Clogher (from Irish Clochar, meaning 'stony place'; [1] /ˈklɔː.ər/ , [2] /ˈklɒ.hər/ [3] ) is a village and civil parish in the border area of south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, 5.8 miles from the border crossing to County Monaghan. It stands on the townlands of Clogher Demesne and Clogher Tenements. [4] The 2011 Census recorded a population of 717. [5] The civil parish of Clogher covers areas of County Fermanagh as well as County Tyrone. [6]
Clogher is home to the provincial office in Northern Ireland for the congregation of the Sisters of Mercy [7] (Roman Catholic order of nuns). From 1971-1991 The Mercy Order employed some of their nuns at St Macartan's Primary School following the leave of the order of saint louis as the school was actually founded by the Sisters of St Louis in the 1930s [8] due to the high demand for primary Catholic education in the Clogher area. The Sisters of Mercy also had ownership of the St Macartan's nursing and dementia care home until recent years where they decided to hand the nursing home over to the NHS. [9] The sisters of Saint Louis left Clogher in the 1970s and the Mercy Order continued their work. However, In the late 1980s the Sisters of Mercy were phased out of the school and retired from the job of teaching at St Macartan's School due to falling numbers of nuns and as a newer curriculum had been introduced in Northern Ireland it meant they needed more qualifications. They have since severed most ties with the St Macartan's Convent School [10] but still live in the Convent of Mercy on the Ballagh Road, Clogher, next to the St Macartan's nursing home.
The name Clochar refers to something made of stone ('cloch' is the Irish word for 'stone' and can be anglicised as 'cloch', 'clogh' or 'clough'); [11] probably on the site of the medieval monastery or a nearby ringfort. [12] Archaeological remains from before the 5th century have been found in the vicinity. [12] Clogher is said to have been the location of a gold-covered pagan oracle stone named Cermand Cestach. [13] [14] The story goes that "Cloch-Ór (Golden Stone), may have been a ceremonial or oracle stone (see Cenn Cruaich and Omphalos) originally covered in gold sacred to the druids...given to Mac Cairthinn by an old pagan noble (Cairpre, the father of St Tigernach of Clones), who had harassed him in every possible way until the saint's patient love won the local ruler to the faith." [14] The stone is recorded as being "a curiosity in the porch of the Cathedral of Clogher" in the time of Annalist Cathal Maguire of Fermanagh in the late 15th century. Tighernach of Clones, later succeeded St. Mac Cairthinn as Bishop of Clogher. [15] [16]
Clogher has been a religious center since St. Patrick's time and likely before. [17] St. Aedh Mac Cairthinn of Clogher (c. 430–505 AD) an early disciple and companion of Saint Patrick [18] founded a monastery at the site, which later the Synod of Rathbreasail recognised as an episcopal see. The Cathedral Church of Saint Macartan in the village is now one of two cathedrals of the Church of Ireland diocese of Clogher; the other is at Enniskillen. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher has its cathedral in Monaghan. The meetinghouse of Clogher Presbyterian church is outside the village in the townland of Carntall. The "City of Clogher" was a rotten borough in the Parliament of Ireland in the gift of the Protestant bishop. The village also gives its name to the Barony of Clogher, one of the original four baronies of County Tyrone. [19]
Clogher railway station (on the narrow gauge Clogher Valley Railway) opened on 2 May 1887, but finally closed on 1 January 1942. [20]
Clogher also has Ulsterbus services to Omagh and on the 261/X261 between Belfast and Enniskillen.
Clogher Cricket Club plays in the NCU Senior League. The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is An Clochar Éire Óg.
The local primary schools include Carntall Primary School (which has a Protestant ethos) and St. Macartan's Convent Primary School (established by the Sisters of Saint Louis and has a Roman Catholic ethos). In 1932, the sisters of saint louis were invited to Clogher by request of the Bishop to open a catholic primary school and convent. In the following years, Saint Macartans convent school was established for the catholic children of Clogher and by 1935 the school was very successful. The sisters of saint louis continued to work in saint macartans up until 1972 when the sisters decided to leave Clogher and move to a bigger convent in County Monaghan.Not long after, the sisters of mercy continued the work of the Louis nuns up until 1991 when the sisters of mercy handed the ownership of saint macartans convent school over to the local catholic parish of Clogher. Since then, the sisters live in the convent of mercy on the Ballagh road, Clogher. ). [7] [10]
The population of the village decreased during the 19th century: [4] [21]
Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | 702 | 558 | 389 | 242 | 225 | 273 |
Houses | 109 | 94 | 79 | 51 | 61 | 59 |
On Census Day in 2021, the usual resident population of Clogher settlement was 781 accounting for 0.02% of the NI total. Of these:
On Census Day 2021, in Clogher settlement, of the population aged 3 and over,
On Census Day (27 March 2011) the usually resident population of Clogher Settlement was 717 accounting for 0.04% of the NI total. [5] Of these:
On Census Day 27 March 2011, in Clogher Settlement, of the population aged 3 years old and over:
County Fermanagh is one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of six counties of Northern Ireland.
