County Monaghan
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

County Monaghan ( ; ga, Contae Mhuineacháin) is a
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in Ireland. It is in the
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
and is part of
Border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...
strategic planning area of the
Northern and Western Region The Northern and Western Region has been a region in Ireland since 1 January 2015. It is a NUTS Level II statistical region of Ireland (coded IE04). NUTS 2 Regions may be classified as ''less developed regions'', ''transition regions'', ...
. It is named after the town of
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
.
Monaghan County Council Monaghan County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Mhuineacháin) is the authority responsible for local government in County Monaghan, Ireland. As a county council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. The council is responsible for ho ...
is the
local authority Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
for the county. The population of the county was 61,386 according to the 2016 census. The county has existed since 1585 when the
Mac Mathghamhna McMahon, also spelled MacMahon (older Irish orthography: ; reformed Irish orthography: ), is a surname of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Mac'' ''Mathghamhna'' meaning 'son of the bear'. The surname came into use around the 11th c ...
rulers of
Airgíalla Airgíalla (Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all independe ...
agreed to join the
Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland ( ga, label=Classical Irish, an Ríoghacht Éireann; ga, label=Modern Irish, an Ríocht Éireann, ) was a monarchy on the island of Ireland that was a client state of England and then of Great Britain. It existed from ...
. Following the 20th-century Irish War of Independence and the signing of the
Anglo-Irish Treaty The 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty ( ga , An Conradh Angla-Éireannach), commonly known in Ireland as The Treaty and officially the Articles of Agreement for a Treaty Between Great Britain and Ireland, was an agreement between the government of the ...
, Monaghan was one of three Ulster counties to join the
Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...
rather than
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 ...
.


Geography and subdivisions

County Monaghan is the fifth smallest of the Republic's 26 counties by area, and the fourth smallest by population. It is the smallest of Ulster's nine counties in terms of population.


Baronies

* Cremorne ( ga, Críoch Mhúrn) *
Dartree Dartree () is a barony in County Monaghan, Republic of Ireland. Etymology Dartree is known in Irish as ''Dartraí'' from the ancient kingdom '' Dartraighe'', named after the ''n-Dartraighi'' or ''Dairtre'' people. Location Dartree is found i ...
( ga,
Dartraighe Dartraighe (older spelling: Dartraige), anglicised as ''Dartree'', ''Dartry'' or ''Dartrey'', was an Irish territory or tuath in medieval Ireland which stretched north to Clones and south to the Dromore River. It was later incorporated into Co ...
) * Farney ( ga, Fearnaigh) *
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
( ga, Muineachán) * Truagh ( ga, An Triúcha)


