Athleague is a town on the River Suck

River Suck

The River Suck is a river in Ireland, approx. in length.It is the main tributary of the River Shannon. It meets the River Swilly a few kilometres north of the village of Shannonbridge to form the Suck-Swilly, which becomes the River Shannon....

 in the west of Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 in County Roscommon

County Roscommon

County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

, near the town of Roscommon

Roscommon

Roscommon is the county town of County Roscommon in Ireland. Its population at the 2006 census stood at 5,017 . The town is located near the junctions of the N60, N61 and N63 roads.-History:...

.

Its church was founded sometime around 500

500

Year 500 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Patricius and Hypatius...

 A.D. by Maenucan Atha Liacc ('Maonagán of Athleague'). The name is derived from Áth Liag ('the ford of the flagstones'), indicating its importance as a major crossing point between the kingdoms of the Uí Maine and Uí Briúin

Uí Briúin

The Uí Briúin were an Irish kin-group. Their eponymous apical ancestor was Brion, son of Eochaid Mugmedon and Mongfind, and an elder half brother of Niall of the Nine Hostages. They formed part of the Connachta, along with the Uí Fiachrach and Uí Ailello, putative descendants of Eochaid Mugmedon's...

It is on the junction of the N63

N63 road (Ireland)

The N63 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. It links the N17 northeast of Galway, to the N5 national primary road in Longford.En route it passes through Mountbellew, Roscommon Town, crosses the River Shannon at Lanesborough.The road is long....

 national route

National secondary road

A national secondary road is a category of road in Ireland. These roads form an important part of the national route network, but are secondary to the main arterial routes which are classified as national primary roads. National secondary roads are designated with route numbers higher than those...

 and the R357

R357 road

The R357 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Athleague, County Roscommon and Blue Ball, County Offaly. It passes Ballinasloe, County Galway, crosses the River Shannon at Shannonbridge passes through Cloughan, County Offaly and then through the cutaway peatlands of Boora Bog to Blue Ball...

 regional road

Regional road

A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...

. The town has a mill

Gristmill

The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...

 and a restored church. The church is the local parish for the surrounding towns. It is mentioned a number of times in the Annals of Connacht

Annals of Connacht

The Annals of Connacht, covering the years 1224 to 1544, are drawn from a manuscript compiled in the 15th and 16th centuries by at least three scribes, all believed to be members of the Clan Ó Duibhgeannáin....

, the Annals of Lough Cé

Annals of Lough Cé

The Annals of Loch Cé cover events, mainly in Connacht and its neighbouring regions, from 1014 to 1590. It takes its name from Lough Cé in the kingdom of Moylurg - now north County Roscommon - which was the centre of power of the Clan MacDermot...

 and the Annals of the Four Masters

Annals of the Four Masters

The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...

.

Cemetery

There were two graveyard

Graveyard

A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...

s in the parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 of Athleague, one in the townland

Townland

A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 of Coolaspaddaun and one in that of Monasternalea. Monasternalea is sometimes referred to as Abbeygrey.

Townlands served by Athleague parish

• Coalpits
• Coolaspaddaun with its cemetery
• Hollygrove
  Hollygrove
  Hollygrove may refer to:*Hollygrove, County Galway, Ireland*Hollygrove, New Orleans*Hollygrove, the fictional English village of the Michigan Renaissance Festival...
  
  
• Monasternalea with its cemetery

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland