placenamesDunkerrin
Dún Cairin
Lewis recorded three annual fairs and a parish linked to neighbouring places through courts, schools and church organisation.
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 Cairin · Irish · main form · validated name
- Dunkerrin · English · main form
Place & story
Fairs and a neighbouring court
Dunkerrin lay on the main Dublin–Limerick road when Samuel Lewis described it in 1837. He recorded fairs on 9 May, 3 November and 21 December. The petty sessions serving the area met elsewhere: his entry places them at Shinrone every Tuesday. This distinction separates Dunkerrin’s trading calendar from the location of its court business. [2]
Schools and a wider district
About eighty children attended three private schools, according to Lewis. His Catholic district joined Dunkerrin with Cullenwayne and Castletown-Ely, with chapels at Dunkerrin and Barna. The established-church union had a different grouping, including Castletown-Ely, Rathnaveoge and Finglass. These are the arrangements recorded in 1837, rather than a description of present parish boundaries. [2]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Dunkerrin. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Dunkerrin — A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837) · Samuel Lewis
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.