Dunne is an Irish surname, derived from the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

''Ó Duinn'' and ''Ó Doinn'', meaning "dark" or "brown." The name Dunne in Ireland is derived from the Ó Duinn and the Ó Doinn Gaelic

sept A sept is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used in both Scotland and Ireland, where it may be translated as ''sliocht'', meaning "progeny" or "seed", which may indicate the descendants of a person ...

s who were based in

County Laois County Laois ( ; gle, Contae Laoise) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and in the province of Leinster. It was known as Queen's County from 1556 to 1922. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medi ...

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the so ...

and County Wicklow. These septs in turn are descendants of the O'Regan noble family. It is in these counties that the majority of descendants can still be found. Hundreds of years ago, the Gaelic name used by the Dunn family in Ireland was Ó Duinn or Ó Doinn. Both Gaelic names are derived from the Gaelic word ''donn'', which means "brown". Ó Doinn is the genitive case of ''donn''. First found in county Meath, where they held a family seat from very ancient times. Variations: Dunn, Dunne, Dun, Duen, O'Dunne, O'Doyne, Doine, Doin, O'Dunn.

Dunne Castles

The Dunnes formerly owned a number of castles in the midlands of Ireland. Today little remains of most of these castles, many were destroyed during the

Cromwellian Invasion of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland or Cromwellian war in Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell invaded Ireland wi ...

Tinnahinch Castle

The principal seat of the Dunne family was Tinnahinch Castle. Originally known as "Baun Riaganach", the castle was built by Tadhg MacLaighnigh Ui Duinn in 1475 and was the residence of the chief of the Dunne's. Tinnahinch Castle was located at the Barrow River, one mile south of Tinnahinch bridge. The name ''Tinnahinch'' originally means "house of the island", a tributary stream of the Barrow river surrounding the castle gives it the appearance of an island. Tinnahinch Castle was destroyed by during the Cromwellian Invasion by forces led by Colonel

John Hewson John Robert Hewson AM (born 28 October 1946) is an Australian former politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party from 1990 to 1994. He led the Liberal-National Coalition to defeat at the 1993 Australian federal election. Hewson wa ...

in 1653. At the time it was strongly defended by Charles Dunne and it required a full park of artillery from the invading forces to level the castle. After the destruction of Tinnahinch Castle the principal seat of the Dunne family moved to Brittas Castle. Unfortunately there remains nothing of the original castle apart from a wall which may have been part of the original building.

Brittas Castle

After the destruction of Tinnahinch Castle the Dunne Chief built a new home at Brittas, near

Clonaslee Clonaslee () is a village in north County Laois, Ireland, situated in the foothills of the Slieve Bloom Mountains on the R422 Mountmellick to Birr road. Clonaslee is approximately 100 km west of Dublin, and is close to the towns of Portlaoi ...

, County Laois. Originally there was a thatched lodge located there and the O'Duinns built a mansion at his location. In 1869, Major-General Francis Plunkett Dunne built a neo-gothic mansion at this location. The house had extensive gardens and also lake which was originally created as a reservoir. In 1942 the building was burned down in a fire.

Ballinakill Castle

It was a coursed rubble and limestone building built between the River Clodiagh and River Gorragh by the Dunnes on the location of an earlier castle which was destroyed by Cromwellian invasion forces. It was built by Colonel Terence O'Dunne in 1680 who was killed at the

Battle of Aughrim The Battle of Aughrim ( ga, Cath Eachroma) was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the largely Irish Jacobite army loyal to James II and the forces of William III on 12 July 1691 (old style, equivale ...

and is buried at the graveyard in Killeigh.

Coolnamoney Castle

Teige O'Doyne built the Dunne castle Coolnamoney Lower near the Glenlahan River. Not much is left of the castle today, but some of the original features can be seen in the ruins.

Castlebrack Castle

Castlebrack Castle was built by Tadhg MacLaighnigh Ui Duinn in 1475. It was built to be occupied by the

Tanist Tanistry is a Gaelic system for passing on titles and lands. In this system the Tanist ( ga, Tánaiste; gd, Tànaiste; gv, Tanishtey) is the office of heir-apparent, or second-in-command, among the (royal) Gaelic patrilineal dynasties of ...

, which was the name of the position held by the clan's deputy chief. This castle was second in size and importance to Tinnahinch Castle, which was the principal residence of the Dunnes. Terence O'Dunne completed a major refurbishment of the castle in 1688, however by 1838, all that was left of the castle was ruins.

Clarahill Castle

Clarahill Castle was built by a junior/younger branch of the Dunne family. It was built in 1600, and in 1900 it was destroyed for road material.

Ballinahemmy Castle

The Dunnes also built Ballinahemmy Castle near the town of Corrigeen, in County Laois, and its location is marked on the

Ordnance Survey , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ordnance Survey 2015 Logo.svg , logo_width = 240px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , di ...

map.

