Doonbeg (Killard) 2.14

Doonbeg is a civil parish on the Atlantic coast of County Clare in Ireland. It is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The largest population centre in the parish is the village of Doonbeg.LocationThe parish is part of the historic barony of Ibrickane. The name "Killard" means "church on the hill". The parish is northeast of Kilkee on the coast of Ibrickane. It contains the village of Doonbeg, and is crossed by the road from Kilkee to Ennistymon. The parish of Kilmacduane lies to the east.AntiquitiesIn 1837 there were the ruins of a signal tower on the summit of Baltard cliff, and the ruins of Dunmore castle on the south-western side of Dunbeg bay. The castles of Doonmore and Doonbeg are within of each other. In 1580 they belonged to Sir Daniel O’Brien of Dough. The old church was in ruins but the old church graveyard was still being used in 1897. There is a holy well beside it called Tobar-Cruithnoir-an-domhain (the well of the Creator of the world). There was another graveyard of Saint Senán, called Kiltenain, in the parish. There is a small place of sepulture called Cill-na-clochán in the townland of Cloonmore, and a holy well dedicated to Saint Brendan in the townland of Cloonagarnaun.