Doneraile
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Doneraile Dún ar Aill The fort on the cliff |
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 Doneraile
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| Coordinates: 52°12′57″N 8°35′08″W / 52.215897°N 8.585521°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Cork |
| Elevation | 269 ft (82 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 1,387 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | R596073 |
Doneraile (Irish: Dún ar Aill), historically Dunerayl, is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is on the R581 regional road 8 km (5.0 mi) east of the N20 road, which runs from Limerick to Cork. It is about 12 km (7.5 mi) north of Mallow town. It is on the River Awbeg, a branch of the Blackwater.
The town is a small village sitting on the northern slope of Knockacur hill, which rises by a gentle slope from the Awbeg 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". The countryside around Doneraile is very scenic and has a wealth of historical associations.
The horse race known as 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, was reported to have surreptitiously viewed the proceedings of a Lodge meeting held at Doneraile House—the private house of her father, Arthur St Leger, 1st 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.
In 1829 the shooting of a local doctor, John Norcott, led to rumours of a widespread conspiracy to murder local landlords, and on the word of an informer twenty- one local men were arrested and charged with the alleged crime. Most were fortunate enough to be defended by Daniel O'Connell, who secured the acquittal of the majority of them.
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