Ballyvourney Baile Bhuirne | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Ruin of former Colthurst residence, The Mills Inn, Ballyvourney | |
  Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:51°56′41.2″N9°9′47.67″W / 51.944778°N 9.1632417°W /51.944778; -9.1632417 | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Cork |
| Irish Grid Reference | W195770 |
| Baile Bhúirne is the only official name as it is situated in a Gaeltacht (Irish-speaking area). | |
Ballyvourney (Irish:Baile Bhuirne[ˌbˠalʲəˈwuːɾˠn̠ʲə], meaning 'Town of the Beloved', also spelledBaile Mhúirne)[1] is aGaeltacht village in southwestCounty Cork,Ireland. Ballyvourney is also acivil parish in thebarony ofMuskerry West, and anecclesiastical parish in theRoman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne.[2]
The village stretches along theN22 road which linksCork city (48 km to the southeast) withKillarney (to the northwest). The nearest large town isMacroom (14 km), while the nearest international airport isCork Airport. As of 2015, there has been a proposal to construct 22 km of dual carriageway from Coolcour at the eastern side of Macroom, bypassing Macroom to the north and finishing west of Ballyvourney.[3]Bus Éireann Expressway Route 40 betweenRosslare Europort and Tralee runs through Ballyvourney.[4]
The village lies on theRiver Sullane:
"The river Sullane has its source in the parish, in the mountains bordering on the county of Kerry, and after intersecting it longitudinally pursues an eastern course through the parish of Clondrohid to the town of Macroom, to the east of which, at the distance of a mile, it discharges itself into theriver Lee;"[5]
In this part of Cork, the rivers mainly drain longitudinally from west to east; this is true of the Lee and theMunster Blackwater. Between these rivers lies the valley of the Sullane. To the north of the parish, theDerrynasaggart Mountains and theBoggeragh Mountains separate the valley from the Blackwater valley. To the south, the upland area of Reananerree and theShehies separate it from the Lee valley. The surrounding district ofMuskerry straddles the counties of Cork andKerry. The highest point in the parish, at 694m, isMullaghanish (Irish:Mullach an Ois) located just northeast of the village.
Ballyvourney is one of the 24civil parishes in the barony of Muskerry West. The barony is the namesake ofBaron Muskerry. There are 47townlands in the civil parish.
| Townlands in the civil parish | |
|---|---|
| Name in Irish | Name in English |
| Baile Mhic Íre | Ballymakeery |
| Barr Duínse | Bardinch |
| Cathair Chearnaigh | Cahercarney |
| An Cheapach Thiar | Cappagh West |
| An Cheapach Thoir | Cappagh East |
| Na Cillíní | Killeen |
| Cnoc an Iúir | Knockanure |
| Com an Ghadhair | Coomnagire |
| Com na Cloiche | Coomnaclohy |
| Com Uí Chlúmháin | Coumaclovane |
| Cúil an Bhuacaigh | Coolavokig |
| Cúil an Mhothair | Coolavoher |
| Cúil Aodha | Coolea |
| An Chúil Iarthach | Coolierher |
| Cúil na Cathrach | Coolnacaheragh |
| Daingean na Saileach | Dangansallagh |
| Doire an Chuilinn | Derreenaculling |
| An Doire Leathan | Derrylahan |
| Doire na Sagart | Derrynasaggart |
| Na Doirí | Derree |
| An Doirín Álainn | Derreenaling |
| Na Foithrí | Fuhiry |
| Gort an Acra | Gortanacra |
| Gort na Fuinseann | Gortnafunshion |
| Gort na gCros | Gortnagross |
| Gort na Scairte | Gortnascarty |
| Gort na Tiobratan | Gortnatubbrid |
| Gort Uí Raithile | Gortyrahilly |
| An Inse Mhór | Inchamore |
| An Lománach Bheag | Lumnagh Beg |
| An Lománach Mhór | Lumnagh More |
| Magh Réidh | Flats |
| Na Millíní | Milleeny |
| An Muirneach Beag | Murnaghbeg |
| An Ráth Thiar | Rath West |
| An Ráth Thoir | Rath East |
| An Rathúnach Thiar | Rahoonagh West |
| An Rathúnach Thoir | Rahoonagh East |
| Ré na bPobal | Reanabobul |
| Screathan na nGabhann | Scrahanagown |
| An tSeanchluain | Shanacloon |
| An Seantóir | Glebe |
| An Sliabh Riabhach | Slievereagh |
| An Tóchar | Togher |
| Tonn Láin | Toonlane |
| Na hUláin Thiar | Ullanes West |
| Na hUláin Thoir | Ullanes East |
The parish is in theelectoral division (ED) ofAn Sliabh Riabhach in the formerrural district of Macroom. The ED is part of theDáil constituency ofCork North-West.[6]
