Bellanagare () is a village in

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

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 ...

. The N5

national primary road A national primary road ( ga, Bóthar príomha náisiúnta) is a road classification in Ireland. National primary roads form the major routes between the major urban centres. There are 2649 km of national primary roads. This category of ro ...

passes through it , though a by-pass is planned. The village is located between

Tulsk Tulsk () is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland, on the N5 national primary road between Strokestown and Bellanagare. It is 19 km north of Roscommon town. Heritage Near Tulsk is Cruachan, an Iron Age (Gaelic) royal palace. As recou ...

and

Frenchpark Frenchpark, historically known as Dungar (), is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland on the N5 national primary road. It was the home of Douglas Hyde, the first President of Ireland. The nearby French Park Estate was until 1952 the ancestra ...

on the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

Castlebar Castlebar () is the county town of County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Developing around a 13th century castle of the de Barry family, de Barry family, from which the town got its name, the town now acts as a social and economic focal poi ...

/ Westport road.

History

O'Conor Don

The O'Conor Don ancestral lands were in County Roscommon centred on Clonalis House near

Castlerea Castlerea (; ) is the third largest town in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is located in the west of the county and had a population of 1,992 at the 2016 Census. Roughly translated from Irish, Castlerea is generally thought to mean 'brindled ca ...

in County Roscommon. When Alexander O'Conor Don died in 1820 without a male heir, the title was inherited by the O'Conors of Bellanagare. In 1828, O'Conor Don of Belanagar was a member of the Grand Panel of county Roscommon. At the time of Griffith's Valuation, Charles Owen O'Conor was one of the principal lessors in the parishes of Kilcorkey and Kilkeevin, barony of Castlereagh.

Charles O'Connor

Charles O'Conor Charles O'Conor may refer to: * Charles O'Conor (historian) (1710–1791), Irish writer, historian, and antiquarian * Charles O'Conor (priest) (1764–1828), Irish priest and historian, grandson of the above * Charles O'Conor (American politician) ( ...

, of Belanagare, was a scholar and antiquary who was born in 1710.Library Of Ireland - Charles O'Conor
/ref> In 1754 he published a work on Irish mining, and in 1766 he published the work for which he is best known, ''Dissertations on the History of Ireland''. O'Conor died at Belanagare on 1 July 1791, and his collection of manuscripts (containing the only then known original of the first part of the

Annals of the Four Masters The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála Ríoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre Máistrí'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...

), passed into the hands of the Marquis of Buckingham. These were later purchased as part of the Stowe manuscript collection by

Bertram Ashburnham, 4th Earl of Ashburnham Bertram Ashburnham, 4th Earl of Ashburnham (23 November 1797 – 22 June 1878) was a British peer. He was the fourth son of George Ashburnham, 3rd Earl of Ashburnham. As the eldest son still living when his father died in 1830, he succeeded as ...

Bellanagare Castle and Hermitage House

Bellanagare Castle was the home of the O'Conor family, including the historian Charles O'Conor. He later built Hermitage House some distance away, and Bellanagare Castle fell into ruin. Hermitage House was built by Charles O'Conor circa 1760. It was a smaller Georgian house which he called his "Hermitage". At Hermitage House, he devoted the remainder of his life to the collection and study of Irish manuscripts, to the publication of dissertations, and to the cause of Irish and Catholic emancipation. He was a co-founder of the first Catholic Committee in 1757, (along with his friend Dr. John Curry and Mr. Wyse of Waterford). In 1788 he became a member of the Royal Irish Academy. His great great grandson Charles O'Conor was leasing the property at Ballaghcullia, valued at £10, to Honoria O'Conor at the time of Griffith's Valuation. In 1749 the Census of Elphin records Denis O'Conor as being of "Ballinagar". The house at Hermitage is still extant though not occupied and a modern bungalow has been constructed in front of it.

Sport and community

The Catholic Church at the village of Bellanagare (geograph 2714870)

Ballinagare Community Centre

Ballinagare Community Centre community-run centre for the village and surrounding area. It runs leisure activities, spinning classes, box exercise classes, walkers and joggers group, pilates, step aerobics, and has a gym, and astro turf pitch.

Ballinagare FC

Ballinagare Football Club was established in August 2004.Ballinagare FC
/ref> The club colours are orange with a black trim, and the club play home games at Ballinagare Community Pitch. An Astro Turf Pitch was opened in 2012 and situated beside the community centre.

Western Gaels GAA Club

The Western Gaels Club was formed in Fairymount Hall in 1962. The club area consists of the parishes of Frenchpark and Fairymount in West Roscommon, close to the towns of Castlerea and Ballaghaderreen. Prior to that there were clubs in both parishes but due to emigration both of these clubs were very weak. Probably the most famous son of the area is Dr. Douglas Hyde of Tibohone, who was Patron of the GAA from 1902 to 1915, and the first President of Ireland from 1938 to 1945. Another member of the GAA,

Pádraig Ó Caoimh Pádraig Ó Caoimh (Patrick "Paddy" O'Keeffe) was an Irish soldier and long-time administrator of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA). Páirc Uí Chaoimh, the home of the Cork GAA, is named after him. Early life Ó Caoimh was born in Roscomm ...

, Ard-Rúnaí 1939-1964 was born in the village of Ballinagare. During the 1970s the club won five juvenile titles. The first major title at adult level was the Junior County Championship in 1977.

Other associations

Ballinagare Horse and Pony Racing club was established in 2012. The first annual race meeting and family day was held on 16 September 2012 in memory of the late Peter Finnerty. Ballinagare's cycling club also held its first charity cycle during 2012 in aid of Cancer Care west.

References

External links

Historic map showing Hermitage House and estate near Bellanagare

Hermitage 1812 Bog Commission Survey - Photo
{{County Roscommon Towns and villages in County Roscommon