Clones

History

The monastery of Clones was established in the 6th century by St. Tighernach. Tighernach was of the family Uí Cremthainn: one of the many families that made up the kingdom of Airgialla in South Ulster. St. Tighernach had received the benediction of St. Maccartin, granted the bishopric of Clogher and performed many miracles across Ireland, Britain and France. It is said under the direction of an Angel, he erected Clones Monastery in the territory of his grandfather. The cult of Tighernach, which grew from his legend, was propagated a branch of the Uí Cremthainn who migrated to the Clones area in the 8th century. Nevertheless, the Clones coarbship continued to be inherited within families like the McMahons up until the confiscation of Clones parish in the 16th century. The incident, known as the "Clones Affray", threatened to spark off a major confrontation between North and South, and the British government temporarily suspended the withdrawal of British troops from the South. A Border Commission was set up to mediate in any future border disputes, but achieved very little. During The Troubles, on 28 December 1972, a car bomb exploded on Fermanagh Street in Clones, seriously injuring two men. This happened on the same day as the Belturbet bombing in County Cavan which killed two teenagers and injured several other people. The bombings were believed to be the work of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). This was not the only incident in Clones during the Troubles. On the 16 October 1972 at 11 p.m. a bomb exploded again - it was on Fermanagh Street in Clones, at the side of The Creighton Hotel in a yard known as the "Butter Yard"; nobody was injured in this attack. Gardaí said they believed the UVF linked loyalist paramilitary group the Red Hand Commandos were behind…