Civil parishes and townlands


Towns and villages

* Ballinode *
Ballybay Ballybay () is a town and civil parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town is centred on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. Geography The town is the meeting point for roads going to Monaghan, Castleblayney, Carrickmac ...
* Carrickmacross *
Castleblayney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...
*
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
*
Clontibret Clontibret () is a village and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The village population in the 2016 census was 172. Clontibret is also a parish in both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland traditions. The territory of the parish also includes ...
*
Doohamlet Doohamlet ( ; ), is a village and townland on the Castleblayney–Ballybay road in County Monaghan, Ireland. It is part of a wider parish of Clontibret in the diocese of Clogher. Doohamlet village is located approximately three miles from the N ...
*
Drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a she ...
*
Emyvale Emyvale, known before the Plantation of Ulster as Scarnageeragh (), is a village and townland in the north of County Monaghan, Ireland. It is on the main Dublin to Derry and Letterkenny road, the N2, about north of Monaghan and south of ...
*
Inniskeen Inniskeen, officially Inishkeen (), is a small village, townland and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. The village is located about from Dundalk, from Carrickmacross, and from Crossmaglen ...
*
Glaslough Glaslough ( ; ) is a village and townland in the north of County Monaghan, Ireland, on the R185 regional road south of the border with Northern Ireland and northeast of Monaghan town. Glaslough won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1978 a ...
*
Killanny The parish of Killanny ({{irish place name, Cill Éanna) lies in both County Louth and Monaghan and is part of the Diocese of Clogher. It is named after Saint Enda of Aran, known by the diminutive Éanna. The civil parish consists of 31 townl ...
*
Knockatallon Knockatallon or Knockatallan () is a hamlet and townland in the north of County Monaghan in Ireland, being located in the parish of Tydavnet. The Roman Catholic parish church is located in the village of Tydavnet itself. Knockatallan is located ...
*
Magheracloone Magheracloone is a parish in south County Monaghan. Its name comes from the Irish ''Machaire Cluana'' which means 'plain of meadow'. This is a strange name for such a hilly parish; it is derived from its most important place in ancient times; a fl ...
*
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
*
Newbliss Newbliss (), historically known as Lisdaragh (), is a village and townland in County Monaghan, Ireland. The village is located where the R183 and R189 regional roads intersect. Transport Rail services do not serve Newbliss, as Newbliss railw ...
*
Oram Oram is an Old Norse surname particularly found in the North of England. Notable people with this surname are: * Albert Oram, Baron Oram (1913–1999), British politician; MP from East Ham South * Andrew Oram (b. 1975), English cricketer * Chand ...
*
Rockcorry Rockcorry () historically known as Newtowncorry (or ''Cribby'' from the Irish language term meaning yellow earth), is a village and townland in County Monaghan, Ireland. The village is located close to Dartrey Forest on the R188 (which links ...
*
Scotshouse Scotshouse () is a small agricultural village in the parish of Currin in County Monaghan, Ireland. It is roughly three miles east of where the counties of Cavan, Fermanagh and Monaghan meet. Scotshouse is about from Clones, from Cavan town a ...
*
Scotstown Scotstown () is a village in the townland of Bough () in north County Monaghan, Ireland. Scotstown is located in the parish of Tydavnet, along the Monaghan Blackwater, Scotstown being the village closest to the river's source. Scotstown is ce ...
*
Smithborough Smithborough or Smithboro () is a village in County Monaghan, Ireland. It is within the townlands of Mullaghduff and Mullaghbrack. It is roughly midway between Monaghan Town and Clones on the N54. Nearby villages within 6–7 km (3 or 4& ...
* Threemilehouse *
Tydavnet Tydavnet, officially Tedavnet (), is a village in northern County Monaghan, Ireland, and also the name of the townland and civil parish in which the village sits. Both the Church of Ireland and Catholic church have Tydavnet named as a parish ...
*
Tyholland Tyholland (), also known as Tehallan, is a small parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. It is the smallest parish in County Monaghan and borders County Armagh, Northern Ireland. For a period it was united with Donagh parish and later still with M ...
* Truagh


Largest Towns in County Monaghan (2016 Census)

1.
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
= 7,678
2. Carrickmacross = 5,032
3.
Castleblayney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...
= 3,607
4.
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
= 1,680
5.
Ballybay Ballybay () is a town and civil parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town is centred on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. Geography The town is the meeting point for roads going to Monaghan, Castleblayney, Carrickmac ...
= 1,241


Geography

Notable mountains include
Slieve Beagh Slieve Beagh () is a mountainous area straddling the border between County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh and County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. A point just east of its summit is the highest point in Monaghan; however ...
(on the Tyrone and Fermanagh borders), Mullyash Mountain and Coolberrin Hill (214 m, 702 ft). Lakes include Lough Avaghon, Dromore Lough, Drumlona Lough, Lough Egish, Emy Lough, Lough Fea, Inner Lough (in
Dartrey Forest Dartrey Forest (sometimes Dartrey Estate or Dawson Grove Estate) is a forest and estate near Rockcorry in north-west County Monaghan, Ireland. It was formerly part of the Barony of Dartrey and was the country estate of the Dawson family, who h ...
), Muckno Lough and White Lough. Notable rivers include the
River Fane The River Fane ( ga, Abhainn Átha Féan) is a river flowing from County Monaghan to Dundalk Bay in County Louth, Ireland. Course Originating in Lough Ross on the border of County Monaghan and County Armagh, and so of the Republic of Ireland ...
(along the Louth border), the
River Glyde The River Glyde ( ga, an Casán) is a river in eastern Ireland, flowing from County Cavan to County Louth. Course The Glyde rises in the town of Bailieborough in Cavan, the upper reaches are sometimes known as the Lagan River, but after the Kil ...
(along the Louth and Meath borders), the
Ulster Blackwater The River Blackwater or Ulster Blackwater is a river mainly in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It also forms part of the border between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, flowing between Counties Tyrone and Mon ...
(along the Tyrone border) and the Dromore River (along the Cavan border, linking
Cootehill Cootehill (; ) is a market town and townland in County Cavan, Ireland. Cootehill was formerly part of the neighbouring townland of Munnilly. Both townlands lie within the barony of Tullygarvey. The English language name of the town is a port ...
to
Ballybay Ballybay () is a town and civil parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town is centred on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. Geography The town is the meeting point for roads going to Monaghan, Castleblayney, Carrickmac ...
). Monaghan has a number of forests, including Rossmore Forest and
Dartrey Forest Dartrey Forest (sometimes Dartrey Estate or Dawson Grove Estate) is a forest and estate near Rockcorry in north-west County Monaghan, Ireland. It was formerly part of the Barony of Dartrey and was the country estate of the Dawson family, who h ...
. Managed by Coillte since 1988, the majority of trees are conifers. Due to a long history of
intensive farming Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming (as opposed to extensive farming), conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of ...
and recent intensive forestry practices, only small pockets of native woodland remain. The Finn Bridge is a border crossing point over the River Finn to County Fermanagh. It is close to
Scotshouse Scotshouse () is a small agricultural village in the parish of Currin in County Monaghan, Ireland. It is roughly three miles east of where the counties of Cavan, Fermanagh and Monaghan meet. Scotshouse is about from Clones, from Cavan town a ...
.


