Cloonlara South (Leagan Gaeilge – Cluain Lára Theas): The townland of Cloonlara South is situated four kilometres east of Glenamaddy Town in north-east County Galway. The Irish form of the townland name translates as ‘the south meadow of the mare’, cluain means meadow, lár means mare and theas is the Irish for south. Other forms of the townland name are Clownelaragh and Cloonlaragh South.
Distinctive Features:
• The 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map shows a Ringfort in this townland which is published in the National Monuments Service Archaeological Survey Database.
• A clusters of about twenty houses, typical of a clachan village, called Cloonlara was situated in the centre of the townland a short distance south of the Glenamaddy to Roscommon road.
• A large detached house called Kedagh Park was located to the north of the Glenamaddy to Roscommon road the 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map. Held by Bartholomew Kelly in fee at the time of Griffith’s Valuation when it was valued at £11 10s. The house is labelled Kedagh Park on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map but as Clondoyle House on the 25-inch map of the 1890s. A house still exists at the site.
1656-58 Down Survey: The Down Survey name of the townland is given as Clownelaragh.
The owner at the time of the survey was conducted was Keadagh Kelly who was a Catholic. The unprofitable land in the townland amounted to 121 plantation acres. The profitable land amounted to 59 plantation acres which was forfeited under the terms of the Cromwellian Settlement Act.
1823 – 1838 Tithe Applotment Books: Surviving documentation of the Tithe Applotment Books is in poor condition making it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to decipher the names of landholders. In so far as it can be ascertained the only Catholic landholder in the townland of Cloonlara South who paid the tithe (tax) levied to support the Established Church (Church of Ireland) was Bartholomew Kelly. Protestant occupiers of agricultural holdings were exempt from this tax.
1838 O’Donovan’s Field Name Books: There is no description published of this townland on the online version of O’Donovan’s Field Book Names.
1856 Griffith’s Valuation: The townland covers an area of 508 acres 3 roods 34 perches the total rateable valuation of the land and buildings combined amounted to £138 1s 0d.
There were 15 occupiers in Cloonlara South at the time of Griffith’s Valuation – Donnellan, Fleming (2), Kearns, Kelly (2), Kennelly, Mitchell (5), Mulryan (2) and Roctigan. The landlord in the townland at that time was Bartolomew Kelly.
Adjoining Townlands: The following townlands share a border with Cloonlara South – Ballyhard, Common, Faartan (Parish of Ballynakill), Clondoyle More, Clondoyle Beg, Barna, Clooncon East and Frass.
Census Records: Population and Household data for the townland of Cloonlara South:
| Census Years | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 2011 |
| Population | 158 | 92 | 48 | 79 | 94 | 71 | 67 | 75 | 34 |
| Households | 31 | 18 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 |
Glenamaddy and the Irish Folklore Collections:
The article posted on this website under the ‘Heritage > Folklore’ tab provides an overview of the folklore material submitted by Glenamaddy parishioners to the National Folklore Commission, now known as the Irish Folklore Collections. It also explains the background to the 1937 Schools’ Collection (Bailiúchán na Scol) project which has good representation from a parish perspective
The Irish Folklore Collections housed in the Folklore Department of University College Dublin contain a treasure trove of folklore material, some of which is accessible online. Both the Main Manuscript Collection and the Schools’ Collection contain a considerable number of submissions from collectors and informants who resided in the parish of Glenamaddy. The quick reference directories featured in the ‘Parish > Townlands’ section of this website complement the user-friendly search features of the dúcas.ie website and are helpful in tracking Schools’ Collection submissions associated with townlands. Submissions are categorised under – School, Teacher, Language, Volume Number, Page Number, Collector, Collector’s Townland, Informant and Informant’s Townland. Where applicable, Schools’ Collection directories showing online townland-related submissions appear at the end of the following townland posts on this website – Ballinapeaka, Ballinastack, Barna, Boyounagh More (Middletown), Bushtwon, Cashel, Classaghroe, Cloonacross, Clooncon East, Clooncon West, Cloonkeen, Cultiafadda, Eskeromullacaun (Esker), Felimspark, Glenamaddy, Gortaganny, Gortnagier, Kiltullagh, Knockauns, Lisheenaheltia, Loughpark, Meelick, Scotland, Shannagh More, Stonetown and Woodfield.
Parish folklore submissions contained in the Schools’ Collection are also accessible online via the following links:-
Árd Aoibhinn National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613680
Árd Aoibhinn National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613681
Glenamaddy Girls’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613677
Glenamaddy Boys’ National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613678
Glenamaddy Boys’ National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613679
Gort na Léime National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4569061
Gort na Léime National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4569062
Lisheenaheltia Girls’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613675
Lisheenaheltia Boys’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613676
Glenamaddy submissions which form part of the Main Manuscript Collection are not posted online but may be examined in the reading room of the Folklore Department in U.C.D., Belfield, Dublin 4. Typed versions of some of the parish contributions contained in the Main Manuscript Collection are published under the ‘Heritage > Folklore’ tab on this website.
Quick Reference Directory of Glenamaddy folklore submissions in the Main Manuscript Collection:-
Author: Pat Keaveny
Sources:
Townlands in County Galway
1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map
Place Name Books of Galway
The Down Survey of Ireland
The Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1837
Griffith Valuation – Ask About Ireland
Central Statistics Office
National Archives: Census Reports 1901/1911
Essex University: Historic Population Census Reports
Historic Environment Viewfinder