Clandonnell is an ancient Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry

County Londonderry

The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. Clandonnell along with the ancient districts of Glenconkeyne

Glenconkeyne

Glenconkeyne is an ancient Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Glenconkeyne formed the western portion of the former barony of Loughinsholin, with the ancient districts of Clandonnell, Killetra, and Tomlagh comprising the rest...

, Killetra

Killetra

Killetra is an ancient Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Killetra along with the ancient districts of Clandonnell, Glenconkeyne, and Tomlagh, comprised the former barony of Loughinsholin, with Killetra reaching from the present-day town of Magherafelt to...

, and Tomlagh

Tomlagh

Tomlagh is an ancient Irish district in what is now southern County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Killetra along with the ancient districts of Clandonnell, Glenconkeyne, and Killetra, comprised the former barony of Loughinsholin. Tomlagh is stated as forming a four or five mile wide district...

, comprised the former barony of Loughinsholin, with Clandonnell forming the northern part reaching as far south as Maghera.

History

Clandonnell derives its name from the Clann Domhnaill Donn na Banna a branch of the Clandeboye O'Neills. The Clann Domhnaill Donn na Banna descended from Domhnall Donn, son of Brian mac Aodha Bhuidhe. They ruled the area from the 15th century until the Plantation of Ulster

Plantation of Ulster

The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...

 in the 17th century.

The most celebrated descendant of Domhnall Donn was his great-grandson Brian Carrach O'Neill who is stated as being the last lord of Loughinsholin. His stronghold was based at the crannog

Crannog

A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...

 at Inishrush

Inishrush

Inishrush is a small village and townland near Glenone in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 114 people. It is within the Magherafelt District Council area....

, which is also known as the Green Lough. Despite being lord of Loughinsholin and a minor branch of the O'Neills of Clandeboye, Brian Carrach O'Neill was subject to the O'Cahans of Coleraine and Dungiven.

Brian Carrach O'Neill died in 1586, and in that same year Marshal Bagenal described Brian's territory as "Brian Carraghe's countrey" and as the "fastest grownde of Irelande". The latter statement meant that the area was amongst the most impenetrable parts of Ulster.