Geology

Lead Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
used to be mined in County Monaghan. Mines included Annaglogh Lead Mines and Lisdrumgormley Lead Mines.


History

In 1585, the English Lord Deputy of Ireland,
Sir John Perrot Sir John Perrot (7 November 1528 – 3 November 1592) served as Lord Deputy of Ireland, lord deputy to Queen Elizabeth I of England during the Tudor conquest of Ireland. It was formerly speculated that he was an illegitimate son of Henry VIII, t ...
, visited the area and met the Irish chieftains. They requested that
Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
be divided into counties and land in the kingdom of
Airgíalla Airgíalla (Modern Irish: Oirialla, English: Oriel, Latin: ''Ergallia'') was a medieval Irish over-kingdom and the collective name for the confederation of tribes that formed it. The confederation consisted of nine minor kingdoms, all independe ...
be apportioned to the local chiefs. A commission was established to accomplish this and County Monaghan came into being. The county was subdivided into five baronies: Farney, Cremorne,
Dartrey Dartrey Forest (sometimes Dartrey Estate or Dawson Grove Estate) is a forest and estate near Rockcorry in north-west County Monaghan, Ireland. It was formerly part of the Barony of Dartrey and was the country estate of the Dawson family, who h ...
, and
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
controlled by
MacMahon McMahon, also spelled MacMahon (older Irish orthography: ; reformed Irish orthography: ), is a surname of Irish origin. It is derived from the Gaelic ''Mac'' ''Mathghamhna'' meaning 'son of the bear'. The surname came into use around the 11th c ...
and Truagh by McKenna. After the defeat of the rebellion of The Earl of Tyrone and the Ulster chieftains in 1603, the county was not planted like the other counties of Ulster. The lands were instead left in the hands of the native chieftains. In the Irish Rebellion of 1641, the McMahons and their allies joined the general rebellion of Irish Catholics. Following their defeat, some colonisation of the county took place by Scottish and English families.


Inland waterways

County Monaghan is traversed by the derelict
Ulster Canal The Ulster Canal is a canal running through part of County Armagh, County Tyrone and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Canal was built between 1825 and 1842 and was 74 km (46&nb ...
. However,
Waterways Ireland Waterways Ireland ( ga, Uiscebhealaí Éireann; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Watterweys Airlann'') is one of the six all-Ireland North/South Ministerial Council, North/South implementation bodies established under the Belfast Agreement ...
are embarking on a scheme to reopen the canal from Lough Erne into
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
.


