Athleague

{{Infobox settlement

|settlement_type = Village

|name = Athleague

|native_name = {{lang|ga|Áth Liag}}

|native_name_lang = ga

|image_skyline = IMG Athleague2779c.jpg

|image_caption =

|pushpin_map = Ireland

|pushpin_label_position = right

|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Ireland

|coordinates = {{coord|53.567|-8.253|dim:100000_region:IE|display=inline,title}}

|blank_name_sec1 = Irish Grid Reference

|blank_info_sec1 = {{iem4ibx|M826577}}

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = Ireland

|subdivision_type1 = Province

|subdivision_name1 = Connacht

|subdivision_type2 = County

|subdivision_name2 = County Roscommon

|unit_pref = Metric

|elevation_m = 52

|population_as_of = 2022

|population = 296

|population_footnotes = {{cite web | title = Census Interactive Map – Towns: Athleague | url = https://visual.cso.ie/?body=entity/ima/cop/2022&boundary=C04160V04929&guid=a0a169f3-f060-433a-9c72-a60ff8c4aab7 | work = Census 2022 | publisher = Central Statistics Office | access-date = 30 July 2024}}

}}

Athleague ({{Irish place name|Áth Liag (na Sioca)|ford of the flagstones}}){{cite web|title=Placenames Database of Ireland|url=http://www.logainm.ie/43751.aspx|publisher=Government of Ireland|access-date=10 June 2011}} is a village and a parish in the Diocese of Elphin on the River Suck in the west of Ireland in County Roscommon, near the town of Roscommon. The village is in a townland and civil parish of the same name. As of the 2022 census, the village population was 296. The village is 8 km south-west of Roscommon town, at the junction of the N63 national route and the R362 regional road. The R357 leaves the N63 south of the village. The town has a mill and a restored church. The church is the local parish for the surrounding towns.

History and name

Athleague's English name is derived from the Irish Áth Liag, meaning 'the ford of the flagstones', which indicates its use as a crossing point between the kingdoms of the Uí Maine and Uí Briúin.

Athleague's church was founded sometime around 500 by Maenucan Atha Liacc ('Maonagán of Athleague').

The area is mentioned a number of times in the Annals of Connacht, the Annals of Lough Cé and the Annals of the Four Masters. According to the Annals of Inisfallen, in the late 10th century ("AI993.2"), Brian Boru under took a "naval raid" in the area "he reached Breifne from Loch Rí by way of Áth Liac northwards".https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100004/text055.html

Cemetery

There were two graveyards in the parish of Athleague, one in the townland of Coolaspaddaun and one in that of Monasternalea. Monasternalea is sometimes referred to as Abbeygrey.