Placenames of Schull featuring oak
Doire placenames of An Scoil
It is national tree week here in Ireland so we started looking at oak trees in Irish placenames. Oak trees have long held a special place in Irish culture, and this is reflected in the many place names across the island that incorporate the word "doire" which was often anglicised to "derry" in placenames, both of which mean "oak or oak grove".
In fact, the word "doire / derry" is so closely associated with oak trees that it has become a surname in Ireland, and many towns and villages have it as part of their name. For example,
- Doirí Beaga or Derrybeg in County Donegal
- Doire Loinn or Derrylin in County Fermanagh
- Doire an Chláir or Derryclare in County Galway
- Doire or Derry/Londonderry are all named for their oak groves.
Of course the London prefix added to Derry can be a bitín controversial in some circles but sin scéal eile ar fad.
O'Neill's Oak at the Battle of Benburb
The oak tree was at times a symbol of resilience in Irish history. During the 17th century War of the Three Kingdoms, the oak tree became a symbol of resistance. The Irish leader, Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill, was said to have hidden behind an oak tree during the Battle of Benburb in 1646, and it is claim it helped his victory. The tree eventually became known as "O'Neill's Oak."
The oak tree has a deep significance in Irish mythology and folklore, where it is often associated with strength, endurance, and wisdom. It is speculated that the ancient Celts believed that oak trees were sacred, and many of their religious rituals were performed in oak groves.
Should it be An Scoil Doire?
Using the boundary of the Civil Parish of Skull (note: civil parishes are not really used in Ireland anymore but they are of historical interest) we ran a Turbo-Overpass query and extracted the original Irish placenames for the local townlands of Scoil Mhuire/An Scoil/Skull/Schull and it turns out quite a few of them have a doire or oak root. We found nine and we are included our interpretation of each name.
- Doire Ceathrún - the oak quarter land
- Doire Chonaill - Conal's oak wood
- Doire Leathard - the half height of oak
- Doire Mhóintín - oak of the little bog. We note with interest that this townland was anglicised as Derryfunshion which would be something like oak-ash or perhaps the ash woodland. This one may get it's own blog post in time.
- Doire Uí Laoire - Uí Laoire's or O'Leary's oak
- Doirín an Lomáin - little oak wood that is bare
- An Doirín Ard - little oak wood up high
- Doirín na gCloch - little oakwood of the stones
- Doirín na Trá - little oak wood of the beach
So about 10% of the townlands of the civil parish of Schull have doire or oak as a root of their placename. This would indicate that native oak woodlands were once widespread in the area around Schull and Ballydehob.
Sadly, nowadays native oak can only be spotted in passing around the Mizen Peninsula and West Cork but we do see a few groves here and there. We also are aware of a number of landowners who are making huge efforts to plant native oak in parts of West Cork.
Today, the oak tree remains an important symbol of Irish identity and culture, and many people still value it for its strength and resilience. It is also a popular subject for local artists and writers, who use it as a symbol of the Irish landscape and heritage.
In conclusion, the oak tree has played a significant role in local and Irish culture, and this is reflected in the many placenames that incorporate the word "doire" or "derry." Whether as a symbol of strength and resilience or a reminder of Ireland's ancient heritage, the oak tree continues to hold a special place in the hearts of the Irish people.
With new Irish government grants now favouring native trees, we hope that doire or oak will eventually get restored to it's rightful place around Schull and across West Cork.
