Charles Guilfoyle Doran was a leading figure in the Irish Republican Brotherhood and the Fenian Brotherhood in Ireland from the middle of the 19th century. He was also Clerk of Works on the construction of St. Colman's Cathedral in Cobh, County Cork. Doran was born in Dunlavin, County Wicklow on 2 February 1835. While still a young boy Doran's family moved to Cobh where he grew up. After leaving school Doran trained as a civil engineer and in 1866 he was employed by the architects E.W. Pugin and George Ashlin as Clerk of Works to oversee the construction of St. Colman's Cathedral in his adopted hometown. Completion of the cathedral was to continue throughout his lifetime. Influenced by Irish republicanhistorical figures, especially Wolfe Tone, Doran was a founding member of the United Brethren of St. Patrick which organised the funeral of the nationalist and Fenian Terence Bellew McManus who had led the 1848 Irish rebellion. This led Doran into closer contact with militant separatists and into the Fenian Brotherhood and I.R.B. By the mid-1860s he had risen to being one of the leading figures in the movement. At the time of the 1867 rebellion Doran was second in command to General William Halpin. After the abortive rising Doran fled to France but returned to Ireland within a few months and resumed work at his beloved cathedral in Queenstown. Doran became a prominent figure in the harbour town, becoming a member later chairman of the town commissioners and also chair of Cork Harbour Commissioners. As an engineer he was responsible for the installation of the Tibbotstown Reservoir and supplying fresh water to Haulbowline and Spike islands. However Doran continued his involvement with the republicans and took part in the re-organisation of the Irish Republican Brotherhood. In 1874 he turned down a nomination to stand for parliament representing the Home Rule Association as candidate for Cork. He would not stand for election himself but over the following decades was involved in elections working on behalf of John Mitchel, Charles Stewart Parnell and other nationalists. Doran died in Cork city on 19 March 1909. He is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery, Tory Top Road, Cork.