Raskeen Castle

Raskeen Castle was built by Donal O'Dunne in 1584 and destroyed in 1691.

People with the surname Dunne

Ben Dunne Bernard Dunne (19 May 1908 – 14 April 1983) was an Irish businessman who was the founder and chairman of Dunnes Stores. Early life Ben Dunne was born as Bernard Dunn in the village of Rostrevor in County Down, Ireland in 1908. He a was the el ...

(born 1949), Irish entrepreneur and former director of

Dunnes Stores Dunnes Stores is an Irish multinational retail chain that primarily sells food, clothes and household wares. In addition to its main customer base in Ireland, the chain also has operations in Spain, and formerly in England and Scotland. The fo ...

* Benny Dunne (born 1980), Irish hurler * Bobby Dunne (1949–1992), Australian boxer of the 1960s and '70s *

Bernard Dunne Bernard Dunne (born 6 February 1980) is an Irish former professional boxer and a former WBA (Regular), and European Super Bantamweight champion. On Saturday 21 March 2009, Dunne defeated Ricardo Cordoba in the 11th round to become the WBA ( ...

(born 1980), Irish professional boxer *

Colin Dunne Colin Dunne (born 8 May 1968) is an English-Irish dancer and choreographer who is a leading figure in the world of traditional Irish dance, as well as a theatre actor and contemporary dancer. Best known internationally for his performances and c ...

(born 1968), professional Irish dancer * Conor Dunne (born 1992), Irish cyclist, brother of

Katy Dunne Katy Dunne (born 16 February 1995) is a British tennis player who is returning to competition after a long spell of injury. Dunne has won eight singles titles and eight doubles titles on the ITF Circuit. On 28 May 2018, she reached her best s ...

* David Dunne (born 1995), Irish hurler *

Dominick Dunne Dominick John Dunne (October 29, 1925 – August 26, 2009) was an American writer, investigative journalist, and producer. He began his career in film and television as a producer of the pioneering gay film '' The Boys in the Band'' (1970) and ...

(1925–2009), American writer and investigative journalist *

Dominique Dunne Dominique Ellen Dunne (November 23, 1959 – November 4, 1982) was an American actress. Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Dunne studied acting at Milton Katselas' Workshop, where she appeared in stage productions. She made her ...

(1959–1982), American actress, daughter of Dominick Dunne *

Edmund Francis Dunne Count Edmund Francis Dunne, (July 30, 1835 – October 4, 1904) born Edmund Francis O'Dunne, was an American politician and jurist who served as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Arizona Territory. During his early career he served in the Cal ...

(1835–1904), Chief Justice of the

Arizona Territory The Territory of Arizona (also known as Arizona Territory) was a territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863, until February 14, 1912, when the remaining extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of ...

, founder of

San Antonio, Florida San Antonio, or unofficially San Ann as the locals call it, is a city in Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is a suburban city included in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It lies within Florida ...

* Edmund Michael Dunne (1864–1929), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Peoria *

Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne Edward Fitzsimmons Dunne (October 12, 1853 – May 24, 1937) was an American politician who was the 24th Governor of Illinois from 1913 to 1917 and previously served as the 38th mayor of Chicago from April 5, 1905 to 1907. Dunne is the on ...

(1853–1937), American politician * Edward Joseph Dunne (1848–1910), Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church and Bishop of Dallas * Emmett Dunne (born 1956), Australian rules footballer *

Finley Peter Dunne Finley Peter Dunne (born Peter Dunne; July 10, 1867 – April 24, 1936) was an American humorist, journalist and writer from Chicago. In 1898 Dunne published ''Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War'', a collection of his nationally syndicated Mr. Doole ...

(1867–1936), American author, writer and humorist * Lawrence Francis "Frank" Dunne (1898–1937), Australian cartoonist * Francis Charlton "Diver" Dunne (1875–1937), Australian rules footballer *

Gordon Dunne Gordon Dunne (4 April 1959 – 20 June 2021) was a Unionist politician from Northern Ireland representing the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Dunne was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLA) from 2011 to 2021, representing North D ...

(1959–2021), Northern Irish politician *

Griffin Dunne Thomas Griffin Dunne (; born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, film producer, and film director. Dunne studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He is known for portraying Jack Goodman in '' An Amer ...

(born 1955), American actor and film director, son of Dominick Dunne *

Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...