Railways

The
Ulster Railway The Ulster Railway was a railway company operating in Ulster, Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1836 and merged with two other railway companies in 1876 to form the Great Northern Railway (Ireland). History The Ulster Railway was auth ...
linked with and
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
in 1858 and with the
Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway Irish North Western Railway (INW) was an Irish gauge () railway company in Ireland. Development The company was founded as the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway (D&ER) and opened the first section of its line, from to , in 1849. In Dundalk t ...
at in 1863. It became part of the Great Northern Railway (GNR) in 1876. The
partition of Ireland The partition of Ireland ( ga, críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. ...
in 1922 turned the boundary with
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of an ...
into an international frontier, after which trains were routinely delayed by customs inspections. In 1957, the
Government of Northern Ireland The government of Northern Ireland is, generally speaking, whatever political body exercises political authority over Northern Ireland. A number of separate systems of government exist or have existed in Northern Ireland. Following the partitio ...
made the GNR Board close the line between and Armagh, and all lines between Armagh and County Monaghan. This left the GNR Board with no option but to withdraw passenger services between Armagh and Clones as well.
CIÉ Córas Iompair Éireann (''Irish Transport Company''), or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of Ireland, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport within the republic and jointly with its Northern Ireland counter ...
took over the remaining section of line between Clones, Monaghan and
Glaslough Glaslough ( ; ) is a village and townland in the north of County Monaghan, Ireland, on the R185 regional road south of the border with Northern Ireland and northeast of Monaghan town. Glaslough won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1978 a ...
in 1958, but withdrew goods services between Monaghan and Glaslough in 1959 and between Clones and Monaghan in 1960, leaving Monaghan with no railway service.


Governance and politics


Local government

At the 2019 local election, County Monaghan was divided into three
local electoral area A local electoral area (LEA; ga, Toghlimistéir Áitiúil) is an electoral area for elections to local authorities in Ireland. All elections use the single transferable vote. The Republic of Ireland is divided into 166 LEAs, with an average p ...
s, each of formed a municipal district:
Ballybay Ballybay () is a town and civil parish in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town is centred on the crossroads of the R183 and R162 regional roads. Geography The town is the meeting point for roads going to Monaghan, Castleblayney, Carrickmac ...
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
, Carrickmacross
Castleblayney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...
, and
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
.


Former districts

The towns of Ballybay, Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clones and Monaghan were formerly represented by nine-member
town council A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities. Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions. Republic of Ireland Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second t ...
s which dealt with local matters such as the provision of utilities and housing. These were abolished in 2014 under the
Local Government Reform Act 2014 The Local Government Reform Act 2014 (No. 1) is an act of the Oireachtas which provided for a major restructuring of local government in Ireland with effect from the 2014 local elections. It merged some first-tier county and city councils, ...
.


National politics

For elections to Dáil Éireann, the county is part of the constituency of
Cavan–Monaghan Cavan Monaghan (known as Cavan-Millbrook-North Monaghan until 2007) is a township in Peterborough County in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, southwest of the city of Peterborough. History The original townships of Cavan and Monaghan were survey ...
which elects five TDs. In the 2011 general election, there was a voter turnout of 72.7%. For elections to the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it adopts ...
, the county is part of the Midlands–North-West constituency.


Culture and architecture

County Monaghan is the birthplace of the poet and writer
Patrick Kavanagh Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel ''Tarry Flynn'', and the poems "On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life th ...
, who based much of his work in the county. Kavanagh is one of the most significant figures in 20th-century
Irish poetry Irish poetry is poetry written by poets from Ireland. It is mainly written in Irish language, Irish and English, though some is in Scottish Gaelic literature, Scottish Gaelic and some in Hiberno-Latin. The complex interplay between the two mai ...
. The poems "Stony Grey Soil" and "Shancoduff" refer to the county. County Monaghan has produced several successful artists. Chief among these is George Collie (1904–75), who was born in Carrickmacross and trained at the
Dublin Metropolitan School of Art The National College of Art and Design (NCAD) is Ireland's oldest art institution, offering the largest range of art and design degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level in the country. Originating as a drawing school in 1746, many of th ...
. He was a prolific exhibitor at the
Royal Hibernian Academy The Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) is an artist-based and artist-oriented institution in Ireland, founded in Dublin in 1823. Like many other Irish institutions, such as the RIA, the academy retained the word "Royal" after most of Ireland became in ...
throughout his lifetime and is represented by works in the collection of the
National Gallery of Ireland The National Gallery of Ireland ( ga, Gailearaí Náisiúnta na hÉireann) houses the national collection of Irish and European art. It is located in the centre of Dublin with one entrance on Merrion Square, beside Leinster House, and another on ...
and the
Ulster Museum The Ulster Museum, located in the Botanic Gardens in Belfast, has around 8,000 square metres (90,000 sq. ft.) of public display space, featuring material from the collections of fine art and applied art, archaeology, ethnography, treasure ...
. County Monaghan was also the home county of the Irish writer Sir Shane Leslie (1885–1971), 3rd
Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
of
Glaslough Glaslough ( ; ) is a village and townland in the north of County Monaghan, Ireland, on the R185 regional road south of the border with Northern Ireland and northeast of Monaghan town. Glaslough won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1978 a ...
, who lived at
Castle Leslie Castle Leslie, also known as Glaslough House is home to an Irish branch of Clan Leslie, is located on the 4 km² (1,000-acre) Castle Leslie Estate adjacent to the village of Glaslough, northeast of Monaghan town in County Monaghan, Irel ...
in the north-east corner of the county. A Catholic convert, Irish nationalist and first cousin of
Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern ...
, Leslie became an important literary figure in the early 1900s. He was a close friend of many politicians and writers of the day including the American novelist
F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
(1896–1940), who dedicated his second novel, ''
The Beautiful and Damned ''The Beautiful and Damned'' is a 1922 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in New York City, the novel's plot follows a young artist Anthony Patch and his flapper wife Gloria Gilbert who become "wrecked on the shoals of dissipati ...
'', to Leslie. Monaghan County Museum is recognised as one of the leading provincial museums in Ireland, with a Council of Europe Award (1980), among others, to its credit. Located in Hill Street, Monaghan Town, the museum aims to reflect the history of County Monaghan and its people in all its richness and diversity. The best of the county's architecture developed in the
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
and Victorian periods and ranges from the dignified public spaces of Church Square and The Diamond in Monaghan Town to the great country houses of Lough Fea, Carrickmacross; Hilton Park,
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
and Castle Leslie, Glaslough. Significant ecclesiastical buildings include St Joseph's Catholic Church in Carrickmacross; the Gothic-Revival St Patrick's Church of Ireland Church, Monaghan Town, and St Macartan's Catholic Cathedral, Monaghan Town, by J. J. McCarthy (1817–1882).


