Cloonans of Clough

The first known Cloonan at Clough is James Cloonan, through the family headstone at Templemoyle (Newcastle). He died in 1850 aged 60.  He was mentioned in an 1840 valuation in Clough. He married Mary Mahon from Athenry. Some of the Mahons moved from Athenry to Newcastle. It is thought that the author Mary Lavin is related through the Mahons. John Willy recalls that James's mother may have been Hennelly.

Click on photos to enlarge

A good number of family relatives through the Finnertys of Clough descend from Winny (Winifred) Cloonan who married Peter Finnerty. While we are not definite of the relationship, we have concluded that she was not the sister of a later descendant. If she had been the sister, of an earlier ancestor, the relationship would have 'gone out'. Also some Finnerty descendants match on DNA. 

It is also thought that there was a family connection with the Craughwell Cloonan's and it is well-known that Antoine Raftery the poet died on Christmas Eve 1835 at Diarmaid Cloonan's House. Diarmaid Cloonan lived at Killeeneen near Craughwell. The blind poet and bard, Raftery was born in 1779 at Kiltimagh Diarmuid Cloonan is reputed to have been 'a spoiled priest' who gave Raftery his knowledge of Latin. He may well have been a relative of James Cloonan who lived at Clough.

http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/history/chapter353.html

A summary of the generations

James Cloonan (c. 1790 - 1850) married to Mary Mahon

John Cloonan (c. 1822 - 1895) married to Honoria Finn (1820-1894)

James Cloonan (1850-1900) married in 1875 to Honoria Walsh (1852-1941)

John Joe Cloonan (1883-1959) married 1909 to Julia Tarpey (1882-1968)

(our grandparents)

John Willy Cloonan (1916-2006) married to Julia Coen (1922-2003)

    The gravestone of James Cloonan of Clough who died in 1850.

The next generation:

 

John Cloonan (c. 1822-95) married Honoria Finn of Kinreask

Margaret Cloonan (d. 1893) married Owen Hardiman of Clough

(We think she was his sister, but her age in 1893 as 50 means she was born c. 1843?)

Summary of the connections

We will return to the Hardimans

John Cloonan of Clough died in 1895 the year after his wife Honoria Finn from Kinreask, Ballymacward.

In 1855 he was recorded as having 68 acres, Lord Dunsandle (Daly) being the land lord. A letter from the year 1849 given to John Cloonan leased the land for £15 per year. Later Dunsandle changed his mind as the area proved to be beneficial for both fishing and hunting. He wanted the letter back so as to revoke the lease. His agents raided the house looking for the lease. His mother had put it into a scillet and hid it in the ashes. Shall we say there was a robust exchange. The right of way out through Clough was then blocked. So John then went to America to earn some money to take a case against the landlord. He worked on the railways and returned after about two years with some sovereigns. The Judge ruled that he was entitled to a 'right of way' from his property and offered him a choice either through Daly's to Clough or Burke's to Newcastle. John had enough from Dunsandle and opted for Newcastle.

Three generations John Cloonan (1820-95), James (1850-1900), John (1883-1959)

(Thanks to Jarlath for the photographs)

The next generation

James Cloonan (1850-1900) married in 1875 Honoria Walsh of Streamsfort.

James Cloonan died in 1900 and Honoria in 1941, The discussion the day of Honoria's funeral was the bombing at Pearl Harbour. James died from double pneumonia, he had been to a fair in Athenry and got a bad wetting.

James Cloonan married Honoria Walsh in 1875,

The details from Honoria's family can be seen at:

https://irishheraldry.blogspot.com/2021/10/walsh-of-streamsford-co-galway.html

James's brother and sisters were:

Catherine Cloonan April 13th 1857 her sponsors being John Fahy & Mary McGann

Michael Cloonan September 20^th 1859 his sponsors being Peter Cloonan & Mary Burke.

Margaret Cloonan August 3rd 1861 her sponsors being ? Hardiman & Mary Loftus, 

Mary Cloonan who married Thomas Jordan of Shudane. She died 1929 the day after Sonny's birth.

We return to the Hardimans and the Jordans.

The next generation:

John Cloonan (1883-1959) married in 1909 Julia Tarpey of Doughloon, Cloncah.

