Clonmany

Template:Infobox Irish Place Clonmany (Irish: Cluain Maine) is a village in north-west Inishowen, in County Donegal, Ireland. The area has many local beauty spots, and the Ballyliffin area is famous for its golf course. The Urris area to the west of Clonmany village was the last bastion of the Irish language in Inishowen. In the 19th century, the area was a frequent location of poitín distillation (a strong Irish spirit).

Name

The name of the town in Irish - Cluain Maine has been translated as both "The Meadow of St. Maine" and "The Meadow of the Monks", with the former being the more widely recognised translation.

History

Although the village itself is the youngest in Inishowen, the Clonmany area is steeped in history, and dolmens, forts and standing stones dot the landscape. The parish was home to a monastery, closely associated with the Morrison family, who provided the role of erenagh. The monastery was home to the Míosach a copper and silver shrine, now located in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. Details of local history and traditions were recorded in "The Last of the Name", recorded by schoolteacher Patrick Kavanagh from stories by Clonmany local, Charles McGlinchey.

Climate

The location of Clonmany on the Inishowen peninsula, and bordering Lough Swilly with views of the Atlantic provides the Clonmany area with a moderate climate; with moderately warm summers, and winters that rarely go below freezing. The average temperatures for the area are usually warmer than the national average in winter, and cooler than the national average in summer.

Education

Clonmany has four primary schools, Clonmany N.S., Scoil Naomh Teresa (also known as Tiernasligo N.S. locally), Scoil Phadraig at Rasheeny, and Scoil na gCluainte, or Cloontagh National School. Most students from these schools go on to attend secondary level education at Carndonagh Community School in Carndonagh, with most of the remainder attending Scoil Mhuire or Crana College in Buncrana.

Culture & Tourism

Clonmany is host to the annual McGlinchey summer school, which attracts many visitors to its exhibitions and lectures on local history. Another attraction is the Clonmany festival, held annually during the week of the Irish August public holiday. The Clonmany Agricultural Show and Sheepdog Trials takes place on the Tuesday of festival week, with visitors from all over Inishowen and the Northwest of Ireland. Tourism to Clonmany consists of Irish and international visitors, but mostly of visitors from Northern Ireland. The area is home to a caravan park at Tullagh, many country cottages and bed-and-breakfasts, and five hotels in the Ballyliffin area. The Ballyliffin Golf Club proves a major attraction, with many people coming from all over the world to play on its links, overlooking Pollan Bay and the Atlantic, and the nearby Glashedy Island. Clonmany has several beaches, including those at Tullagh, Roxtown, Pollan Bay and Lagahurry on the Isle of Doagh.

Transport

Clonmany railway station opened on 1 July 1901, but finally closed on 2 December 1935.

See also

• List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
• Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland

External links

• Clonmany.com, official Clonmany website

55°16′N 7°25′W