Economy

Agriculture is a significant part of the County Monaghan economy, employing about 12% of the population in 2011 (compared with 5% nationally). The county is the main source of
egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...
supplies in the
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 ...
.


Notable Monaghan people


Literature and scholarship

*
Patrick Kavanagh Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel ''Tarry Flynn'', and the poems "On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life th ...
(21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) – Poet * Patrick McCabe – Novelist and member of
Aosdána Aosdána ( , ; from , 'people of the arts') is an Irish association of artists. It was created in 1981 on the initiative of a group of writers with support from the country's Arts Council. Membership, which is by invitation from current member ...
. Born 1955. *
Eugene McCabe Eugene McCabe (7 July 1930 – 27 August 2020) was a Scots-born Irish novelist, short story writer, playwright, and television screenwriter. John Banville said McCabe was "in the first rank of contemporary Irish novelists'. Biography Born t ...
– Playwright, novelist and screenwriter, also a member of Aosdána. Born 1930, lives in
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
. * Sir Shane Leslie, 3rd Bt (1885–1971) - Writer and political activist, 3rd
Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
of
Glaslough Glaslough ( ; ) is a village and townland in the north of County Monaghan, Ireland, on the R185 regional road south of the border with Northern Ireland and northeast of Monaghan town. Glaslough won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1978 a ...
and first-cousin of
Sir Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
. Resided at
Castle Leslie Castle Leslie, also known as Glaslough House is home to an Irish branch of Clan Leslie, is located on the 4 km² (1,000-acre) Castle Leslie Estate adjacent to the village of Glaslough, northeast of Monaghan town in County Monaghan, Irel ...
. *
Evelyn Shirley Evelyn Shirley may refer to: *Evelyn Shirley (1788–1856), Member of Parliament (MP) *Evelyn Shirley (1812–1882), MP, son of the above {{Hndis, name=Shirley, Evelyn ...
– Writer and antiquarian. Resided at Lough Fea House near Carrickmacross. *
John Robert Gregg John Robert Gregg (17 June 1867 – 23 February 1948) was an Irish educator, publisher, humanitarian, and the inventor of the eponymous shorthand system Gregg Shorthand. Life Childhood John Robert Gregg was born in Shantonagh, Ireland, as th ...
(1867–1948) – Pioneer of modern shorthand writing. *
Sir Tyrone Guthrie Sir William Tyrone Guthrie (2 July 1900 – 15 May 1971) was an English theatrical director instrumental in the founding of the Stratford Festival of Canada, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at his ...
(1900–1971) – Writer, theatrical director and founder of the
Tyrone Guthrie Centre The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, often known as ''Annaghmakerrig'', is a residential facility for creative artists. Located at Annaghmakerrig, Newbliss, County Monaghan, Ireland, it was founded in 1981. The house was the family home of theatrical dir ...
. Born in
Royal Tunbridge Wells Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, southeast of central London. It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. ...
, his maternal grandmother was from
Newbliss Newbliss (), historically known as Lisdaragh (), is a village and townland in County Monaghan, Ireland. The village is located where the R183 and R189 regional roads intersect. Transport Rail services do not serve Newbliss, as Newbliss railw ...
. He settled at Annaghmakerrig House in Co. Monaghan late in his life.


