Clostoken
parish in County Galway, Ireland
Clostoken or Cloghastookeen is a small townland in the civil parish of Kilconickny, near the town of Loughrea in County Galway, Ireland. It takes its name from an old ruined castle. Today, the name is more commonly used to refer to the civil parish of Kilconickny.
Name
According to O'Donovan's Field Name Books (1862), the Irish language form of the name is Cloch stúincín, meaning "stone of the little prominence". Other forms include Clostoken, Closetaken, Cloghstockin, Cloghastockin, Cloghstokin, Cloghastookeen and Clostaken.
Joyce (1910) writes "Near Loughrea in Galway, is a townland called Cloghastookeen, the stone fortress of the little pinnacle, which received its name from a castle of the Burkes, the ruins of which still remain.
The townland gives its name to Clostoken & Kilconieran parish.
There were three ecclesiastical parishes in the Middle Ages; Kilconickny (now Clostoken), Kilconieran and Lickerrig (now Carrabane).
The three are now united in the large parish of Clostoken & Kilconieran.
Location
Cloghastookeen is in the Electoral Division of Kilconickny.
The public source identifies “Clostoken” as parish in County Galway, Ireland. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Clostoken, parish and County.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Clostoken”, the useful work is to connect “parish in County Galway, Ireland” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 17, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q5135470. Authority coordinates are 53.208, -8.644. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1862 and 1910.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Clostoken”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Clostoken primary sources, Clostoken archive and Clostoken research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Clostoken”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Clostoken” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.