placenamesCloonkeen
Cluain Chaoin
The Clonkeen valley community supported a national school and an active tradition of local drama.
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
- Cluain Chaoin · Irish · main form · validated name
- Cloonkeen · English · main form
Place & story
Two school buildings
Clonkeen’s Scoil Mhuire opened in 1961, succeeding an older school building that later became a community centre. Anne Lucey’s contemporary report places the school in the valley overlooking the Clydagh river, with the Paps mountains beyond. Its history therefore includes both a purpose-built twentieth-century school and the reuse of its predecessor for community activities. [2]
The last school term
The school closed on 15 November 2011 after receiving no enrolments that September. Principal Denis O’Sullivan had continued attending the empty classroom for seven weeks while awaiting permission to transfer. During that period he worked on school records and its history. Parish priest and board chairman Fr Bill Radley had requested closure in June; the department eventually approved the teacher’s reassignment. [2]
Michael O’Donoghue and local drama
A 2023 tribute by Pat Favier identifies farmer Michael O’Donoghue of Killeen, Clonkeen, as one of the people who helped establish the Clonkeen Drama Group during the 1960s and 1970s. The group developed into local Tops of the Parish and Tops of the Clubs entertainment. O’Donoghue also represented the ICMSA and was twice elected to Kerry Co-op’s board. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Cloonkeen. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Kerry school with no pupils finally closes, 16 November 2011 · Anne Lucey, The Irish Times
- Michael was held in high esteem across the county, 27 February 2023 · Pat Favier, Killarney Advertiser
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.