Clane,121 A small village situated on the river Liffey, which gives name to the barony.

Canons Regular: St. Ailbe founded an abbey here, and made St. Senchell, the elder, abbot of it, who afterwards removed to Killachad Dromfoda, where he died on the 26th of March, A.D. 548.8

A synod consisting of twenty-six bishops, with a great number of abbots, &c., was convened here in the year 1162, under Gelasius, Archbishop of Armagh, who passed a decree that no person should be admitted professor of divinity in any church in Ireland who had not studied at Armagh.h

Gerald Fitz-Maurice died 18th July, 1287, and was interred here, 13

A Franciscan Friary was erected here some time before the year 1266; some writers give the foundation to Gerald Fitz-Maurice, Lord Offaley, but this account is not confirmed.

The effigies of the founder (who he was is not certainly known) remained, about the beginning of the last century, on a marble monument, which was placed in the midst of the choir in this friary.

The family of O'Hogain came afterwards into the possession and patronage of this priory and its estate.m

A.D. 1346. A provincial chapter of the order was held here.'

tum

Called anciently Cluain-daimh, and afterwards Cleonad. 8 Act. SS. p. 748. h Annal. Annon. i King, p. 309. War. MSS. vol. 3, p. 159. 1 War. Mon. Wadding, Annal. vol. 3, p. 531. mm Id.

12 Anciently called Cluain-Daimh, i.e., the meadow of the oxen in the Four Masters, styled Cleonta, Claonadh: in the Irish Calendar it is similarly denominated. Colgan says that there was a church here before the middle of the sixth century. Claenadh, now Clane, a village giving name to a barony in the north of County Kildare. In the gloss to the Feliré Angus preserved in the LeabhairBreac, it is stated that Claenadh is situated in Hi-Faelain in Maigh-Laghen. -O'Donovan's F. M. yr. 777.

The history of St. Senchell's settlement in Clane, and of his death in Killeigh, King's County, is given in Colgan's Acta, p. 748. Festilogies say that he is honoured on the 26th March, the day on which he died, in the Church of Killachaidh (Killeigh), where he lies interred. The original name of this church was Cillachaidh (Killahy), the "Church of the Field." To distinguish it from the Cillachaidh, in East Breifney, it was called Cill-achaidh, Droma-fada, i.e., Killahy, or Killeigh, of Drumfada, from the long ridge or hill rising over the village-Page 313. 13 Lodge, vol, i, p. 63, states that he was interred in the Friary of Kildare, The Synod of Clane is referred to by Dr. Lanigan-R. C. History of Ireland. vol. 4, p. 178.

The Priory of Clane was surrendered by the prior in 1541-Ham. Cal. i., 58. Sir Thomas was Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1553—Burke's Dor, and Ext. Peerage. The foundations of this friary still remain near the bank of the Liffey. There is a well in this parish called Sunday Well, at the edge of the moat, towards the north part of Carrigeens townland. It was formerly a holy well.-Ordnance Survey,

1345. A general chapter was held here, wherein it was ordained that the Franciscan Monasteries of Kilkenny and Ross should be assigned to the wardenship of Dublin."

June 15th, 24th King Henry VIII. This friary, with the appurtenances, tithes excepted, in Clane, the New town of Clane, Mucherath, Flesheston, and Langeton in this county, and the Dominican Friary at Naas; with the appurtenances in Ballynaycluge, in the County of Dublin, part of the possessions of the Augustinian Friary in Dublin; were granted for ever to Robert Eustace, John Trevor, Richard Field, Richard Roche, and Edward Browne, in capite, at the yearly rent of 2s. 4d. Irish money.°

Franciscans; Inquisition 9th May, 34th King Henry VIII., finds that the warden, 20th March, 31st same king, was seized of a church, cemetery, chapter-house, dormitory, store, kitchen, two chambers, a stable, an orchard, four acres of pasture, two messuages, three gardens, two other messuages and two gardens, fifty-four acres of arable land, and one of pasture in Clane; four acres in the Newton of Clane; twelve acres of arable in the Moch-Rathe, near Clane; three acres in Flesheston, near Clane; and six acres in Langtown, all in the County of Kildare; the lands within the precincts, and the fifty-four acres, and the four other acres in the Newton, being free of tithes, were worth, besides reprises, 30s.; and the other premises were valued at £3 annually.P

