Cloon

Did you ever hear of a village that stole the chains from French cannons? Cloon, a seemingly quiet village nestled in County Leitrim, holds this peculiar tale. Cloon’s name, derived from the Irish word “cluain,” meaning meadow, belies its vibrant past. Imagine Cloon in 1798, hosting General Humbert and his weary French troops alongside Irish insurgents. They arrived on September 7th, exhausted from a clash at Fenagh earlier that day. Their journey through Drumroosk, Cornagher, and Cornulla, culminating in a steep climb up Graffy Hill, left them drained. This route is still known as the “French Road.” The French soldiers, along with their Irish allies, camped in a field in the village center, still known as the “Camp Field.” While the officers enjoyed hospitality at William West’s house, the soldiers feasted on roasted bullocks. A local blacksmith, Mulryan, even forged pikes for the rebels. The next morning, chaos erupted. The chains for the French cannons vanished. Did West hide them in a well? Did his daughters take them to Drumdarkin? The mystery remains. Cloon saw them off with supplies and ropes, but the missing chains proved a crucial loss. Near Keeldra Lake, the ropes snapped under the weight of the cannons. Though folklore speaks of discarded cannons in the lake, it’s more likely gunpowder and cannonballs were jettisoned, a loss that contributed to Humbert’s defeat at Ballinamuck. Cloon, once a monastic settlement founded by Saint Fraoch in 570, played its unwitting part in this historical drama. Today, fragments of a Celtic high cross offer glimpses into its ancient origins. While the RIC barracks, once a prominent structure, now lies beneath the present-day Catholic church. Cloon’s story reminds us that even quiet meadows hold secrets.