Doneraile

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Doneraile
Dún ar Aill

Location

WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates:
52°12′60″N 8°34′60″W / 52.2166, -8.5833

Irish grid reference
R596073

Statistics

82 m (269 ft)

Population (2006)

1,387

Doneraile (Irish: Dún ar Aill) is a town in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland. It is located 7 km east of the N20 road between Limerick / Cork and Mitchelstown. It is about 12 km north of Mallow town. It is pleasantly situated on the River Awbeg, a branch of the Blackwater.

1 Origins of the name
2 Schools in Doneraile
3 Literary History
4 History
5 Twinning Programme in Doneraile
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

[edit] Origins of the name

The town stands on the northern slope of Knockahur hill, which rises by a gentle slope from the river and gradually ascends to a rocky prominence. However, it was not this rocky prominence but one near the graveyard of Oldcourt which together with an ancient fort built thereon, gave the town its name, Doneraile, i.e. "Dún ar Aill", meaning "the fort on the cliff"^[1]. The countryside around Doneraile is very scenic and has a wealth of historical associations.

[edit] Schools in Doneraile

There are three schools in Doneraile; the Presentation Primary Girls school, Christians Brothers school and the secondary school Nagle Rice. The girls school was established in 1971 and there were nuns there until about 10 years ago. The boys school used to be run by the Christian Brothers. Nagle Rice is a mixed school and is named after Nano Nagle and Edmund Rice.

[edit] Literary History

Doneraile is famed as the pastorate of the great Irish literary figure Canon P.A. Sheehan, who was parish priest from 1895 until his death in 1913. He was also politically active in the tenant land purchase movement.

Edmund Spenser, the poet, made the district famous in his epic, The Faerie Queene. In 1586 Spenser was given 3,000 acres (12 km²) near Doneraile from the seized lands of the Earl of Desmond, including the castle at Kilcolman. Spenser was driven from his home by Irish rebels during the Nine Years War in 1598. His castle was burned and it is thought one of his infant children died in the blaze - though local legend has it that his wife also died. He was buried in Poets' corner in Westminster Abbey in 1599.

[edit] History

The steeplechase originated in 1752 as a result of a race between the church steeples of the town and neighbouring Buttevant town.

There are only a few reported cases of women becoming Freemasons but one exception occurred in 18th century Doneraile. Elizabeth Aldworth (born St. Leger), was reported to have surreptitiously viewed the proceedings of a Lodge meeting held at Doneraile House—the private house of her father, first Viscount Doneraile. Upon discovering the breach of their secrecy, the Lodge resolved to admit and obligate her, and thereafter she proudly appeared in public in Masonic clothing.^[2]

Doneraile also has the distinction of being the town in Ireland where the first successful agricultural co-operative and creamery was established in 1889 by Horace Plunkett.

During the early part of May 1853, a countryman ploughing in the neighbourhood turned up a large quantity of silver coins, amounting to more than forty-six ounces in weight, which were purchased by a silversmith in Cork. They consisted of English shillings and sixpences of Elizabeth, with a few groats, threepences and half-groats of the same queen; also a few groats of her predecessors, Mary, and Philip and Mary both having the bust of Mary; English shillings and sixpences of James 1, upon the union with Scotland and exclusively of the rose, thistle, and fleur-de-lis mint marks; with a large number of the quarter-dollars and smaller money of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. Nearly all the coins were in the finest state of preservation, and appeared to have been but little used or in circulation.^[3]

John B. Keane, the well known writer spent some years here in the 50s working as an assistant for the antiques dealer A.H. Jones and occasionally attending at the petrol pumps outside.^[4]

Doneraile is also the home of a famous "Hedge Witch" named Bev Richardson, who is sometimes referred to by locals as the Wizard of Doneraile. Bev is originally from the Isle of Man and as a child ran errands for Gerald Gardner. Gardner is often credited as the founder of Wicca. Bev Richardson's home in Doneraile is located near the site of Castle Pook - an imposing 12th century stronghold, whose fairy legends are believed to have inspired the character Puck in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

[edit] Twinning Programme in Doneraile

Doneraile is twinned with Ramapo NY. The twinning started in the 1990s and went on into the early 2000s, it finished at that time, and will hopefully start again. There is a committee being organized at the moment.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

^ Doneraile by J. Anthony Gaughan, Kamac 1970
^ The Hon. Miss St. Leger and Freemasonry Ars Quatuor Coronatorum vol viii (1895) pp. 16-23, 53-6. vol. xviii (1905) pp. 46
^ Doneraile Hoard Article
^ Self Portrait by John B Keane, Mercier Press 1964