Cloneighgal ?

[kclinch]

Patrick Clynch and Mary Byrne married and gave birth to at least five children. Four of them emigrated to Iowa, USA in 1850's. One son, John, had engraved on his headstone, "born Parish of Cloneighgal County Carlow Ireland May 24 1823. He is the only family member who left a lasting link to his home place. This is an unusual spelling, CLONEIGHGAL; any thoughts on this spelling of what I perceive to be current parish of Clonegal. John's brother, William, baptism (1820) is found in the Bagenalstown records. The family must have moved about.

[KGarrad]

Clonegall

[KGarrad]

RC Registers here:
https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0700

[Wexflyer]

RC Registers here:
https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0700

Not going to be of much use, as the registers don't start until 10 years after OP's ancestor was born.

[carolgenealogy1970]

Patrick Clynch and Mary Byrne married and gave birth to at least five children. Four of them emigrated to Iowa, USA in 1850's. One son, John, had engraved on his headstone, "born Parish of Cloneighgal County Carlow Ireland May 24 1823. He is the only family member who left a lasting link to his home place. This is an unusual spelling, CLONEIGHGAL; any thoughts on this spelling of what I perceive to be current parish of Clonegal. John's brother, William, baptism (1820) is found in the Bagenalstown records. The family must have moved about.

Oh, I just love how that headstone gives such a rich clue. Yes, “Cloneighgal” is definitely an old or phonetic misspelling of Clonegal — the parish on the Carlow-Wexford border. It wasn’t unusual for names to get spelled how they sounded, especially by American stonecutters unfamiliar with Irish geography.
The research confirms William was baptized in 1820 in Dunleckny (Bagenalstown), and John was born 1823 near Clonegal, though his baptism’s missing since Clonegal registers didn’t begin until 1833. That unusual spelling is actually a little genealogical gem — one of those lovely quirks that helps more than it hinders!

URL for reference:

Clonegal parish registers: https://registers.nli.ie/parishes/0700

YourRoots County Carlow search:
https://yourroots.com/search-record/state-province-county

[kclinch]

Thank you to the three who responded. The Clynches settled on farm near a town that came to be known as Lourdes Iowa. John's headstone is at Reilly Ridge Iowa which was a very Irish community. The last male bearer of the name, though my age, died a decade ago. It was John's marker that prompted me to view the sacramental records of Clonegal where I found the marriage of my Irish immigrant ancestors, John Clynch and Ellen  Malone-1846. Rootschat community has been a godsend, thank you.