County Tyrone is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh.
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. Northern Ireland's capital city, Belfast, is 68 miles (109.5 km) to the east of Omagh, and Derry is 34 miles (55 km) to the north.
Cookstown is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the fourth-largest town in the county and had a population of 12,546 in the 2021 census. It, along with Magherafelt and Dungannon, is one of the main towns in the Mid-Ulster council area. It was founded around 1620 when the townlands in the area were leased by an English ecclesiastical lawyer, Dr. Alan Cooke, from the Archbishop of Armagh, who had been granted the lands after the Flight of the Earls during the Plantation of Ulster. It was one of the main centres of the linen industry west of the River Bann, and until 1956 the flax-related processes of spinning, weaving, bleaching and beetling were carried out in the town.
Castlederg is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Derg and is near the border with County Donegal, Ireland. It stands in the townlands of Castlesessagh and Churchtown, in the historic barony of Omagh West and the civil parish of Urney. The village has a ruined castle and two ancient tombs known as the Druid's Altar and Todd's Den. It had a population of 2,980 people at the 2021 census.
Fivemiletown is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 16 miles (26 km) east of Enniskillen and 26 miles (43 km) west-south-west of Dungannon, on the A4 Enniskillen-to-Dungannon road.
The Bishop of Clogher is an episcopal title which takes its name after the village of Clogher in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Following the Reformation, there are now parallel apostolic successions: one of the Church of Ireland and the other of the Roman Catholic Church.
Fintona, is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Its population at the 2011 Census was 1,164.
Aughnacloy, sometimes spelt Auchnacloy, is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Close to the border with County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland, the village is about 20 km southwest of Dungannon, and 7 km southeast of Ballygawley. It is situated in the historic barony of Dungannon Lower and the civil parish of Carnteel. In the 2011 census it had a population of 1,045.
Ballygawley or Ballygawly is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about 20 kilometres southwest of Dungannon, near the meeting of the A5 Derry–Dublin and A4 Dungannon–Enniskillen roads.
Donaghmore is a village, townland and civil parish in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, about five kilometres (3 mi) north-west of Dungannon. In the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,122 people. The village is beside the River Torrent, formerly known as the Torrent Flow.
Cermand Cestach was the name of a gold-covered pagan cult image which stood in Clogher Cathedral, County Tyrone, Ireland until the Middle Ages. Alternative spellings are "Cermand Celstach", "Cermaed Celsetacht", "Kermand Kelstach", "Kerman Kelstach" and the Giant Ermand Kelstach.
Augher is a small village in south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies just 6 miles to the border with County Monaghan and is 16 miles south of Dungannon. It is situated in the historic barony of Clogher and the civil parish of Clogher. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 399. The town gives its name to the local Gaelic Football Club.
Caledon is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is in the Clogher Valley on the banks of the River Blackwater, 10 km from Armagh. It lies in the southeast of Tyrone and near the borders of County Armagh and County Monaghan. It is situated in the historic barony of Dungannon Lower and the civil parish of Aghaloo. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 387 people. It is a designated conservation area. It was historically known as Kinnaird.
Aghadrumsee is a small village in south-eastern County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.
Saint Mac Cairthinn, also Macartan, McCartan, is recognized as the first presiding Bishop of Clogher from 454 to his death. One of the earliest Christian saints in Ireland, he is known as Saint Patrick's "Threin Fhir", or "Strong Man" for his dedication and faithfulness to the fledgling Church. His feast day is 24 March.
St. Macartan's College is a Roman Catholic boys' Diocesan College in Monaghan, Ireland. It is named after Saint Macartan, follower of St. Patrick and founder and bishop of the Diocese of Clogher. The school educates Catholic boys in County Monaghan and surrounding counties. It is located within the parish of Donagh. The school Feast Day is 24 March.
Trillick St Macartan's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the parish of Trillick in western County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It competes at Senior level in Tyrone GAA competitions. The club plays Gaelic football, ladies' Gaelic football and camogie.
St Macartan's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clogher in Ireland. It is located in the townland of Latlurcan, Monaghan town in the ecclesiastical parish of Monaghan and Rackwallace. It was built between the years of 1861 and 1893 and is the only cathedral in the county.
Saint Ciaran's College is a co-educational Roman Catholic secondary school located in Ballygawley, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is within the Education Authority (Southern) area.