Clough

For other uses, see Clough (disambiguation).

54°17′20″N 5°50′06″W / 54.289°N 5.835°W / 54.289; -5.835

Clough (/ˈklɒx/ KLOKH;[1] from Irish An Chloch, meaning 'stone or stone building')[2] is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. The village, which is situated within the Newry, Mourne and Down area, had a population of 255 people as of the 2001 census.[3]

Etymology

A map of 1634 marked the village as Machaeracate and Clough Castle as Cloch Mhachaire Cat (meaning "stone castle of the plain of the cat") or Cloch Mhachaire Cath ("stone castle of the plain of battles"). These variants derive from a local legend associated with a large wildcat,[4][5] or records of a battle (cath) in the area in the 12th century.[5]

History

Clough Castle, an Anglo-Norman motte-and-bailey castle, was built in the area in the late 12th century.[6] Its construction is traditionally associated with John de Courcy (c. 1150–1219).[7][8]

In A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (published by Samuel Lewis in 1837), four fairs were held in Clough annually, and the village had a population of approximately 300 inhabitants.[9] By the time of the 2001 census, the village had 255 residents.[3]

In 2026, a leaflet was reportedly distributed to households in the area which threatened "anyone displaying nationalist or Islamic cultural symbols" with "eviction". The letter instructed recipients to contact DUP Cllr Alan Lewis, who said that he reported the matter to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for associating his name with the "false claim[s]" made in the leaflet.[10]

Geography

Clough is within the Newry, Mourne and Down local government district.[3] It sits about 3 miles from Dundrum on the A2 between Newcastle and Belfast. The A2 continues via Downpatrick and the coast via Strangford and the Portaferry–Strangford ferry to Portaferry and on to Belfast, whilst most road traffic heads along from Clough along the A24 via Carryduff to Belfast.

References

  1. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  2. ^ "An Chloch/Clough". Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  3. ^ a b c "Village Development Plan - Clough - 2012-2016" (PDF). newrymournedown.org. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  4. ^ Muhr, Kay (2005). "An Elizabethan map of north-east Down". Lecale Review. 3: 11.
  5. ^ a b "Clough, County Down". PlacenamesNI.org. Retrieved 19 March 2026 – via experience.arcgis.com.
  6. ^ "Clough Castle". megalithicireland.com. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  7. ^ Lawlor, H. C. (1939). "Mote and Mote-and-Bailey Castles in de Courcy's Principality of Ulster (Continued)". Ulster Journal of Archaeology. 2: 46–54. JSTOR 20627264.
  8. ^ "Clough Castle". castles.nl. Retrieved 19 March 2026.
  9. ^ Lewis, Samuel, ed. (1837). "Clough, Down". A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland – via libraryireland.
  10. ^ Reid, Kurtis (25 February 2026). "Police investigate letter targeting nationalists and Muslims in Co Down village as DUP councillor says he has no link to it". belfasttelegraph.co.uk.
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