Ballynacally () is a village and
townland
A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...
situated southwest of
Ennis, on the
R473 coast road to
Kilrush in the civil parish of
Kilchreest, County Clare, Ireland. It lies near the bank of the
River Shannon.
History
Ballynacally derives from ''Baile na Caillí''. This means "the nun's land", because it belonged to the nuns of
Killone Convent.
It is home to many historical structures and monuments. The area is known to have been visited by
St.Brendan and St. Senan who established monasteries in the islands. The
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and ...
looted the churches while travelling up the Shannon to
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
. During the
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
period nuns occupied the Kilchreest area, and Norman castles were erected at
Dangan
Dang'an () is a Chinese word meaning "archived record/file". Used in the political and administrative context, it means a permanent dossier or archival system that records the "performance and attitudes" of citizens of mainland China. Together wi ...
, Ballycorick, and Cragbrien.
The ruins of the Dangan tower still remain.
Ballynacally was a former parish.
's 'County Clare: A History and Topography'' (1837) mentioned that the villagers produced corn, butter, pork, and other agricultural produce which was loaded into boats in the quay and taken along the river to Limerick, and that limestone and sea manure were produced for the community. He also mentioned that Ballynacally held several cattle fairs throughout the year. In 1841 the townland had an area of 12 acres and a population of 194 people living in 29 houses. In the 19th century, the village developed a reputation for its fine "faction fighters" (see ''
bataireacht
In Irish martial arts, (; meaning 'stick-fighting') (also called ''boiscín'' and ''ag imirt na maidí'' ) refers to the various forms of stick-fighting from Ireland.
Definition
''Bataireacht'' is a category of stick-fighting martial arts ...
''), who possessed a "superior skill with the stick".
Professor
Thomas Rice Henn in the mid 20th century described Ballynacally as "a straggling village, with its one street and five public houses, crossing a bridge over a lesser stream" in his memoirs ''The Five Arches''.
Geography
Ballynacally is situated southwest of
Ennis, on the
R473 coast road to
Kilrush in the parish of
Kilchreest,
County Clare
County Clare ( ga, Contae an Chláir) is a county in Ireland, in the Southern Region and the province of Munster, bordered on the west by the Atlantic Ocean. Clare County Council is the local authority. The county had a population of 118,81 ...
. It lies near the bank of the
River Shannon. To the north,
Ballycorick Creek flows into the Shannon. Ballynacally is bordered by the townlands of Carrowkilla to the north, Knocksaggart to the northeast, Rosscliff to the east, Ballynagard to the south, Cloonnakilla to the west, and Ardnagla to the northwest.
The village lies in the civil parish of
Kilchreest
The Roman Catholic parish of Ballynacally (Clondegad) encompasses Ballynacally,
Lissycasey
Lissycasey () is a village in County Clare, 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 fr ...
and Ballycorick, and is part of the
Diocese of Killaloe
The Diocese of Killaloe ( ) may refer either to a Roman Catholic or a Church of Ireland (Anglican) diocese, in Ireland.
Roman Catholic diocese
The Diocese of Killaloe is the second largest Roman Catholic diocese in Ireland.
It comprises the ...
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
References
External links
Official site
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe
Towns and villages in County Clare
Townlands of County Clare