The Cluain Conmhaícne (Conmaicne of the pasture), or Cluain Conmaicne, were an early people of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. Their tuath comprised the entire parish of Cloone, located in the baronies of

Maigh Rein The barony of Mohill ( ga, Maothail, historically Conmhaícne Maigh Réin) is an ancient barony in County Leitrim, Republic of Ireland. Etymology Mohill barony shares its name with Mohill (, "soft or spongy ground") village. Historically a va ...

(Mohill) and

Carrigallen Carrigallen () is a small village in County Leitrim, Ireland. It is located on the R201 and R203 roads in the east of the county. , the village had a population of 387. Location The village is set between the north and south shores of Town ...

, in south

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; gle, Contae Liatroma) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the ...

Origin

The Conmhaicne or Conmaicne were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the

Laigin The Laigin, modern spelling Laighin (), were a Gaelic population group of early Ireland. They gave their name to the Kingdom of Leinster, which in the medieval era was known in Irish as ''Cóiced Laigen'', meaning "Fifth/province of the Leinsterm ...

, who dispersed to various parts of

. They settled in

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...

and

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It has a population of 10,008 according to the 2016 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meet ...

, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. Other branches of the Conmhaicne located in County Leitrim included the Conmaicne of

, Maigh Nissi, and Conmaicne Luchan.

Territory

Their territory was bounded by native Irish forests on all sides, Conmaiche of

west, Conmaicne of Maigh Nissi south, Conmaicne of Angaile to the east, and Breifne O'Reilly to the north.

Taoiseach

Cluain Conmaicne was part of

Muintir Eolais The Muintir Eolais of Conmaicne Réin, were nobles of Gaelic Ireland. For seven hundred years from the 8th century, they lived and ruled an area roughly conterminous to present-day south County Leitrim. Their territory comprised the lands name ...

and therefore ruled by MagRaghnaill (Reynolds).

People

Saint Berach In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...

was born at Gort na Luachra in Cloone Conmaicne, living with this tuath for seven years. Plummer states that, in 1922, the townland contains "a mother-church and a cross, and the stone on which St. Berach was born". * Saint Midabaria, sister of Berach, was also born at Gort na Luachra in Cloone Conmaicne.

References

Secondary sources

* * * ''A Chorographical Description of West or H-Iar Connaught written A.D. 1684 by Roderic O'Flaherty ESQ with notes and Illustrations by,

James Hardiman James Hardiman (1782–1855), also known as Séamus Ó hArgadáin, was a librarian at Queen's College, Galway. Hardiman is best remembered for his '' History of the Town and County of Galway'' (1820) and '' Irish Minstrelsy'' (1831), one of the f ...