CLOONOGHILL, a parish, in the barony of CORRAN,
county of SLIGO, and province of CONNAUGHT,
3½ miles (W. S. W.) from Ballymote, on the road from
Boyle to Ballina; containing 2241 inhabitants. This
place was formerly called Clonymeaghan, and was the
seat of a Dominican monastery, founded about 1488, by
the sept of Mac Donogh, which afterwards became a
cell to that of Sligo: at the dissolution its possessions
were granted to Richard Kyndelinshe. The
parish contains 4551 statute acres, as applotted under
the tithe act: the land is generally good, and there
is not much bog. Limestone quarries are worked here.
Fairs are held at Buninadan on Jan. 14th, June 2nd,
Aug. 6th, Sept. 10th, Oct. 7th, and Nov. 27th. The
principal seats are Ballinaclough, the residence of J,
West, Esq.; Grayfort, of J. Rea, Esq.; Roadstown, of
D. O'Connor, Esq.; Drumrahan, of J. Taffe, Esq.; and
Old Rock, of J. Trumble, Esq. It is a rectory and
vicarage, in the diocese of Achonry; the rectory is
partly impropriate in J. Baker, Esq., and partly, with
the vicarage, forms a portion of the union and corps
of the deanery of Achonry. The tithes amount to £170
per annum, of which £90 is payable to the impropriator,
and the remainder to the dean. In the R. C.
divisions it is the head of a union or district, called
3 C 2
Buninadan, comprising the parishes of Cloonoghill,
Kilturra, and Killowshalway; and containing two
chapels, of which that of Cloonoghill, at Buninadan, is
a large slated building. There is a school at Ballinaclough,
under the patronage of J. West, Esq., in which
are about 110 children; and there is also a hedge
school of about 50 children. On the banks of the
river are the remains of an old castle, built by the Mac
Donoghs; and on the lands of Church Hill is a large
cromlech, consisting of a horizontal and three upright
stones.