Historically, the people ofMúscraige had theCorcu Loígde as their overlords. However, they switched allegiance to theEóganachta and facilitated their rise to power asKings of Munster. In "Griffith's Valuation of Ireland (1837)", 548 unique records are recorded in the civil parish. Of these, the top 11 surnames accounted for over half over the entries. The townlands with the most recorded surnames, from greatest to least, are: Coolavokig, Derrylahan, Slievereagh, Ballymakeery, Gortnatubbud, Dangansallagh, Derreenaling, Knockanure, Milleeny andCoolea.[7]
During theIrish War of Independence, theIRA ambushed a British rations lorry just south of Ballyvourney on 18 July 1921, resulting in the deaths of two British soldiers, includingJames Airy.[8]
Today, the district gives its name to theMuskerryGaeltacht which is an officially designated Irish-speaking area. While the inhabitants of the area know Irish well, English has been the predominant household and community language since the 1920s. According to the 2016 Census about 21% of the population of the "An Sliabh Riabhach" electoral division (where Ballyvourney is located) speak Irish on a daily basis outside the education system.[9] The area's Gaeltacht status draws visitors—as does its architectural heritage.[citation needed]
The town is associated withSaint Gobnait and is the site of her abbey, cells andSt Gobnait's well. HerPattern Day, 11 February, is still celebrated by the community. During a Mass at the well, everyone takes water from it. According to legend, Gobnait was born in County Clare in the 6th century. Fleeing from Clare, she took refuge in the Aran Islands, where she encountered an angel who instructed her to go on a journey. The angel told her that when she came upon nine white deer, that would be her place. Travelling south, she came toClondrohid where she found three white deer. She followed them to Killeens,Ballymakeera where she saw six more. When she found the nine white deer in Baile Bhuirne, she stayed and founded a convent. The remains of the convent are still the locus of pilgrimage, which while it is ostensibly Christian, may well be pagan in origin.[10]
The abbey contains an example of aSheela na Gig and there are a number of stone circles, stone rows andfulachtaí fia in the area.
The composerSeán Ó Riada is buried in the cemetery there.[citation needed] Thesean-nós singerElizabeth Cronin spent her whole life in the area.[citation needed]
The village gives its name to an Irish dance figure—theBaile Bhuirne Set[11] The town is the home of Ionad Cultúrtha, a regional cultural centre for the traditional and contemporary arts. It holds many music and visual art events.[12]
St. Gobnet's Wood is an old 30 ha woodland mainly planted in oldSessile Oak. The local national school is calledScoil Aban Naofa and is named after Aban, a saint associated with the area. The secondary school,Coláiste Ghobnatan, was formed in 1989 following the merger ofColáiste Iosagáin (openedc. 1940) andScoil Ghobnatan (opened 1950).[13] According to the school principal, the school is "named in honour of Saint Gobnait, patron Saint of Baile Bhúirne and indeed we place all our work under her protection".[14]
The grounds ofColáiste Íosagáin, a formerDe La Salle college, were used as a filming location forSong for a Raggy Boy. The filmThe Wind That Shakes the Barley was also filmed in nearby locations.
The bars and restaurants in the village are "The Mills Inn", "The Abbey Hotel", "The Hibernian", "The Crúiscín Lán"and "The Village Takeaway & Diner". The Mills Inn is built on the site of the former police barracks. Cultural events include:[15]
Employment opportunities in Ballyvourney range from agricultural, industrial to hospitality sectors.Údarás na Gaeltachta provide grants for businesses, many of which are situated in Ballyvourney's industrial estate.
The SeniorGaelic football club,Naomh Abán GAA, has a number of championship titles to its name.[citation needed]Anthony Lynch, a native of Ballyvourney and a player on the local football team also plays for theCork senior football team.
The localassociation football (soccer) club, Sullane F.C., fields teams in the West Cork league in senior and underage divisions.[citation needed]
This scheme will involve the construction of 22km of Type 2 dual carriageway from Coolcour at the eastern side of Macroom, bypassing Macroom to the north and finishing west of Ballyvourney.
Gairmscoil Ghobnatan, as it was then known, was opened in 1950 [..] In 1989 Scoil Ghobnatan amalgamated with Coláiste Iosagáin to form Coláiste Ghobnatan
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