placenamesDundonald
Dún Dónaill
Dundonald’s surviving earthwork and churchyard monuments preserve its older centre, while the Ice Bowl records a different chapter in the development of public recreation.
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
- Dún Dónaill · Irish · main form · validated name
- Dundonald · English · main form
Place & story
The motte and Moat Park
Dundonald's motte survives within Moat Park beside the Enler River. The council's interpretation places a church and fort here in the twelfth century and connects their destruction with Edward Bruce's invasion of 1315–1318. A commemorative boulder forms part of the Edward Bruce heritage trail. The mound remains a conspicuous feature of the old settlement, now approached through public parkland rather than a defended enclosure. [2]
Samuel Cleland’s mausoleum
The Cleland mausoleum in Saint Elizabeth's churchyard commemorates Samuel Cleland, who died in 1842. Its square granite base carries a Greek Doric structure with columns, pediments and urns, surmounted by a small domed temple containing a sarcophagus. Fine iron railings surround it. The official building survey identifies the Clelands of Stormont as important nineteenth-century parish benefactors. Their elaborate family monument stands within a much older ecclesiastical setting, alongside the motte and former parish church. [3]
The Ice Bowl’s opening and international events
Dundonald International Ice Bowl opened on 22 September 1986, with local figure skaters taking part in the ceremony. Tenpin bowling followed in 1987. The centre subsequently hosted the 1996 AMF Bowling World Cup and the 2008 Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship. Its own history also records the development of local skating talent, including Jenna McCorkell and Neil Wilson. These activities gave Dundonald a sporting role reaching well beyond its immediate residential community. [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Down
- Barony
- Castlereagh Lower
- Coordinates
- 54.58523, -5.80325 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1411720 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Dundonald. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Moat Park: Edward Bruce commemorative boulder and heritage · Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council
- Cleland Mausoleum: HB25/05/002 · Department for Communities, Historic Buildings survey
- Dundonald International Ice Bowl: history · Dundonald International Ice Bowl
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2019-10-08. How this page was prepared.