(1898–1990), American actress * Lady Jasmine Dunne (born 1973) * Jeff Dunne (born 1956), Australian rules footballer * James E. Dunne (1882–1942), mayor of Providence 1927–1939 * Jimmy Dunne (1905–1949), Irish international footballer * Jimmy Dunne (footballer born 1935), Irish footballer, son of Jimmy Dunne * Jimmy Dunne (footballer born 1947), Irish footballer * Joe Dunne (born 1973), Irish footballer * John Dunne (disambiguation), multiple people * Karen Dunne (born 1967), American track and road cyclist *

, (born 1995), British tennis player, sister of Conor Dunne * Liam Dunne (footballer) (born 1971), Irish footballer * Liam Dunne (born 1968), Irish hurler * Martin Dunne (English footballer) (1887–unknown), English footballer * Michael Dunne (disambiguation), multiple people * Olivia Dunne (born 2002), American gymnast and internet personality * Paddy Dunne (Gaelic footballer) * Paddy Dunne (politician) (1928–2006), Irish politician * Pat Dunne (born 1943), Irish football goalkeeper * Patrick Dunne (priest) (1818–1900), Irish priest active in Australia *

Pete Dunne Peter Thomas England (born 9 November 1993) is an English Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Butc ...

, professional wrestler who is the WWE United Kingdom Champion and appears on NXT and NXT UK *

Peter Dunne Peter Francis Dunne (born 17 March 1954) is a retired New Zealand politician who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ōhāriu. He held the seat and its predecessors from 1984 to 2017—representing the Labour Party in Parliament from 1984 ...

(born 1954), New Zealand politician * Philip Russell Rendel Dunne (1904–1965), MC (1943), Unionist M.P. 1935–1937 *

Philip Dunne (writer) Philip Ives Dunne (February 11, 1908 – June 2, 1992) was a Hollywood screenwriter, film director and producer, who worked prolifically from 1932 until 1965. He spent the majority of his career at 20th Century Fox. He crafted well regarded rom ...

(1908–1992), Hollywood screenwriter and director *

Philip Dunne (Ludlow politician) Philip Martin Dunne (born 14 August 1958) is a British politician who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ludlow constituency in Shropshire since the 2005 general election. He is a member of the Conservative Party. He has bee ...

(born 1958), British politician *

Philippa Dunne Philippa Dunne is an Irish actress and writer. She is known for co-writing and starring in the RTÉ comedy '' The Walshes'', as well as her roles as Anne Flynn in '' Motherland'', Geraldine Devlin in '' Derry Girls'' and Ria in '' This Is Going ...

, Irish actress and writer * Reginald Dunne (Irish Republican Army), assassin *

Richard Dunne Richard Patrick Dunne (born 21 September 1979) is an Irish former footballer and current television pundit for BT Sport, who played as a defender. He made 431 Premier League appearances, including 253 for Manchester City. Dunne began his pro ...

(born 1979), Irish footballer *

Robin Dunne Robin Dunne (born November 19, 1976) is a Canadian actor who has had numerous leading roles in sequels throughout his career, but is perhaps best known for his role as Doctor Will Zimmerman in the science fiction television series '' Sanctuary'' ...

(born 1976), Canadian actor * Ross Dunne (born 1948), Australian rules footballer * Seán Dunne (politician) (1918–1969), Irish Labour Party politician *

Stephen Dunne (actor) Francis Michael Dunne (January 13, 1918– September 2, 1977) was an American actor, radio personality and disc jockey. He was active on television and in films from 1945–73, and was also credited as Steve Dunn, Michael Dunne, Stephan Dunne, an ...

(1918–1977), American actor * Tal Dunne (born 1987), Welsh-born Israeli professional basketball player for Israeli team

Ironi Nes Ziona Ironi Ness Ziona B.C. (or spelled as Ironi Nes Ziona B.C.) is a professional basketball club based in Ness Ziona, Israel. The team plays its home games at the Lev Hamoshava, which has capacity for 1,200 people. The club plays in the Israeli Bask ...

* Thomas Dunne (disambiguation), multiple people * Thomas L. Dunne, American publisher of

Thomas Dunne Books Thomas Dunne Books was an imprint of St. Martin's Press, which is a division of Macmillan Publishers. From 1986 until April 2020, it published popular trade fiction and nonfiction. History The imprint signed David Irving, a scholar, for a Joseph ...

Tom Dunne Thomas Dunne is an Irish radio broadcaster with Newstalk, and a singer/songwriter with the band Something Happens. Prior to joining Newstalk, Dunne worked on Today FM, presenting his very successful and hugely popular radio program, "Pet Soun ...

, musician and Irish radio DJ * Tommy Dunne (footballer born 1927) (1927–1988), Irish footballer * Tommy Dunne (footballer born 1972), Irish footballer * Tommy Dunne (born 1974), Irish hurler *

Tony Dunne Anthony Peter Dunne (24 July 19418 June 2020) was an Irish footballer who played as a left-back. Born in Dublin, he began his career with youth side Stella Maris before signing for Drumcondra-based Shelbourne, with whom he won the FAI Cup in ...

(born 1941), Irish footballer * Veronica Dunne (singer) (1927–2021), Irish singer and singing teacher

Other

* '' I Am Mary Dunne'', novel *

* George W. Dunne Golf Course and Driving Range *

* Dunne-za

References

External links

* {{surname English-language surnames Surnames of Irish origin Anglicised Irish-language surnames Irish families