Part I. Topography of Thomond Chapter 4. Ui Caisin

Doora Parish

In O’Reilly’s Dictionary the word Dúr signifies water. The genitive is Duire, and this parish is always so called in Irish, meaning the parish of the water or bog.^[14]
In the history of St. Breccan of Arran it is stated that he founded a church in Dalcais called after his name.^[15] In Doora parish there is a townland called Kilbreckan, and in that townland stands a ruined church named Carrantemple. Now, the old edifice in question must be the church founded by St. Breccan. Its characteristics are those of a building of very great antiquity. The patron saint of Doora must have been one whose history is partially forgotten, but the claim of St. Breccan is proved by the fact that two holy wells are found in this parish dedicated to him. His church is in preservation, and is seen from the railway station at Ennis. In one of its walls is a window believed by O’Donovan to be of a very remote period, and some parts of the walls he also thought were coeval with this window. Another ruined church called Kellavella exists in this parish. Besides the two wells above mentioned, another holy well named in honour of St. Michael is found there. Doora contains the remains of two castles, Ballyhannan now called Castlefergus, in good preservation, and that of Clonmore utterly ruined. In 1580 Ballyhannan belonged to William Neylan, while the castle of Clonmore is not mentioned in the list so often referred to.