{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2013}}

{{about|the Irish town|other uses|Clones (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox settlement

|settlement_type = Town

|name = Clones

|other_name = {{Pad top italic|Cluain Eois}}

|pushpin_map = Ireland

|pushpin_label_position = right

|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland

|coordinates_display = inline,title

|coordinates_type = dim:100000_region:IE

|latd = 54.183

|longd = -7.2337

|blank_name_sec1 = Irish Grid Reference

|blank_info_sec1 = {{iem4ibx|H500257}}

|unit_pref = Metric

|elevation_m = 71

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = Ireland

|subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Ireland|Province]]

|subdivision_name1 = [[Ulster]]

|subdivision_type2 = [[Counties of Ireland|County]]

|subdivision_name2 = [[County Monaghan]]

|population_footnotes =<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clonestown.com/ |title=Never alone when a clone |publisher=Clones Town |date=2013-02-27 |accessdate=2014-02-04}}</ref>

|population_urban = 2500

|population_rural = 321

|population_as_of = 2006

|website = {{URL|www.clones.ie}}

|image_skyline = Clones town centre.jpg

}}

{{Historical populations|state=collapsed|width=22.2em

|1821|2240

|1831|2381

|1841|2877

|1851|2319

|1861|2390

|1871|2170

|1881|2216

|1891|2032

|1901|2068

|1911|2401

|1926|2365

|1936|2235

|1946|2092

|1951|2455

|1956|2399

|1961|2107

|1966|2038

|1971|2164

|1981|2556

|1986|2542

|1991|2347

|1996|2170

|2002|1947

|2006|1767

|footnote=<ref>[http://www.cso.ie/census Census for post 1821 figures]. Cso.ie. Retrieved on 10 July 2012.</ref><ref>[http://www.histpop.org histpop.org]</ref><ref>[http://www.nisranew.nisra.gov.uk/census NISRA – Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency]. Nisranew.nisra.gov.uk. Retrieved on 10 July 2012.</ref><ref>{{cite book

|last=Lee|first=JJ| authorlink =John Joseph Lee|editor-last=Goldstrom|editor-first=J. M.|editor2-last=Clarkson

|editor2-first=L. A.|title=Irish Population, Economy, and Society: Essays in Honour of the Late K. H. Connell

|year=1981|publisher=Clarendon Press|location=Oxford, England

|chapter=On the accuracy of the [[Great Famine (Ireland)|Pre-famine]] Irish censuses}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | last = Mokyr | first = Joel | author-link = Joel Mokyr | last2 = O Grada | first2 = Cormac | author2-link = Cormac Ó Gráda | title = New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850 | journal = The Economic History Review | volume = 37 | issue = 4 | pages = 473–488 | year = 1984| doi = 10.1111/j.1468-0289.1984.tb00344.x }}</ref>

}}

'''Clones''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|l|oʊ|n|ɨ|s}} {{respell|KLOH|nis}}; {{Irish derived place name|Cluain Eois}}) is a small town in western [[County Monaghan]], Ireland. The area is part of the [[List of regions of the Republic of Ireland|Border Region]], earmarked for economic development by the [[Irish Government]] due to its currently below-average economic situation. The town was badly hit economically by the [[partition of Ireland]] in 1921 because of its location on the border with [[County Fermanagh]] in Northern Ireland. The creation of the border deprived it of access to a large part of its economic hinterland for many years. The town had a population of 2,889 (including the rural area) at the 2006 census.

== Name ==

Historically ''Clones'' was also spelt ''Clonis'', ''Clonish'' and ''Clownish''.<ref>[http://www.logainm.ie/1978.aspx Placenames Database of Ireland] (see archival records)</ref> These are anglicised versions of the Irish ''Cluain Eois'', meaning "Eos's meadow". However, it is also said that the ancient name was ''Cluan Inis'', "island of retreat," it having formerly been nearly surrounded by water.{{citation needed|date=February 2011}}

== History ==

Clones was the site of a monastic settlement in the kingdom of [[Dartraige Con-innsi]], originally founded by [[Tigernach of Clones|Tigernach]] (anglicised ''Tierney'') in the 6th century, until the dissolution of the monasteries by [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]]. [[Clones Abbey|St. Tigernach or Tierney's abbey]], built in the early 6th century was dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. Tigernach later became Bishop of [[Clogher]] and removed that see to Clones, where he died of the [[Plague of Justinian|plague]] in 550. The abbot was the Primus Abbas, or first mitred [[abbot]] of Ireland. The ruins of a 12th-century abbey building can still be found in the town, along with a [[sarcophagus]] reputed to have been built to house the remains of Saint Tighearnach, and a 9th-century [[Irish round tower|round tower]] and [[high cross]].

