Clandonnell () is an early-modern Irish

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

in what is now southern

County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. Clandonnell along with the ancient districts of

Glenconkeyne Glenconkeyne () is an early-modern Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Glenconkeyne formed the western portion of the former barony of Loughinsholin, with the ancient districts of Clandonnell, Killetra, and ...

Killetra Killetra () is an early-modern Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Killetra along with the ancient districts of Clandonnell, Glenconkeyne, and Tomlagh, comprised the former barony of Loughinsholin, with Kil ...

, and

Tomlagh Tomlagh () is an early-modern Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Along with the ancient districts of Clandonnell, Glenconkeyne, and Killetra, it comprised the former barony of Loughinsholin. Tomlagh is st ...

, comprised the former barony of

Loughinsholin Loughinsholin () is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its southeast borders the northwest shore of Lough Neagh, and itself is bordered by seven other baronies: Dungannon Upper to the south; Strabane Upper to the west; Keenaght ...

, with Clandonnell forming the northern part reaching as far south as

Maghera Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster Distric ...

History

Clandonnell derives its name from the ''Clann Domhnaill Donn na Banna'' a branch of the Clandeboye O'Neills. The Clandonnell descended from Donnell Donn, son of Brian, son of

Hugh Boy II O'Neill Hugh Boy II O'Neill ( Irish: ''Aodh Buidhe Ó Néill'') was a king of Clandeboye in medieval Ireland. A son of Brian Ballagh, O'Neill was second-in-command to his older brother Murtagh Roe O'Neill and helped him take the lordship of Clandeboye a ...

. They ruled the area from the 15th century until the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

in the 17th century. The most celebrated descendant of Donnell Donn was his great-grandson Brian Carrach O'Neill who is stated as being the last lord of Loughinsholin. His stronghold was based at the

crannog A crannog (; ga, crannóg ; gd, crannag ) is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes and estuarine waters of Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Unlike the prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps, which were bu ...

at Inishrush, which is also known as the Green Lough. Despite being lord of Loughinsholin and a minor branch of the O'Neills of Clandeboye, Brian Carrach O'Neill was subject to the O'Cahans of

Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from ga, Cúil Rathain , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern I ...

and

Dungiven Dungiven () is a small town, townland and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the main A6 Belfast to Derry road, which bypasses the town. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the B ...

. Brian Carrach O'Neill died in 1586, and in that same year Marshal Bagenal described Brian's territory as "Brian Carraghe's countrey" and as the "fastest grownde of Irelande". The latter statement meant that the area was amongst the most impenetrable parts of Ulster.

References

{{coord missing, County Londonderry Barony of Loughinsholin History of County Londonderry Administrative divisions of Northern Ireland