Clooney ( and , ) is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in north-east of the parish and is bounded in the north by the Moyola River as well as the parish of Termoneeny. It is bounded by the following townlands; Ballynahone Beg, Ballynahone More, Gortamney, Moyesset, and Tobermore. It was apportioned to the Drapers company as well as freeholds.
The townland was part of Tobermore electoral ward of the former Magherafelt District Council, however in 1926 it was part of Tobermore district electoral division as part of the Maghera division of Magherafelt Rural District. It was also part of the historic barony of Loughinsholin.
History John O'Donovan, who worked on the Ordnance Survey if the early 19th century, recommended that the townland of Clooney be spelt as "Cloan", however his suggestion was scored out in the Ordnance Survey Name Books and replaced with "Cloney", which was based on the apparent usage of the time. At a later stage it was again revised to the modern spelling "Clooney".
The townland appears to have been originally known along the lines of Ballynecloney (), with variations of this spelling used in various sources from 1609 until 1657.
+ PopulationYearPop. 1841 205 1851 193 1861 164 1871 125 1881 95 1891 83 1901 75 1911 79 1926 85
+ Size (acres, roods, poles) Year a, r, p 1851 413, 1, 38 1881 398, 3, 1 1901 398, 3, 1 1926 400, 1, 38
+ Earlier recorded forms Year Form 1609 B-neclouy (E.C.) 1613 Ba-ne Clon 1613 Ballmeclom (Charter) 1654 Belliclan 1657 Ballinacleny 1659c Clone, ye 1/2 towne of 1663 Cloane 1767 Clooney 1813 Cloan (E.C.) - Escheated Counties Map 1609(Charter) - Charter of Londonderry 1613
See also Kilcronaghan List of townlands in Tobermore Tobermore
References HistPop; County and County Borough of Londonderry, 1926, page 27 HistPop; County of Londonderry, 1851, page 241 HistPop; Area, population and number of houses, Vol. III, Ireland, 1881, page 698 Place Names NI - Clooney Notes on the Place Names of the Parishes and Townlands of the County of Londonderry, 1925, Alfred Moore Munn, Clerk of the Crown and Peace of the City and County of Londonderry Toner, Gregory: Place-Names of Northern Ireland, page 117. Queen's University of Belfast, 1996,
HistPop; Area, houses, and population, Vol. III [Part 2], Ireland, 1901 Page 35