Knocklong

Knocklong () is a small village in County Limerick, Ireland. It is 29 km south-east of Limerick city, on the main Limerick to Mitchelstown to Cork road. The population was 256 at the 2016 census. The village is in a civil parish of the same name.

==History== Knocklong was originally known as Druim Damhghaire, the Ridge of the Oxen, but takes its present title from Cnoc Luinge, the Hill of the Encampment. According to tradition, King Cormac mac Airt set up his camp on this hill when he invaded Munster during the third century. The King of Munster consulted a Druid, Mug Ruith, who used his magical powers to help the Munster men to defeat Cormac's forces in a legendary battle said to have taken place about 250 A.D. Four centuries later, about 650, a more significant fight took place here when Dioma, King of Thomond, stopped the Connaught men from recovering County Clare from North Munster. This historic battle secured Clare for the Dalcassians so Cnoc Luinge may derive its present name from an encampment of the seventh century rather than the third century. Cnoc Luinge has also been translated as the Hill of the Ships, as the tents on the hill resembled ships under sail. Another version says that there was once a lake from Emly village in County Tipperary to the hill of Knocklong, on which small boats or ships used to sail.