Cloverhill:: A Church of Ireland Parish in County Cavan, c.1720-2010

ISBN 978-0-906602-53-9
By Jonathan Cherry

Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the vast majority of landlords in Ireland were members of the Church of Ireland, which until 1869 was the established state church. Residing in their ‘big houses’ located on beautiful demesnes, landlord families exerted significant influence on the political, social and economic life of local areas as well as nationally. This book charts the evolution of the community and landscape of Cloverhill in north Cavan, within which the
Church of Ireland parish of St John’s sits, from circa 1720 until 2010. It highlights the role of the Sanderson family, who built up a large estate in the area, and who were the leading agents in the construction of St John’s Church in the mid-nineteenth century. Drawing from a wide range of primary source material the book chronicles the evolution of both the built and social environments of the parish between 1860 and 2010. It highlights the powerful role played by particular
individuals and the remarkable continuity that remains between the mid-nineteenth century and the present day. In particular, it discusses how a rural Church of Ireland parish located on the Cavan-Fermanagh border has evolved and adapted to the broader political, social and economic changes experienced in Ireland over
the last 150 years.

This book will be of interest to all those concerned with local studies and the historical geography of Ireland.