In February 1922, just after the [[partition of Ireland]], Clones was the scene of a confrontation between the [[Ulster Special Constabulary]] and the [[Irish Republican Army]]. The Special Constabulary were a temporary, armed police force raised in Northern Ireland to put down IRA guerrillas there. Since the end of the [[Irish War of Independence]] in July 1921, the IRA were acting as the de facto army of the Provisional Government of the [[Irish Free State]]. A unit of Special Constabulary was travelling by train to Belfast, but was stopped by an IRA unit at Clones, in [[Southern Ireland]], while they were changing trains. The IRA men demanded that they surrender and a gun battle broke out. An IRA officer was killed, as were four Special Constables. Nine other USC men were injured and the rest surrendered. The incident, known as the 'Clones Affray' at the time, threatened to cause the collapse of the [[Anglo-Irish Treaty]] and prompted the British government to suspend the withdrawal of British troops from the Free State.

==Annalistic references==

See [[Annals of Inisfallen]] (AI).

* ''AI806.1 Kl. Gormgal son of Dindathach, abbot of Ard Macna and Cluain Eóis, rested.''

==Railways==

Clones was linked by rail to [[Dundalk]] from 1855, [[Enniskillen]] from 1859, [[Cavan]] from 1862 and [[Armagh]] from 1863.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hajducki |first=S. Maxwell |authorlink= |year=1974 |title=A Railway Atlas of Ireland |location=Newton Abbott |publisher=[[David & Charles]] |isbn=0-7153-5167-2 |at=map 14}}</ref> [[Clones railway station]] was opened on 26 June 1858<ref name=RailScot>{{cite web |title=Clones station |work=Railscot – Irish Railways |url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf |accessdate=17 September 2007 |format=PDF}}</ref> by the [[Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway]]. From 1876 all of these lines were part of the [[Great Northern Railway (Ireland)|Great Northern Railway]].

The [[partition of Ireland]] in 1922 made Clones a border post on the railway, which combined with road competition to cause the Great Northern to decline. In 1954 the governments of the Republic and Northern Ireland jointly nationalised the GNR and in 1957 Northern ireland made the GNR close its lines from Armagh and Enniskillen to Clones.<ref name=Hajducki39>{{cite book |last=Hajducki |first=S. Maxwell |authorlink= |year=1974 |title=A Railway Atlas of Ireland |location=Newton Abbott |publisher=[[David & Charles]] |isbn=0-7153-5167-2 |at=map 39}}</ref> This made it impractical to continue services on the Cavan and Dundalk lines so the GNR withdrew passenger services on those lines as well, leaving Clones with no passenger trains and a freight service truncated at the border.<ref name=Hajducki39/> The GNR closed Clones station to passenger traffic on 14 October 1957.<ref name=RailScot/>

In 1958 the two states partitioned the GNR between the [[Ulster Transport Authority]] and [[CIÉ]]. CIÉ withdrew freight services from the Cavan line in 1959 and from the Dundalk line in 1960, leaving Clones with no railway at all.<ref name=Hajducki39/> CIÉ closed Clones freight depot on 1 January 1960.<ref name=RailScot/>

==Ulster Canal restoration==

[[File:Clones Round Tower - geograph.org.uk - 289630.jpg|thumb|Clones Round Tower]]

The national inland waterways agency, [[Waterways Ireland]], is planning to restore the [[Ulster Canal]] from the [[Newtownbutler]] area of [[Lough Erne]] to Clones.

== People ==

* Birthplace of world featherweight champion boxer [[Barry McGuigan]], 'The Clones Cyclone'.

* Author [[Patrick McCabe (novelist)|Patrick McCabe]] is from the country; his novel ''[[The Butcher Boy (novel)|The Butcher Boy]]'' is set in a thinly-disguised version of Clones. Parts of [[Neil Jordan]]'s 1997 film adaptation of the book were filmed in the town. McCabe is honorary patron of the Clones Film Festival, which takes place annually on the October [[bank holiday]] weekend.

* Writer and playwright [[Eugene McCabe]] also comes from the town and is known for his television dramas (including ''Victims'') and novels such as ''[[Death and Nightingales]]''.

* Clones was the birthplace of poet [[Thomas Bracken]], who wrote "[[God Defend New Zealand]]", one of the [[national anthem]]s of [[New Zealand]].