The seal of this convent was in being in the beginning of the last century, on which was the following inscription:"SIGILL COIATIS FRUM MINOR. DE CLANE HORTUS ANGELORUM.9

Clonagh14 In the townland of that name is a piece of ground containing an acre, which is surrounded by a ditch. At the time of the general suppression we are told, that there was here a religious house or chapel dedicated to St. Fynan, with two tenements adjoining. This was a burial-place of note; and in war time the circumjacent inhabitants were exempt from all the accustomary burdens of the country. In the centre of the circle was a stone cross and two yewtrees, from one of which hung a bell. This house was in being in the year 1396, and 20th of the reign of King Richard II., for about that time the priests belonging thereto procured for themselves and their successors certain lands in perpetuity, without obtaining the King's consent, and contrary to the statute of mortmain.

Clyn, Annal. • Auditor Gen. P Chief Remembrancer. 14 This word signifies "horse meadow."-Joyce.

a King, p. 409.

John Lye, of Rathbride, gentleman, being seized of divers lands in the said townland of Clonagh, levelled the tenements, bounds, and limits of the said religious house, threw down and destroyed the cross and trees, and erected a tower or small castle, with other buildings: all these said premises were for a long time concealed from the King. This account we find in an Inquisition held at Naas in the 6th year of the reign of King James I."

Cloncurry 15 A small village situated in the barony of Ikeath and Oughterany.

A Carmelite Friary, under the invocation of the Virgin Mary, was founded here A.D. 1347, by John Roche, who obtained a licence for so doing from King Edward III.3

Inquisition taken the Wednesday next after the feast of St. Nicholas the Bishop, 34th King Henry VIII., finds that 30th April, 31st same king, the prior was seized of a church and belfry, chapter-house, dormitory, hall, two chambers, a kitchen, an orchard, three cottages, and ten acres of arable land in Cloncurry, annual value, besides reprises, 12s. 8d.t

January 18th, 35th King Henry VIII., this friary, with ten acres of land in Cloncurry, was granted for ever, in capite, to William Dickson, at the annual rent of 8d. Irish money; and 31st May, 8th year of Queen Elizabeth, this friary, with one messuage, one cottage, twenty-eight acres of arable land, and seven of pasture, adjoining the same, was granted to Richard Slayne for the term of twenty-one years, at the yearly rent of 16s."

By an Inquisition held 30th March, 1618, it was found that Andrew Forster died 17th March, 1602, seized of this monastery, with a church, dormitory, and hall, and ten acres of arable land thereunto belonging; and that all the said premises were held of the King, in capite, by military service, namely, the twentieth part of a knight's fee; and that they were worth 12d. annually, besides all reprises."

Chief Remembrancer.

King, p. 137. War. Mon.
Liber Inquisitionum in Bibliotheca Honorat. W. Conyngham.

"Aud. Gen.

15 The ancient name was Cluain Conaire, that is, Conary's lawn or meadow.Joyce, p. 10; O'Donovan, F.M., yr. 586, n. Another form was CluainConaire-Tomain. In a gloss to the Calendar of Angus the Culdee, 16th Sep., this place is stated to be in the north of Hy-Faelain. The old translator of the Annals of Ulster anglicizes the name as Cloncurry.

The old Church of Cloncurry, a considerable portion of which remains, lies in ruins in an old graveyard in the townland of Cloncurry, where burials still continue. The Irish name is not remembered in the place; but it is clear that it is the district called in the Irish Annals Cluain-Conaire. According to the Irish Calendar it is situated in the north of the territory of the Hy-Faelain. No patron saint is remembered.-Ordnance Survey.

VOL. II.

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