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

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Their tuath comprised the entire parish of Cloone, located in the baronies of Maigh Rein (Mohill) and Carrigallen, in south

County Leitrim County Leitrim ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the village of Leitrim, County Leitr ...

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 Leinste ...

, who dispersed to various parts of

. They settled in

Connacht Connacht or Connaught ( ; or ), is the smallest of the four provinces of Ireland, situated in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, C ...

and

Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...

, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. Other branches of the

Conmhaicne The Conmaicne (; ) were a people of early Ireland, perhaps related to the Laigin, who dispersed to various parts of Ireland. They settled in Connacht and Longford, giving their name to several Conmaicne territories. T. F. O'Rahilly's assertion ...

located in County Leitrim included the Conmaicne of Maigh Rein,

Maigh Nissi The barony of Leitrim (, historically Conmhaícne Maigh Nissi) is a barony in County Leitrim, Ireland. Etymology Leitrim barony takes its name from the village of Leitrim (, "grey ridge"), which also gives its name to County Leitrim. Loca ...

, and Conmaicne Luchan.

Territory

Their territory was bounded by native Irish forests on all sides, Conmaiche of Maigh Rein west, Conmaicne of

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 in and ruled an area roughly conterminous with present-day south County Leitrim. Their territory comprised the lands n ...

and therefore ruled by MagRaghnaill (Reynolds).

People

* Saint Berach 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 (February 1782 – 13 November 1855), also known as Séamus Ó hArgadáin, was a librarian at Queen's College, Galway and an important historian. Hardiman is best remembered for his '' History of the Town and County of Galway'' (1 ...