placenamesClonakenny
Cluain Uí Chionaoith
Clonakenny’s church and Gaelic games history record the work of a small rural community between Roscrea and Templemore.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Cluain Uí Chionaoith · Irish · main form · validated name
- Clonakenny · English · main form
Place & story
William George Doolin’s church
Saint Brigid's Catholic Church was built in 1899 to a design by William George Doolin. Its nave, chancel and ancillary spaces form distinct masses, with red-brick window surrounds and corner details contrasting against rendered walls. Inside, exposed timber roof members and figurative stained glass contribute to its architectural character. The National Inventory records a later sacristy extension around 1981, identifying a modern addition within the older building. [2]
Hurling and football in the 1960s
Clonakenny's Gaelic games club draws on the parish of Bournea. Its county-board history records a strong generation that won a county junior football championship in 1966 and defeated Kilsheelin in the 1967 county hurling final, then graded Intermediate or Junior Number One. These paired successes became important reference points for later teams in a parish with a relatively small playing population. [3]
A new pitch and another county breakthrough
The club's pitch opened in 1984, with GAA president Paddy Buggy performing the ceremony and local juveniles playing Killavilla. Successive Mid Tipperary intermediate hurling titles followed in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The county breakthrough came on 25 October 2015, when Clonakenny defeated Thurles Sarsfields at Semple Stadium. That year's achievements also included the county Junior B football championship. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Clonakenny. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Saint Brigid’s Catholic Church,record22402304 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Tipperary Club Focus:Clonakenny,5May2021 · Michael Quinn,Tipperary GAA
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2012-02-13. How this page was prepared.