DUNBEG, or DOONBEG

Samuel Lewis

A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland

1837

DUNBEG, or DOONBEG, a village, in the parish of KILLARD, barony of IBRICKANE, county of CLARE, and province of MUNSTER, 6 miles (N. W.) from Kilrush, on the bay of Dunmore; containing 213 inhabitants. The river Dunbeg flows into the harbour and is here crossed by a good bridge, near which stand the ruins of a lofty castle, formerly a defence to the harbour, and one of the ancient strong holds of the O'Briens. The harbour which is the only one, excepting Liscanor, between Loop head and the bay of Galway, an extent of nearly 40 miles, is rendered dangerous by the rocks at its entrance. The pier, built by the late Fishery Board, is small and not much frequented; sea-weed is landed here, and flags of a superior quality, raised near the village, are sent to Galway, Limerick, and Cork; it also forms a place of refuge for small craft in bad weather. Here is a station of the coast-guard. Fairs are held on May 2nd, July 26th, Oct. 8th, and Dec. 16th, for general farming stock, and for flannel and frieze of home manufacture. Near the bridge is a flour-mill. A court for the manor of Kilrush, in which small debts are recoverable, is held once in six weeks. In the village is a R. C. chapel, and about a quarter of a mile from it is the newly erected parochial church.

Search Topographical Dictionary of Ireland »

Featured Books

An American widow’s account of her travels in Ireland in 1844–45 on the eve of the Great Famine:

Ireland’s Welcome to the Stranger

Sailing from New York, she set out to determine the condition of the Irish poor and discover why so many were emigrating to her home country.

Mrs Nicholson’s recollections of her tour among the peasantry are still revealing and gripping today.

The author returned to Ireland in 1847–49 to help with famine relief and recorded those experiences in the rather harrowing: Annals of the Famine in Ireland.

See more of our books »

The Ocean Plague: or, A Voyage to Quebec in an Irish Emigrant Vessel is based upon the diary of Robert Whyte who, in 1847, crossed the Atlantic from Dublin to Quebec in an Irish emigrant ship. His account of the journey provides invaluable eyewitness testimony to the trauma and tragedy that many emigrants had to face en route to their new lives in Canada and America. The book is also available in Kindle.

The Irish in America by John F. Maguire provides a substantial and invaluable account of the extreme difficulties faced by pioneer Irish immigrants in North America during the 19th Century. The book is also available in Kindle.

The Scotch-Irish in America tells the story of how the hardy breed of men and women, who in America came to be known as the ‘Scotch-Irish’, was forged in the north of Ireland during the seventeenth century. It relates the circumstances under which the great exodus to the New World began, the trials and tribulations faced by these tough American pioneers and the enduring influence they came to exert on the politics, education and religion of the country.

Show fewer titles