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CLONES |
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Around twelve miles southwest of Monaghan, CLONES (pronounced Clo-nez
) is a busy, friendly market town, barely half a mile from the border.
Situated on top of a hill, its streets give a good perspective over the
surrounding countryside. The town - as it appears today - dates from
1601 when the English took it over and started to develop it. It's very
obviously an Ulster town, with large Presbyterian and Methodist churches
to rival the usual Catholic and Church of Ireland offerings. The solemn
and impressive St Tiernach's Church (Church of Ireland) gives out onto
the fine Diamond, and there is some evidence of eighteenth-century
prosperity in the town's handful of Georgian houses. There are also
traces of Clones' earlier identity, the most impressive being the
weathered, deeply carved high cross which stands in the Diamond.
Depicted on it are Adam and Eve, Abraham's near sacrifice of Isaac,
Daniel in the lion's den and, on the north side, the Adoration of the
Magi, the miracle at Cana and the miracle of the loaves and fishes.
Though worn, there's still a strong impression of the richness of the
carving. In the sixth century St Tiernach founded a monastery at Clones.
It became an Augustinian abbey in the twelfth century, and the tumbled-down
traces of this can be seen in Abbey Street, along with those of a round
tower. Just on the edge of town is an ancient rath (an enclosure used as
a dwelling) of three concentric earthworks.
Nowadays, the town's chief claims to fame are as the setting for Patrick
McCabe's The Butcher Boy , and as the home of Barry McGuigan, the former
world-champion boxer - there are a couple of photos of him in The
Lennard Arms Hotel , which also does B&B (tel 047/51075;
£40-55/¬50.79-69.84). Otherwise there's Creighton's Hotel in Fermanagh
Street (tel 047/51055; £40-55/¬50.79-69.84) and The Round Tower Bar in
Cara Street, which offers B&B (tel 047/51158; £26-33/¬33.01-41.90) and
serves good bar food. Just outside Newbliss, around five miles southeast
of Clones, is Glynch House (tel 047/54045; £40-55/¬50.79-69.84), an
eighteenth-century mansion offering accommodation.
Ulster Canal Stores provides information and has exhibitions on the
area's history, including lace-making and the old Erne-Belfast Canal
(July & Aug daily 9am-5pm; Sept-June Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; tel 047/52125).
The town is a good point from which to get onto The Kingfisher Cycle
Trail; you can rent bikes at Snipe Cycle Hire, Ulster Canal Stores
(£9/¬11.43 a day, £30/¬38.09 a week).
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