Cloyne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cloyne Cluain
Town
Cloyne Round Tower in 2007
Cloyne Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Munster
County	County Cork
Dáil constituency	Cork East
EU Parliament	South
Population  (2022)	1,967
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−1 (IST (WEST))
Postal district(s)	County Cork
Dialing code	021, 465 2

Cloyne (Irish: Cluain) is a small town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located southeast of Midleton. Cloyne is important for its religious history. It is a "see city" for the Anglican Church of Ireland and also gives its name to a Roman Catholic diocese.

St Colman's Cathedral in Cloyne is a church for the Church of Ireland. The main church for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne is Cobh Cathedral. This church overlooks Cork Harbour. Cloyne is part of the Cork East area for elections.

History of Cloyne

Cloyne as painted by Sir Edward Fanshawe in 1856.

The first signs of people living in Cloyne date back 4,000 years. There is an ancient stone structure called a portal dolmen west of the town.

Early Beginnings

The area became important when St. Colman Mac Léníne founded a monastery here in the 6th century. This monastery was his main religious center.

Viking Raids and Conflicts

Over the years, Cloyne faced many attacks. The Vikings attacked Cloyne in 822, 824, and 885. During the 885 attack, the head of the monastery (the Abbot) and another leader (the Prior) were killed. Later, in 978 AD, people from Ossory attacked Cloyne. In 1088 AD, Diarmait Ua Briain also caused damage to the town.

Becoming a Diocese

Cloyne was officially recognized as a diocese (an area managed by a bishop) at the Synod of Kells in 1152.

Irish War of Independence

During the Irish War of Independence, a notable event happened in Cloyne on May 4, 1920. Irish Republican Army volunteers attacked the local police station (Royal Irish Constabulary barracks). They set the building on fire, which made the police officers surrender. The volunteers then tied the prisoners' hands and made them walk to Midleton, while the attacking group escaped.

Climate and Geography

Cloyne Cathedral

Cloyne is about 7.6 kilometers from the larger town of Midleton. The town is in a valley, with big hills to the north and south. To the east is the Celtic Sea, and to the west is Cork Harbour.

Mild Weather in Cloyne

Cloyne has a mild climate all year round. This is because it is close to Cork Harbour (about 3.2 km away) and the open ocean (about 5.6 km away). The weather usually does not have extreme temperatures.

The highest temperature ever recorded was 31.1°C (88.0°F) in August 1995. The lowest was -7.1°C (19.2°F), recorded in January 1979 and January 1987.

Rainfall and Frost

On average, Cloyne has only about six days of frost each year. Snow is very rare. Some exceptions were in March 1993, January 2010, and during Storm Emma in March 2018. The year 2010 was one of the coldest, with 62 days of air frost, which is much more than usual.

Cloyne gets about 1041 mm (41.5 inches) of rain each year. The wettest months are usually between October and January. The driest year recorded was 1975, with 583.7 mm of rain. The wettest year was 2009, with 1433.4 mm of rain.

Places to Visit

Cloyne is home to an Irish round tower, which is a symbol of the town. This tower dates back to about 560 AD, when St. Colman started his monastery. In 1749, lightning caused some damage to the top of the tower.

There are also old ruins of a Norman watchtower on a hill that looks over the town.

Churches in Cloyne

The Church of Ireland in Cloyne, called St. Colman's Cathedral, was first built in 1250 AD. The local Roman Catholic church, also named St. Colmans, was built in 1815. It holds Mass services every day.

People and Population

According to the 2011 Census, most people in Cloyne are of Irish ethnicity, making up 86.2% of the population. Other groups include Polish and British people.

Religion and Languages

About 87% of Cloyne's population are Roman Catholic. About 7% belong to other religions, such as the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, or Islam. The remaining 6% said they have no religion.

In terms of languages, 601 people could speak the Irish language. Also, 71 people could speak Polish.

Economy and Local Features

The land around Cloyne is very rich and good for farming. This is because it is mostly made of limestone. Many fields of wheat and barley are harvested here every year.

Underground Caves

The limestone rock also means there is a network of caves under and south of the town. Cloyne Cave is the biggest cave in County Cork. It is thought to be up to 7 kilometers long. In the 20th century, a part of the main street even collapsed into these caves. You can get to the cave from the grounds of Cloyne House on Rock Street, but you need to ask the owner for permission first.

Local Businesses

The town has several pubs and small shops in the center. There is also a Thai restaurant and a place that serves traditional Irish food.

Famous People from Cloyne

Many interesting people have connections to Cloyne:

• George Berkeley (1685–1753): He was an Anglo-Irish philosopher. He served as the Church of Ireland Bishop of Cloyne from 1734 to 1752. There is a monument to him in Cloyne Cathedral. He was known for helping the sick and poor in the parish.
• Nicholas Joseph Clayton (1840–1916): A famous architect from the Victorian era who worked in Texas. He was born in Cloyne and moved to the United States as a child. Many of his buildings are still standing in Galveston, Texas.
• Cynthia Longfield (1896–1991): An entomologist (someone who studies insects) and explorer. She was born in Cloyne and lived there until she passed away. She also worked as a driver during World War I. She is buried in Cloyne Cathedral.
• Sir John Madden (1844–1918): A judge and politician in Australia. He was born in Cloyne and moved to Australia with his family in 1857. He became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
• Christy Ring (1920–1979): A very famous hurling player from Cork. He was born and grew up in Cloyne, where he learned to play hurling. He is buried in Cloyne, and there is a statue in town to remember him.
• Several modern-day hurlers on the Cork senior hurling team are from Cloyne. These include Dónal Óg Cusack (born 1977), Diarmuid "The Rock" O'Sullivan (born 1978), and his brother Paudie O'Sullivan (born 1988).

Education

The main local primary school in Cloyne is called St. Colman's National School.

Sports

Gaelic Games

Cloyne GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. They play in red and black striped jerseys. The club has two pitches, known as the "old" and "new" pitches.

Soccer

Churchvilla FC is the local soccer club. It was started in 1968 and now has about 150 players. These players are on both youth and adult teams.