Politics and military

* Andrew, 11th Baron Blayney (1770–1834), a prominent military commander with the
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
, especially during the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
. Also had
Castleblayney Castleblayney (; ) is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town had a population of 3,607 as of the 2016 census. Castleblayney is near the border with County Armagh in Northern Ireland, and lies on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Let ...
, his estate town, rebuilt in the early nineteenth century. * Sir Charles Gavan Duffy (12 April 1816 – 9 February 1903), Irish Nationalist and Australian politician who served as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
of the
Colony of Victoria In modern parlance, a colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers, colonies remain separate from the administration of the original country of the colonizers, the '' metropolitan state'' ...
. Born in
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
town. *
Joseph Finegan Joseph Finegan, sometimes Finnegan (November 17, 1814 – October 29, 1885), was an American businessman and brigadier general for the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. From 1862 to 1864 he commanded Confederate forces oper ...
(17 November 1814 – 29 October 1885),
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
General and victor at the
Battle of Olustee The Battle of Olustee or Battle of Ocean Pond was fought in Baker County, Florida on February 20, 1864, during the American Civil War. It was the largest battle fought in Florida during the war. Union General Truman Seymour had landed troops ...
* Francis Fitzpatrick (1859–1933), recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
*
Eoin O'Duffy Eoin O'Duffy (born Owen Duffy; 28 January 1890 – 30 November 1944) was an Irish military commander, police commissioner and politician. O'Duffy was the leader of the Monaghan Brigade of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and a prominent figure i ...
(20 October 1892 – 30 November 1944), turns Chief of Staff of the
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief th ...
, Commissioner of the
Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gover ...
and leader of the
Blueshirts The Army Comrades Association (ACA), later the National Guard, then Young Ireland and finally League of Youth, but best known by the nickname the Blueshirts ( ga, Na Léinte Gorma), was a paramilitary organisation in the Irish Free State, founded ...
and of
Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil ...
. He was also Commander of the Irish Brigade in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
. Born near Castleblayney. * Sir Basil Kelly (1920–2008) - UUP politician and senior-ranking Northern Irish judge. He served as the last
Attorney General for Northern Ireland The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is the chief legal adviser to the Northern Ireland Executive for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Attorney General for Northern Ire ...
under the old Stormont regime, serving in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Born in County Monaghan but raised and educated in
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
. *
Juan Mackenna Brigadier Juan Mackenna (26 October 1771 – 21 November 1814) was an Irish-born, Chilean military officer and hero of the Chilean War of Independence. He is considered to have been the creator of the Corps of Military Engineers of the Chilean ...
(1771–1814), veteran of the Chilean War of Independence and Co-Liberator of Chile. * Dr
Heber MacMahon Heber MacMahon (Irish ''Éimhear Mac Mathúna'') (1600 – 1650) was bishop of Clogher and general in Ulster. He was educated at the Irish college, Douay, and at Louvain, and ordained a Roman Catholic priest 1625. He became bishop of Clogh ...
, Lord Bishop of Clogher -
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...
who also served as a military commander for the ' Confederation of Kilkenny' during the 1640s. He commanded at the
Battle of Scarrifholis The Battle of Scarrifholis, also spelt Scariffhollis was fought on 21 June 1650, near Letterkenny in County Donegal during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland. A force loyal to the Commonwealth of England commanded by Charles Coote defeated ...
, near
Letterkenny Letterkenny ( ga, Leitir Ceanainn , meaning 'hillside of the O'Cannons'), nicknamed 'the Cathedral Town', is the largest and most populous town in County Donegal, a county in Ulster, the northern province in Ireland. Letterkenny lies on the R ...
, in 1650. Bishop MacMahon was born in
Inishkeen Inniskeen, officially Inishkeen (), is a small village, townland and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. The village is located about from Dundalk, from Carrickmacross, and from Crossmagl ...
. * Sir William Whitla (1851–1933), physician and politician. Born and raised in Monaghan Town. *
Thomas Taggart Thomas Taggart (November 17, 1856March 6, 1929) was an Irish-American politician who was the political boss of the Democratic Party in Indiana for the first quarter of the twentieth century and remained an influential political figure in loca ...
(1856–1929), United States Senator and
Mayor of Indianapolis In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
. * Charles Davis Lucas (1834–1914), A native of
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of an ...
who was the first-ever recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
. Resided for a time at Castleshane, County Monaghan, Castleshane. * Fergal O'Hanlon (1936–1957), Irish Republican Army (1922–1969), IRA volunteer, killed during the Border Campaign (Irish Republican Army), Border Campaign. * Thomas Hughes (VC), Thomas Hughes (1885–1942), Soldier and recipient of the Victoria Cross. * Patricia McKenna, former MEP * Doctor (medicine), Dr Rory O'Hanlon, politician, former Ceann Comhairle and former Irish cabinets since 1919, cabinet minister. Born 1934. * David Nelson (VC), David Nelson, recipient of the
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
* David Storey (politician), David Storey (1856–1924), member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly * Jim Lynagh, Commander East Tyrone Brigade IRA * Séamus McElwaine, OC South Fermanagh Brigade IRA


