Mullinalaghta

Mullinalaghta, also officially referred to as Mullanalaghta, is a half-parish in the north-eastern part of County Longford, Ireland, located about eight kilometres north of Granard. Its name means "Hill of the standing stones (or gravestones)", and is derived from a hill in the centre of the area which was the original site of the local church. The area consists of eleven townlands: Aghanoran (Achadh an Fhuaráin), Cloonagh (Cluain Each), Clooneen (Cluainín), Culleenmore (An Cuilleann Mór), Derrycassan (Doire an Chasáin), Druminacrehir (Droimeann na Criathrach), Kilmore (An Chill Mhór), Larkfield (Cluain Fhuiseog), Leitrim (Liathdhroim), Mullinroe (An Muileann Rua) and Toome (An Tom). Mullinalaghta is not itself a townland, but is part of the townland of Cloonagh. The area has well-defined boundaries, with Lough Gowna and the River Erne bounding it to the west and north, the parish of Mullahoran in County Cavan on its eastern border, and a tributary of the Erne, the Clooneen River, separating it from the rest of County Longford on the south.Mullinalaghta formed part of the medieval territory of Annaly, largely corresponding to today's County Longford. It was under the control of the Mac Gearadháin (Gaynor) family, being referred to in sixteenth century documents as Muntergerran (Muintir Gearadháin). Ecclesiastically, it was under the control of the abbey of Inchmore in Lough Gowna, founded by Saint Colmcille in the 6th century. This was reflected by Mullinalaghta forming part of the civil parish of Columbkille and also being part of the same Roman Catholic parish until 1839, when it was joined with the Cavan parish of Scrabby to its north, with which it has since been united. The area has been hard hit by emigration, with the population declining from a pre-Famine peak of over 3,200 (figures from 1841 Census at ) to its present population of less than five hundred.