Ballinhassig () is a village in

County Cork County Cork ( ga, Contae Chorcaí) is the largest and the southernmost county of Ireland, named after the city of Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. Its largest market towns are ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, situated south of Cork City just off the N71 Bandon road and near the source of the River Owenabue (''Abhainn Bui'', meaning "Yellow River"). Traditionally an agricultural area, Ballinhassig has seen some growth as a commuter area, being close to Cork city. This growth saw the construction of new houses during the Irish construction boom of the early 21st century.

History

There are a number of prehistoric

ringfort Ringforts, ring forts or ring fortresses are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Bronze Age up to about the year 1000. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are also many in South Wales ...

s around Ballinhassig. Mountjoy, the

Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...

, camped locally with his army of 4,000 troops on the night before the

Battle of Kinsale The siege of Kinsale, or Battle of Kinsale ( ga, Léigear/Cath Chionn tSáile), was the ultimate battle in England's conquest of Gaelic Ireland, commencing in October 1601, near the end of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and at the climax of t ...

in 1601. On 30 June 1845, 11 people (10 men and 1 woman) were reportedly killed by the Royal Irish Constabulary during a

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

in the village. Toureen Plaque (Date incorrect)

During the

War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements * List of civil wars * List of o ...

there were a number of actions in the area, including on 3 February 1921, when the

3rd Cork Brigade The 3rd Cork Brigade, also known as Third (West) Cork Brigade, was a unit of the Irish Republican Army that operated in the western areas of County Cork during the Irish War of Independence. The unit was commanded by Tom Barry for most of the c ...

of the

Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various paramilitary organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dedicated to irredentism through Irish republicanism, the belief tha ...

ambushed and killed three British Soldiers on the Tulligbeg side of the village in what was known as the Toureen ambush. Two soldiers of the Essex Regiment died there; Lt Dixon and Pte Charles Reid, Sergeant Thomas Bennet died of wounds the next day. That night, British soldiers retaliated by burning much of the village and homes in the Ballinaboy area, and arresting and imprisoning a number of local citizens.

Amenities

There are three primary schools in Ballinhassig (Ballyheada N.S and Goggins Hill N.S and Ballygarvan), several public houses, a number of shops, three churches, a Marian Hall, and a co-op. A steam rally club is situated in

Halfway Halfway or Half Way may refer to: Places Canada *Halfway, New Brunswick, a community in Durham Parish * Halfway, Ontario, a community in Madawaska Valley Ireland *Halfway, County Cork, a village in the Republic of Ireland United Kingdom * Halfwa ...

, 2.5 km from Ballinhassig village, a village so named as it is halfway between Cork and Bandon.

Ballinhassig GAA Ballinhassig is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the village of Ballinhassig in County Cork, Republic of Ireland. The club was founded in 1886, and now plays Hurling at Premier Intermediate level, having won the Cork Premier Inter ...

has a Senior

hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...

team and was founded in 1886. The local Marian Hall is used as a training venue for a local taekwondo club. There is also a soccer club in Ballinhassig called Ballinhassig AFC.

Transport

The Gogginshill Tunnel at Ballinhassig, opened in 1851, is now the longest abandoned railway tunnel in the Republic of Ireland. It was a part of the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway. Ballinhassig railway station itself was opened on 1 August 1849, and closed on 1 April 1961.

References

{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Cork