An Dúinín

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An Dúinín or Dooneen is a townland of 110 hectares or 272 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 144 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

It is in the Electoral Division of Castlehaven South, in Civil Parish of Castlehaven and the Roman Catholic Parish of Castlehaven and Myross.

An Dúinín is bordered by An Bán Íseal (Bawnishall) to the west, Blúid Thoir (Bluid East) and Blúid Thiar (Bluid West) to the north, An Gort Breac (Gortbrack) to the east and Leic Eoghain (Lickowen), An Scoth Bhán (Scobaun) and Fearann Uí Chonchúir (Farranconnor) to the south.

OpenStreetmap contributors, with input from the Castlehaven & Myross History Society, have created a detailed townland map including all its minor placenames. Zoom in for further detail.

Etymology

An Dúinín was interpreted by Bruno O'Donoghue as the little dún (fort) as this was the site of a McCarthy Reagh castle.

Charles McCarthy Reagh, who was an "Irish Papist" was the main proprietor of this townland in the mid-1600s

History

Blacksmith

Dooneen Creamery: According to the article "Dairying in Castlehaven" by Jerome Geaney in Volume 1 of the History Journal, the Dooneen Creamery was listed in the 1911 census. It was operated at the time by Elizabeth O'Driscoll of Reendacussane who had a 50 year lease on the property. In 1923 she sold the creamery to R.W. Hurley who continued in the creamery business until 1928 when it was shut by the Dairy Disposal Company. However Hurleys continued to run a shop at this location for a number of years afterwards.

This led to a problem for the 46 suppliers to this creamery. They asked Drinagh Co-Op to take it over but they refused to do so as it would not be viable even as a separating station as it only received 600 gallons of milk a day at its peak. As many of the suppliers only had between one and three cows, it was not worthwhile travelling to Raheen every day so many started to make their own butter. However the price was not as good so this led to the setting up of the People's Dairy at Bawnishal Cross (see Bawnishal for additional information).

Housing

As part of Griffiths Valuation in 1853, a survey of house quality was carried out to calculate what rates were due by each household. These were issued in 1850 in the form of house books (Pg 1, Pg 2) and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. These show that 9 of the 14 houses in the townland at the time were class 3. This means that they were all thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Within class 3 there are a number of different categories. 7 of these houses are old (more than 25 years old) but in repair. The other 2 are described as medium with one being slightly decayed but in good repair while the other is deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. Five houses in Dooneen at this time are class 1 which means that they were slated and built with stone or brick and lime mortar - four are described as medium, slightly decayed but in good repair while the other is medium, deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. All houses in the townland at this time are between 5 foot 6 inches (!) and 8 foot tall which indicates that they are single storey at this time.

By the 1901 census, there are just 9 occupied houses in this townland at this time and all have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Three still have thatched roofs while the other six have roofs of slate, iron or tiles. All houses have two, three or four rooms and five houses have just two windows in front which indicate that they are probably still single storey at this time. Two of the other houses have four windows in front while the other two have 5.

When we advance to the 1911 census there are now 8 occupied houses in this townland and, not surprisingly, all still have walls of stone, brick or concrete. All eight now have roofs of slate, iron or tiles. 5 houses have two, three or four rooms while the other 3 have five or six rooms. Seven houses now have five windows while the other one has four windows in front - perhaps indicating that all are now two storey.

Places of Interest

Cill: There is a disused children’s burial ground in this townland. It is called Cnocán na Leanbh, which can be interpreted as the Hill Of The Children and it is a furze covered hill. These were used for children who died before they were baptised (as they could not be buried in consecrated ground).

There are no sites listed in this townland in the Historic Environment Viewer

Interesting Placenames

Besides Cnocán na Leanbh, there is a field in Dooneen called Garraí Fáinleóige which translates to the field of the swallow. It may have been a field where swallows gather before they migrate to Africa. There is a road called Bóthar Dúinín (Dooneen Road) that runs through this townland. Another road is known as the New Line.

