Clanmahon () is a

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

Republic of Ireland Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...

. Baronies were mainly

cadastral A cadastre or cadaster is a comprehensive recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.Jo Henssen, ''Basic Principles of the Main Cadastral Systems in the World,'/ref> Often it is represented graphically in a cad ...

rather than administrative units. They acquired modest local taxation and spending functions in the 19th century before being superseded by the

Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland similar to that already created for England, ...

Etymology

Clanmahon takes its name from the Irish Clann Mathúna, originally Cloinne Mathghamhna, "Mathgamhain's tribe," the ruling

Gaelic Irish The Gaels ( ; ga, Na Gaeil ; gd, Na Gàidheil ; gv, Ny Gaeil ) are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man in the British Isles. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languag ...

dynasty in the area in the Middle Ages. The personal name ''Mathgamhain'' means "

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

" and was a common name among warriors.

Geography

Clanmahon is the southern part of

, east of the

River Erne The River Erne ( , ga, Abhainn na hÉirne or ''An Éirne'') in the northwest of the island of Ireland, is the second-longest river in Ulster, flowing through Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and forming part of their border. ...

and north of

Lough Sheelin Lough Sheelin (), in standard Irish ''Loch Síleann'', is a limestone freshwater lough (lake) in central Ireland. The lake is a part of the River Inny course, and ultimately of the Shannon system. Geography and geology Lough Sheelin lies at ...

History

The descendants of Tomas Mór O'Reilly, king of

East Breifne The Kingdom of East Breifne or Breifne O'Reilly ( sga, Muintir-Maelmordha; ga, Bréifne Uí Raghallaigh, ) was an historic kingdom of Ireland roughly corresponding to County Cavan that existed from 1256 to 1607. It took its present boundaries in 1 ...

1384–92, were rulers of Clanmahon in the 15th century; Tomás was the son of Mathgamain Ua Raighillaigh. The Uí Shioradáin (O'Sheridans) were a vassal tribe. The

Ua Raghallaigh O'Reilly ( ga, Ó Raghallaigh) is a group of families, ultimately all of Irish Gaelic origin, who were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred an ...

(O'Reillys) were also powerful landowners until the 16th century. According to the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

, in 1537, "The son of O'Reilly (Brian, the son of Farrell), a great loss in his own country, was slain by the people of the English Lord Justice /nowiki>Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane">Leonard_Grey,_1st_Viscount_Grane.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane">/nowiki>Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane/nowiki>, who came to commit ravages in Clann-Mahon." The barony of Clanmahon was created by 1609 in the Plantation of Ulster. Clanmahon gives its name to Clanmahon Road, Donnycarney, Dublin; several streets in that area are named after Irish clans.http://www.makingofdublincity.com/dublin/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Volume-5.pdf

List of settlements

Below is a list of settlements in Clanmahon: *

Ballinagh Ballinagh, officially Bellananagh (), is a village in County Cavan, Ireland. It lies on the N55 midlands route. Buildings of note Ballinagh Market House is a five-bay two-storey building constructed in 1821; it is currently in use as a store ho ...

Crossdoney Crossdoney () is a village and townland in County Cavan, Ireland. The village is on the R154 regional road where it terminates at a junction with the R198. Peculiarly, all buildings in the village sit on one side of the road, and this gives ri ...

Crosserlough Crosserlough, historically known as ''Cros Ar Loch'', is a large civil parish in southern County Cavan, in the province of Ulster, Ireland. It is located between Ballyjamesduff and Lough Sheelin. The parish consists of three areas. Kilnaleck, w ...

Kilcogy Kilcogy (), is a small village and townland in the civil parish of Drumlumman in south-western County Cavan, Ireland. Kilcogy is located on the R394 road. People * John Wilson, former Tánaiste, lived here. Sport Mullahoran GAA Mullah ...

Mountnugent Mountnugent, historically known as Dalysbridge (), is a village and townland in southern County Cavan, Ireland. The village is on the R154 regional road, at a river crossing near Lough Sheelin. History The village's more recent name of Mountnug ...

References

{{County Cavan Baronies of County Cavan