| Magheracloone Macaire Cluaine
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| — Town — | |
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Magheracloone
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| County | County Monaghan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 52.415 km2 (20.2 sq mi) |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | N825994 |
Magheracloone is a parish in County Monaghan. Its name comes from Machaire (na) Cluain which is Irish for the Pasture Plain. It covers 12,952 statute acres, making it the biggest parish in south Monaghan. The parish shares borders with three neighbouring counties:Cavan, Louth and is the only parish in Monaghan to border Meath. The parish contains numerous natural resources such as gypsum, which has been mined locally for decades. During the 1840s the population numbered around 9,000. Today it has a population of around 1800.
The absintee 'Shirley Family' landlords own a vast amount of land in the parish. They own the wooded land known locally as "Shirley's Woods". The people of Magheracloone worshiped in three churches, built and maintained by the people of different religious faiths.
The nineteenth century harper Patrick Byrne was a native of the parish. Born and reared in the townland of Greaghlone, he went on to achieve international fame, becoming the first person photographed playing the harp. He retired to the townland of Beagh at the end of his life and is buried in nearby Carrickmacross.[1]
A quote from a local poet: "Where Breffny joins with kingly Meath at Tobermannon on the Glyde, there Magheracloone is, lying side by side."
The parish has a Gaelic football team called the Magheracloone Mitchells who have won the Monaghan Senior Football Championship once, in 2004. They have achieved runner-up three times; in 2002, 2005 and 2006. Their team colours are Black and White. Senior Gaelic footballer Thomas Freeman was presented with a GAA All Star award in 2007 and his brother, Damien Freeman is a former captain of county Monaghan's gaelic football team team.
They also have an under 14 boys and girls Olympic handball team. The boy’s team achieved all-Ireland runner-up and the girl's team came 1st in Ireland in 2006.