Cloonkeen (Leagan Gaeilge – Cluain Caoin): The townland of Cloonkeen is situated seven kilometres north west of Glenamaddy Town in north-east County Galway. The Irish form of the townland name translates as ‘the pleasant meadow’, cluain means meadow and caoin means pleasant, smooth, or fine. Other forms of the townland name mentioned by O’Donovan in the Field Name Books are Cloon Keen and Clonkeen.

Distinctive Features:
• A clachan village called Cloonkeen Village containing fifteen houses, a Corn Kiln and a Lime Kiln are noted in O’Donovan’s 1830s’ Field Name Books. The clachan and Corn Kiln appear on the 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map but the Lime Kiln is not mapped
• Patrick Knight who researched and published the “History of the Parish of Boyounagh” in 1975 was born in Cloonkeen.
1656-58 Down Survey: There is no online information regarding this survey on this townland.
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 Catholic landholders in the townland of Cloonkeen who paid the tithe (tax) levied to support the Established Church (Church of Ireland) were William Cunningham, Patrick Comer, Peter Murray, Patrick Dolan and Patrick Joyce. Protestant occupiers of agricultural holdings were exempt from this tax.
1838 O’Donovan’s Field Name Books: O’Donovan describes the townland as follows – “About 2/3 of this townland is bog, the portion of arable is in the N. portion of the townland in which is a village called after the townland. Centre of stream and river forms the N. and east boundaries of the townland.”
1856 Griffith’s Valuation: The townland covered an area of 241 acres 3 roods 3 perches and the total rateable valuation of the land and buildings combined amounted to £39 5s 0d.
At the time of Griffith’s Valuation there were nine occupies in the townland of Cloonkeen, namely, Corneely, Doolan (2), Joyce (4) and Murray (2). The landlord was Martin McDonnell.
Adjoining Townlands: The following townlands share a border with Cloonkeen – Meelick, Cultiafadda, Boyounagh More (Middletown), Cashel, Boyounagh Beg and Cloonmaghaura (Templetogher Parish).

Census Records: Population and Household data for the townland of Cloonkeen:

Census Years	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	2011
Population	69	45	50	51	51	48	36	40	16
Households	13	7	9	8	9	9	8	7	6

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.

Schools’ Collection Townland-Related Quick Reference Directory:

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