Sport

* Mary Bailey (aviator), Dame Mary Bailey (1890–1960), aviator who was the daughter of Derrick Westenra, 5th Baron Rossmore, The 5th Baron Rossmore and wife of Sir Abe Bailey, the South African people, South African 'Randlord'. * Barry McGuigan, world Boxing Champion 1985. Born in
Clones Clone or Clones or Cloning or Cloned or The Clone may refer to: Places * Clones, County Fermanagh * Clones, County Monaghan, a town in Ireland Biology * Clone (B-cell), a lymphocyte clone, the massive presence of which may indicate a pathologi ...
28 February 1960. * Tommy Bowe, Rugby Union player, born in
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
town, 22 February 1984. * James Cecil Parke (1881–1946), Tennis and rugby player. Olympic silver medalist in tennis, twice winner of the Wimbledon Mixed Doubles title and Australian Men's Singles title winner. Captain of the Irish rugby team * Kevin McBride, Olympic Boxer * John McKenna (1855–1936), the first manager of Liverpool Football Club along with W.E. Barclay.


Music and entertainment

* "Big Tom" McBride, country Singer * Oliver Callan, satirist and mimic, born in the county in December 1980. * The Flaws, indie Rock Band from Carrickmacross. * Ryan Sheridan (musician), Ryan Sheridan, singer and guitarist * Terry Cavanagh (developer), Terry Cavanagh, video game designer


Acting

* Caitriona Balfe, fashion model and actress * Ardal O'Hanlon, actor and comedian * Charlene McKenna, actress * Aoibhinn McGinnity, actress


Art

* Alexander Williams (artist), Alexander Williams (1846–1930), Artist, born in
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
town.


Religion

* Dr John Darley (bishop), John Darley (1799–1884), Church of Ireland Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, Lord Bishop of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh, 1874–84. * George Jeffreys (pastor), George Jeffreys (1889–1962), Welsh people, Welsh founder of the Elim Pentecostal Church, which was first established in
Monaghan Monaghan ( ; ) is the county town of County Monaghan, Ireland. It also provides the name of its civil parish and barony. The population of the town as of the 2016 census was 7,678. The town is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry and Lette ...
town in 1915. The movement now has some 9,000 churches worldwide. * Ellen McKenna (1819–1883), Irish Sisters of Mercy nun, American civil war nurse and teacher.


Twin cities

County Monaghan is town twinning, twinned with the following places: * Geel, Flanders, Belgium * Prince Edward Island, Canada * Miramichi, New Brunswick, Miramichi, New Brunswick, Canada * Peterborough, Ontario, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada


See also

* List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland#County Monaghan, List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Monaghan) * Lord Lieutenant of Monaghan * High Sheriff of Monaghan


Notes


External links


Monaghan County Council

Monaghan Tourism

Sliabh Beagh Hotel and Tourism Centre

Clogherhistory.ie

Description of County Monaghan (1900)

Monaghan Architecture

US protest as map of Monaghan bears an uncanny resemblance to an outline map of Iraq
{{Authority control County Monaghan, Ulster, Monaghan Counties of the Republic of Ireland, Monaghan Local government areas of the Republic of Ireland, Monaghan