. O'Connor, Esq.; Drumrahan, of J. Taffe, Esq.; and Old Rock, of J. Trumble, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry; the rectory is partly impropriate in J. Baker, Esq., and partly, with the vicarage, forms a portion of the union and corps of the deanery of Achonry. The tithes amount to £170 per annum, of which £90 is payable to the impropriator, and the remainder to the dean. In the R. C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, called 3 C 2 Buninadan, comprising the parishes of Cloonoghill, Kilturra, and Killowshalway; and containing two chapels, of which that of Cloonoghill, at Buninadan, is a large slated building. There is a school at Ballinaclough, under the patronage of J. West, Esq., in which are about 110 children; and there is also a hedge school of about 50 children. On the banks of the river are the remains of an old castle, built by the Mac Donoghs; and on the lands of Church Hill is a large cromlech, consisting of a horizontal and three upright stones.

from Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837.