Clonoulty

History

A Knights Templar preceptory was established at Castlequarter in the 12th century when Clonoulty was called Clonaul. William de Warenne was one of the few Templars, of which two were actually a knight, recorded to have been arrested in Ireland during the Trials of the Templars. He was custos at Clonaul and a former master of the order in Ireland. It may be linked to the former fulling mill at Rossmore with its 950-metre mill race. Stocks of white cloth, robes in coloured wool and valuable horses were recorded at the Clonaul Preceptory. It was one of the seven important Irish preceptories transferred to the Knights Hospitaller, who were here until the dissolution of the monasteries. The Calendar of Patent Rolls of Ireland records difficulties from 1582 onwards with Clonoulty rent collection for land which had passed into Crown control after the dissolution of the monasteries. Lands were burned, spoiled and remained waste for up to three years. The Irish language derivation of the name 'Clonoulty' is given as Cluain Abhla or Cluain Ula, meaning 'meadow of the apple tree (or orchard)'. associated with a belief that Donal Cam O'Sullivan Beare and his followers spent a night in the Clonoulty area as they fled their native territory based in the present day Beara Peninsula. During the 1800s, many people from the area emigrated to Australia. Boorowa, New South Wales (the Tipperary of the South) was settled by Europeans who were mainly Irish convicts transported from Clonoulty after political activity against the British in 1815. On 12 August 1848, Thomas Francis Meagher was arrested on the road between Clonoulty and Holycross. Seventeen years later, on 12 August 1865 a single stone meteorite of 4 lb 14.5oz was seen to fall and was recovered from a local field.…