Doire translates as oak-wood and is found as a townland name in every county except Dublin. It is generally recorded in the English language as derry or derreen.

Three regions stand out as having heavy concentrations of doire placenames. The drumlin country from Clew Bay, Co Mayo, through north Connacht and south Ulster to Lough Neagh. The region from east Clare to south Meath and, lastly, the peninsulas of south Kerry and south west Cork. Doire is found as part of a townland name some 1,600 times in Ireland, with Mayo leading the way in terms of county hierarchy with 150 occurrences, followed by Cork on 132 and Galway on 125.

A number of these placenames refer to farm animals: Derrydamph, Co Cavan (Doire Damh – oak-wood of the oxen); Derrygarrane, Co Kerry (Doire an Ghearráin – oak-wood of the gelding); Dernagree, Co Cork (Doire na Graí – oak-wood of the stud of horses); Derryvinnane, Co Limerick (Doire an Mheannáin – oak-wood of the kid goat); and Derreennamucklagh, Co Kerry (Doirín na Muclach – small oak-wood of the swine herds). This suggests that, in former times, many oak-woods were small wood remnants and were widely utilised for grazing and stock rearing.

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Other Doire placenames recall past events: Derryhowlaght, Co Fermanagh (Doire Thaimleacht – oak-wood of the plague grave); Derreennacarrin, Co Cork (Doire an Chairn – oak-wood of the cairn); and Derryhaw, Co Armagh (Doire an Chata – oak-wood of the battle). Not forgetting the home of the liberator, Daniel O’Connell (1775-1847), Derrynane, Co Kerry, translates as Doire Fhionain (Saint Finan’s oak-wood). Finan was a sixth century saint.

A number of placenames describe the dominant colour of the woods: Derrybawn, Co Wicklow (Doire Bán, –white oak-wood); Derryboy, Co Down (Doire Buí – yellow oak-wood); and Derryleagh, Co Kerry (Doire Liath – grey oak-wood).

Sometimes other trees and plants that grew in these oak-woods gained prominence, as in the Co Kerry townlands of Derrynablaha (Doire na Blátha – oak-wood of the flowers); Derrynafunsha (Doire na Fuinse – oak-wood of the ash); and Derreennasillagh (Doirín Saileach – small oak-wood of the willows).

Many of these placenames provide wonderful descriptions of the landscape: Derrygoolan, Co Westmeath (Doire Ghabháin – oak-wood of the fork); Derryrush, Co Galway (Doire Iorrais – oak-wood of the headland); Derryanville, Co Armagh (Doire an Bhile – oak-wood of the sacred tree); Derrychrier, Co Derry (Doire an Chriathair – oak-wood of the soft bog); and Derrycooly, Co Offaly (Doire Cúile – oak-wood of the nook).

In the next issue we shall examine the widespread placename element Árd (a height or high). Some of the best-known placenames are Ardfert, Co Kerry (Árd Fhearta – height of the grave); and Armagh (Árd Mhacha – height of Macha or height of the plain). CL