John Joe was an only child, the details from the Tarpey family can be found at:

https://irishheraldry.blogspot.com/2018/08/tarpey-family-of-cloncagh-cloonan.html 

John Joe Cloonan along with his wife Julia Tarpey on their wedding day in 1909

                        John Joe Cloonan married Julia Tarpey 6th November 1909

Their children:

         i) John Willy Cloonan (1916-2006) married in 1944 Julia Coen, 
             Their family was five sons and one daughter

       ii) James Cloonan (1912-92) who was a Columban Priest and spent many years in 
            Burma. He had been captured by the Japanese during the second world war.

       iii) Mary Cloonan (1914-2001), she became a nun in the Poor Clares as Sr Dolores.

       iv) Joseph Cloonan died in 1919 young

        v) Sheila Cloonan (1925-2016) m. 1957 Mick Bellew and their family was five sons 
             and John who died three days old in 1961.

      vi)  Martin (Sonny) Cloonan (1929-2015) m. 1959 Anna Kilkenny and their family 
            was five sons and five daughters.

Obviously on a Sunday.

Julia and John Willy were married on Thursday 3rd February 1944 at Athenry

                                                                   

The Hardimans of Clough

(Walshs of Cloncagh)

(Hurleys of Brackloon)

Margaret Cloonan who would appear to be a sister of John Cloonan married Owen Hardiman c. 1860 having the following children with their sponsors:

Mary Hardiman 1861 (Thomas Hardiman & Honor Cloonan) married in 1892 Daniel Walsh of Cloncagh.

John 1863 (Thomas & Mary Morgan)

Bridget 1866 (Michael Loftus & Mary Cloonan) She died in 1895.

Patrick 1868 (John Cloonan, Mrs J. Cloonan)

James 1871 (James Cloonan & Mary Cloonan)

Margaret Hardiman1875 (Thomas Cloonan & Catherine Cloonan) 

Julia Hardiman 1878 (Thomas Gordon & Honoria Walsh).

Newcastle: Gravestone  Margaret Cloonan-Hardiman d. 1893 and Owen d. 1899 

Margaret Cloonan-Hardiman died in 1893 aged 52 and Owen died in 1899 aged 72 years.

Her age given as 52 stretches the fact that she could be brother of John, also she would have been married before she was 20.

The 1911 census from Clough would indicate that most of the Hardiman family members did not marry.

Mary Hardiman (1st cousin of our great grandfather, James) married in 1892 Daniel Walsh of Cloncagh

He would probably be distantly related to Honoria's Walshs in Streamsfort.

Their children were:

Norah d. 1929

Bridget d. 1935

Michael d. 1982

Mary d. 1929

Clonkeenkerrill: Margaret Hardiman Walsh d. 1930 and Daniel Walsh d. 1927

Their daughter Margaret Walsh who married in 1922 Michael Hurley of Brackloon

She would have been a second cousin of our grandfather, John Cloonan.

Killiomardaly: Hurley Gravestone of Brackloon.

Daniel Hurley who died in 1997 would be a 3rd cousin, one of his sisters was Mrs Lyons in Bullaun. 

His brother, Michael Hurley of Cloncagh died in 2008;

The Jordans of Shudane

Mary Cloonan (1855-1933) married Thomas Jordan (1847-1929) from Shoodaun/Shudane.  Thomas's brother Michael Jordan of Shudane married Catherine Coppinger. Stephen Jordan T.D. would have been related to this family.

1911 Census return of the Jordan family of Shudane

Their family were: Mary Anne Jordan b. c. 1878, Francis Jordan b. 1881, Norah b. 1893, 

Margaret Jordan b. 1896, she married in 1917 Michael Callahan in Pennysylvannia. 

Thomas was born 1899 married Margaret Melia

Sarah was born in 1886 married Thomas Divilly

Thomas Jordan died in 1929 and his wife Mary (nee Cloonan) in 1933

Their son Thomas (Sonny) Jordan born in 1899 married in 1938 Margaret (Babe) Melia.

Thomas was first cousin of our grandfather, John Joe Cloonan (1876-1959)

John Willy was bestman (witness)

Thomas Jordan married Margaret Melia in 1938

Templemoyle: the gravestone of Thomas Jordan, his wife, Margaret (nee Melia) and his sister Nora.

                                   Sarah Jordan married 1922 Thomas Divilly

American Cousins

We would seem to have Cloonan cousins in Nebraska, USA. John Cloonan, son of Patrick and Bridget Cloonan of Clough, sought information in 1867 about his sister, Mary Cloonan who was in Milford, Massachuettes in 1860/1.

Finally

As mentioned earlier, the Cloonans and Finnertys of Clough are related through James and 'Winny' Cloonan. While we are not definite of the exact relationship, we have settled on the likelihood that James and Winny were brother and sister.

 

Click on photo to enlarge                                    Cloonan - Finnerty Tree

2007: Cloonan descendants, 3rd cousins once removed who served in the Oireachtas at the same time from 2007-2011.