placenamesDarrynane
Doire Fhíonáin
Darrynane, commonly written Derrynane, preserves the home and possessions of Daniel O’Connell beside the Kerry coast.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Doire Fhíonáin · Irish · main form
- Darrynane · English · main form
Place & story
A home enlarged over time
Derrynane House grew through successive additions to an earlier eighteenth-century dwelling. After inheriting it in 1825, Daniel O’Connell built a two-storey block to the south; a chapel followed in 1844. Archaeological monitoring in 2013 found surviving wall foundations near the chapel but almost no trace of the earliest house, demolished during the 1960s. [2]
The house as a museum
The house displays possessions associated with O’Connell, including the triumphal chariot presented by Dublin citizens in 1844 and the bed in which he died in 1847. Its surrounding demesne forms part of Derrynane National Historic Park. [3]
Opening to the public
President Éamon de Valera opened the house and grounds to the public in August 1967. RTÉ’s contemporary news report recorded his speech recognising O’Connell’s democratic legacy. [4]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Darrynane. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- 2013:480 – Darrynane More, Kerry · Frank Coyne, Aegis Archaeology Ltd
- Daniel O’Connell House – Derrynane House · Office of Public Works
- The Liberator 1967: RTÉ News report broadcast 20 August 1967 · RTÉ Archives
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2017-12-01. How this page was prepared.