.We have also mapped the following field names in this townland: Cnoc na gCapall (hill of the horses), Graifín (grubbed field), Cnoc a' Láir (middle hill), Garraí Glasa (green potato field), Cnoc Dóite (possibly burnt hill), Garraí Beag (small potato field), Clais a' Choirce (oat field), Póirtín (small bank - maybe from a bank of turf or the bank of a stream), Cnoc na gCaorach (hill of the sheep), Páirceanna (the fields), Páirc Bán (pasture field), Clais Fhada (long field), Píosa Cheadagáin (Cadogan's piece of land), Mullach Díomhaoin (possibly an empty, unoccupied peak), Lathrach (wet land), Garraí Shéamuis (Seamus's potato garden), The Cabhlachíns (the small ruins - according to Lankford, three families lived there during the famine), Móléas (meaning unknown), Móinteán na Seacháinis (meaning ununknown - móinteán is a bog, rough, reclaimed moor- according to Lankford you had to be careful before it was drained due to boggy holes), Cúl na Stacaí (field of corn stacks - traditionally there would be 5-6 owners in a cornfield), The Báinseach (a waste area or desolate spot), Túmair (meaning unknown), Páircín Fhinín (William Finn's field), Sean Gháirdín (old garden), Páirc a' Tí (the field at the house), An Sean Bhaile (the old town - there had supposedly been a cluster of houses here one time), Clais a Liosacháin (the field with the lios/ringfort - it was said that there was a small lios here before), The Páircín (small field), Páircín a’ Tobair (small field of the well), An Móinteán (bog, rough, reclaimed moor), The Garden, The Rock, Scaoir (meaning unknown), the Clais (the field), the Mullacha (the peaks), Gort na Fola (possible translation is the field of blood - also known as the field of the robbery (Gort na bhFeallanna woud mean the field of treachery) - described by the owner in Lankford as a dangerous rocky broken field), Píosa Lovett (Lovett's piece of land), Michael's Field (very small field - got this name as tilled by a young boy once), Cnoc Fhada (long hill), Páirc an Cabhlach (field of the ruin), The Western Páirc Bán (páirc bán) is an untilled field), Páirc a Bhóthair (field at the road), An Móinéarín (the little meadow), Gort Ramhar and Upper Gort Ramhar (possibly the fat (wide) field), The Clos (good arable field), Clos Fhada (long, arable field), The Mulleens ( a heap/hill used as a pasture for cows), Páircín a' Choirce (little field of oats), The Mullach (hill/peak), The Field At The Back Of The House, The Field In Front Of The House, The Croc (croc comes from from currach = boggy wet land), The Middle Field, The Horse's Field

If you want to see the actual locations of any of these, go to detailed townland map on Open Street Maps. If you know any other field names or placenames in this townland (or if you need to correct any or give further background information), please contact us at [email protected]

Folklore

Famine: A former resident tells a story that an entire family died in their own house in Dooneen during the famine but weren't discovered by neighbours for a week or more. The former resident was told the story by their grandmother who was angry at this.

Eviction: This former resident also remembered a story about a people's protest in relation to an eviction. The local people gathered west of Dooneen school to prevent the bailiffs getting to a house in either lower Bawnishal or Lickowen. According to the story, the locals were successful.

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Murphy, Carty, Henry, Hurley, Conna, Hurley. Lower - Collins, Murray, Murray, Bryan, Bryan, Hegarty, Mahony, Collins

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Murphy, Murphy, Murphy, Murphy, McCarthy, McCarthy, Murphy, Byrnes, Dwyer, Mahony, Mahony

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Murphy (with Donovan (wife), Murphy, Murphy, Hegarty, McCarthy (with Sweeney (mother)), Murphy, Dwyer (with Sheehan (servant)), Mahony, Barnett

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Barnett, Mahony (with Murphy (aunt) and Murphy (servant)), Dwyer, Hegarty, McCarthy, Murphy, Sexton, Murphy

Note: the term 'with' refers to a person or persons of a different family name staying in the house. This may have been an in-law or other relative, a guest, or a farm labourer/housekeeper or domestic servant.

Demographics and Landholding

		*Occupiers	Population	Change	Link to record
1825	Tithe Applotment	14	84 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	13	116
1851	Census of Ireland	14 (Incl. 1 unoccupied)	95
1853	Griffith's Valuation	12 (Incl. 1 unoccupied)	66 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	13 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	71
1871	Census of Ireland	11	74
1881	Census of Ireland	11	64
1891	Census of Ireland	11 (Incl. 1 unoccupied)	63
1901	Census of Ireland	11 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	58		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	9 (Incl. National School)	44		1911

*Occupiers generally equate to households having a house and land but may also include households having houses but no land.

Between 1656 and 1658 the Down Survey mapped all areas of the country to track ownership of land after much had been granted to followers of Cromwell after the war of the 1650's. The most prominent proprietor (titulado) of this townland at that time (1656 - 1658) was Charles McCarthy Reagh, Irish Papist. This townland was part of Downeing & Scubane at that time.

The landlord of this townland in 1841 was Sampson French of Cobh and his agent was Gilbert Ross of Smorane, Skibbereen. It was all held by tenants, without a lease.

in 1841, the soil was described as one half coarse and one half middling arable, producing light cropts of wheat, oats and middling potatoes.