placenamesRockfield
Ceathrú na Cloiche
Saint Joseph’s Church and Scoil Chríost Rí form the institutional heart of Rockfield, west of Coolaney.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Ceathrú na Cloiche · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Rockfield · English · main form
Place & story
Saint Joseph’s Church
Saint Joseph’s Church dates from 1909, the year inscribed on its bellcote. The architectural inventory reproduced in a council archaeological assessment describes a cruciform building with three gables along its southern side: two entrance porches flank the sacristy. Round-headed stained-glass windows, decorative rendered panels and exposed timber roof trusses give distinction to a church whose exterior relies on plasterwork rather than exposed masonry. [2]
A wider school catchment
Rockfield’s school history records a change in the parish’s educational geography in 1971. Cappagh and Killoran schools closed, and their pupils travelled to Rockfield. A chalet classroom provided during that reorganisation did not enter use until September 1979, when another assistant teacher was appointed. The account links the consolidation of local schools with the later expansion of teaching accommodation at Scoil Chríost Rí. [3]
The pedestrian connection
The church and school also shaped discussion of the road connecting Rockfield with Coolaney. In 2010 Councillor Dara Mulvey sought a connecting footpath, pointing out that existing paths ended at the cemetery although pedestrians continued towards both institutions. The council engineer agreed that an extension was desirable and could enter proposals for local improvements. The minutes document the request, rather than the completion of a path. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Rockfield. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Rockfield–Coolaney archaeological impact assessment, April 2022, pages 16–17 · Tamlyn McHugh, Fadó Archaeology, for Sligo County Council
- History of Our School · Scoil Chríost Rí, Rockfield
- Council minutes 2010: motion 42, Coolaney to Rockfield footpath · Sligo County Council
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2026-06-09. How this page was prepared.