* General [[Joseph Finegan]], who commanded the [[Confederate Army]] to victory at the 1864 [[Battle of Olustee]] in Florida during the [[American Civil War]], was born at Clones on 17 November 1814.

* It is also the home town of noted boxers [[Barry McGuigan]] and [[Kevin McBride]].

* Birthplace of [[John Joseph Lynch]] (1816–1888), first [[Archbishop of Toronto]] (1860–1888).

* Burial place of [[Roger Boyle (bishop)|Roger Boyle]], at the church.

* Birthplace of John George Bowes, Mayor of Toronto (1851–1853).

== Sport ==

Clones is now mainly known in Ireland as being the location of the [[Gaelic Athletic Association|GAA]] stadium, [[St Tiernach's Park]]. This stadium is regularly used for inter-county matches during the [[Ulster]] provincial championship in [[Gaelic football]], and traditionally hosts the final. The summer football season was therefore a major source of revenue for businesses in the town.

== Festivals ==

===Clones Film Festival===

[[Clones Film Festival]] was launched in 2002 and is steadily growing to be the biggest event of its type in the area. Organised by Lmb Entertainments. The festival takes place on the October Bank Holiday weekend.

===The Flat Lake Festival===

The Flat Lake Festival is an annual event hosted by [[Kevin Allen (actor)|Kevin Allen]] in [[Hilton Park, Clones]], [[Co. Monaghan]], since its inception in 2007. Readings, comedy, music and theatre takes place within the farm estate among the barns and bales of hay, abandoned tractors and ancient oaks of Hilton Park over the period of a long weekend, just a couple of miles outside the town of Clones on the back road to [[Cavan]] town. In previous years it has taken place in mid-August.

==Clones Lace Summer Workshops==

The Clones Lace Summer Workshops take place each June at the Ulster Canal Stores in Clones. Irish Crochet Lace artist and instructor [http://mairetreanor.com Maire Treanor] directs the workshops; she and guest instructors guide students in the design of traditional and modern applications of Clones Lace: motifs such as the Rose, Shamrock and Thistle, as well as in the execution of the Clones Knot filling stitch.

==Climate==

Climate in this area has mild dfferences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year round. The [[Köppen Climate Classification]] subtype for this climate is "[[Köppen climate classification#GROUP C: Mild Temperate/mesothermal climates|Cfb]]" (Marine West Coast Climate/[[Oceanic climate]]).<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=39740&cityname=Clones%2C+Ireland&units= Climate Summary for Clones]</ref>

{{Weather box

|location = Clones

|single line = Yes

|metric first = Yes

|Jan high F = 45

|Feb high F = 46

|Mar high F = 49

|Apr high F = 54

|May high F = 59

|Jun high F = 63

|Jul high F = 67

|Aug high F = 66

|Sep high F = 62

|Oct high F = 56

|Nov high F = 50

|Dec high F = 46

|Year high F = 55

|Jan low F = 35

|Feb low F = 35

|Mar low F = 37

|Apr low F = 40

|May low F = 44

|Jun low F = 49

|Jul low F = 52

|Aug low F = 52

|Sep low F = 49

|Oct low F = 44

|Nov low F = 39

|Dec low F = 36

|Year low F = 43

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.4

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.6

|Mar precipitation inch = 2.8

|Apr precipitation inch = 2.1

|May precipitation inch = 2.5

|Jun precipitation inch = 2.8

|Jul precipitation inch = 2.8

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.6

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.3

|Oct precipitation inch = 3.7

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.3

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.7

|Year precipitation inch = 36.5

|source 1 = Weatherbase<ref name=Weatherbase>

{{cite web

|url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=39740&cityname=Clones-

|publisher=Weatherbase

|title=Weatherbase.com

|year=2013

}}

Retrieved on 12 July 2013.

</ref>

|date=July 2013

}}

== See also ==

* [[List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland]]

* [[Market Houses in the Republic of Ireland]]

* [[Midland Railway Action Group]]

* [[Transport 21]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

== External links ==

* {{Official|http://www.clones.ie }}

* [http://www.clonesgaa.com Clones GAA]

* [http://ahd.exis.net/monaghan/parishes-other.htm Clones History]

* [http://www.theflatlakefestival.com/ theflatlakefestival.com]

* [http://www.eventelephant.com/flatlakefestival eventelephant.com]

* [http://shorts.nthword.com/2010/06/review-flat-lake-literary-arts-festival.html Flat Lake Festival Review June 9 2010]

{{Commons category|Clones}}

{{County Monaghan}}

[[Category:Clones| ]]

[[Category:Towns and villages in County Monaghan]]

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