Barroosky Barr Rúscaígh | |
|---|---|
Townland | |
 View of Barroosky | |
  Barroosky Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:54°12′30″N9°37′19″W / 54.2083°N 9.6220°W /54.2083; -9.6220 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Mayo |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.78 km2 (3.00 sq mi) |
| Time zone | WET |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) |
| Irish Grid Reference | F 94231 30017 |
| As this is in the Gaeltacht, the IrishBarr Rúscaígh is the only official name. The anglicized spellingBarroosky has no official status. | |
Barroosky (also spelt asBarroskey orBarrooskey.Irish:Barr Rúscaígh, meaning "top of the undulation")[1] is aGaeltachttownland within thecivil parish ofKilcommon inCounty Mayo,Ireland.[2] It is located within the ecclesiastical parish of Kilcommon-Erris.[3] Barroosky townland has an area of approximately 1,923 acres (7.8 km2).[2]
Barroosky is also the name of theelectoral division (ED) in which the townland lies.[2] As of 2022, Barroosky ED had a population of 96 people.[4]
InIrish folklore, Barroosky is mentioned in the epic tale ofTáin Bó Flidhais.[5]T.H. White, an author of Arthurian novels, speculated that the area encompassing Slieve Fyagh, more specifically from the townlands of Barroosky and Srahnaplaia to Sheskin Lodge, may have been the site of the sixth-century battle of Cuil Conaire. According to White,Ailill Inbanda, aKing of Connacht, was killed there during the conflict.[6]
The area is also mentioned in a popular Erris folktale called theFool of Barr Rúscaígh as part of the year of the French celebrations.[5] In 1911, the population was recorded as 34.[7]
In September 1922, during theIrish Civil War, theBattle of Glenamoy took place nearby.[8]
Barroosky sits in a region largely made up of peat-richblanket bog, a landscape typical of the northern coastline ofKilcommon and the widerErris area.[9] The Barroosky River, which eventually flows intoGlenamoy River, meanders through a valley in this area.[6] Slieve Fyagh, a hill with a height of 335 metres, is the tallest site in the Barroosky area.[10] The name of the hill is thought to mean either ‘mountain of the rushes’ or ‘wooded mountain’.[6]
The Glenamoy bog complex is located in the northwest of Erris, County Mayo,[11] and includes parts of Barroosky.[12] It is mostly made up of oceanic blanket bog in its inland areas.
The Belderg,Glenamoy, Glenglassra andMuingnabo rivers and numerous smaller tributaries drain the area. With little tree cover, the exposed region experiences frequent strong winds and has a wet, oceanic climate.[9]
Located on the blanket bogs betweenBellacorick andBallycastle, Barroosky is situated near to the Sheskin Forest. It is a conifer plantation and is not to be confused withSheskin,County Monaghan.[13] A hunting lodge built by the McDonnell family and later owned by the Jameson family, now in ruins, lies there.[14][15][16]
At the time of the 2011 census, the population of the electoral division (ED) was 113, comprising 58 males and 55 females. The total housing stock was 43, of which vacant households numbered 21. With an approximate area of 48.2 km2,[17] the ED had a 2011 population density of 2.34 persons per km2.[18]
At the time of the 2016 census the population had declined to 100.[19] By the2022 census, the population of the area had further decreased to 96.[4]
According to the 2011 census, there were 61 Irish speakers in the electoral division and 5 inhabitants spoke Irish daily.[18] By the 2016 census, 46% of the area's population were able to speak Irish.[19] As of the 2022 census, there were 56 Irish speakers, representing an 8.2% decrease from 2011. Of these, 15 inhabitants spoke Irish daily during education only.[20]
Barr Rúscaí, Co.Mayo, 29054 [..] Electoral Division [..] Population - 2022 [..] 96
