Baltimore (, ; , translated as the "Fort of the Jewels") is a village in western
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 ...
. It is the main village in the parish of Rathmore and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland. It is the main ferry port to
Sherkin Island
Sherkin Island, historically called Inisherkin (), lies southwest of County Cork in Ireland alongside other islands of Roaringwater Bay. It had a population of 111 people at the time of the 2016 Census, and measures long by wide. The isl ...
,
Cape Clear Island
Clear Island or Cape Clear Island (officially known by its Irish name: Cléire, and sometimes also called Oileán Chléire) is an island off the south-west coast of County Cork in Ireland. It is the southernmost inhabited part of Ireland and ha ...
and the eastern side of Roaring Water Bay (Loch Trasna) and
Carbery's Hundred Isles
Carbery's Hundred Isles are the islands along the coast of the Baronies of Carbery West and Carbery East, successors to the medieval Barony of Carbery, on the Celtic Sea, in the far south-west of Ireland. It is a term which includes those island ...
.
Although the name ''Baltimore'' is an anglicisation of the Irish meaning "town of the big house", the Irish-language name for Baltimore is that of the O'Driscoll castle,
''Dún na Séad'' or ''Dunashad'' ("fort of the jewels"). The restored castle is open to the public and overlooks the town.
In ancient times, ''Dunashad'' was considered a sanctuary for
druid
A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...
s and the place name is associated with
Bealtaine
Beltane () is the Gaelic May Day festival. Commonly observed on the first of May, the festival falls midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The festival name is synonymous with the month marking the s ...
.
History
Baltimore was a seat of one of Ireland's most ancient dynasties, the
Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde (Corcu Lóegde, Corco Luigde, Corca Laoighdhe, Laidhe), meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centred in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Mun ...
, former
Kings of Tara
The term Kingship of Tara () was a title of authority in ancient Ireland - the title is closely associated with the archaeological complex at the Hill of Tara. The position was considered to be of eminent authority in medieval Irish literature a ...
and
Kings of Munster
The kings of Munster ( ga, Rí Mumhan), ruled from the establishment of Kingdom of Munster, Munster during the Irish Iron Age, until the High Middle Ages. According to Gaelic traditional history, laid out in works such as the ''Book of Invasion ...
.
An English colony was founded here about 1605 by
Sir Thomas Crooke, 1st Baronet, with the blessing of King
James I of England
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the Union of the Crowns, union of the Scottish and Eng ...
; Crooke leased the lands from Sir Fineen O'Driscoll, head of the O'Driscoll clan.
It was a lucrative centre of the
pilchard
"Sardine" and "pilchard" are common names for various species of small, oily forage fish in the herring family Clupeidae. The term "sardine" was first used in English during the early 15th century, a folk etymology says it comes from the ...
fisheries, and in the early 1600s a
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
base, where not only all the justices including the
vice-admiral of
Munster
Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following the ...
, but the entire population, were involved; all the women of Baltimore were reputed to be either wives or mistresses of pirates. These activities were unaffected by official discouragement under King James, but English piracy generally declined shortly thereafter, partly due to competition from
Barbary pirates
The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. This area was known i ...
. In 1607 Baltimore became a
market town
A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...
, with the right to hold a weekly
market
Market is a term used to describe concepts such as:
*Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand
*Market economy
*Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market
Geography
*Märket, an ...
and two annual fairs. After Crooke's death, political control of the town passed to
Sir Walter Coppinger
Sir Walter Coppinger (died 1639) was a member of the Irish nobility from County Cork, Ireland, who was a magistrate of Cork city, a lawyer, and a landlord. Coppinger came from one of the most prominent families in Cork city; though himself of Hi ...
.
The town was depopulated in
1631 in the
Sack of Baltimore
A sack usually refers to a rectangular-shaped bag.
Sack may also refer to:
Bags
* Flour sack
* Gunny sack
* Hacky sack, sport
* Money sack
* Paper sack
* Sleeping bag
* Stuff sack
* Knapsack
Other uses
* Bed, a slang term
* Sack (band), an ...
, a raid by
Barbary pirates
The Barbary pirates, or Barbary corsairs or Ottoman corsairs, were Muslim pirates and privateers who operated from North Africa, based primarily in the ports of Salé, Rabat, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli, Libya, Tripoli. This area was known i ...
from either
Ottoman Algeria
The Regency of Algiers ( ar, دولة الجزائر, translit=Dawlat al-Jaza'ir) was a state in North Africa lasting from 1516 to 1830, until it was French conquest of Algeria, conquered by the French. Situated between the Ottoman Tunisia, re ...
or
Salé
Salé ( ar, سلا, salā, ; ber, ⵙⵍⴰ, sla) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the right bank of the Bou Regreg river, opposite the national capital Rabat, for which it serves as a commuter town. Founded in about 1030 by the Banu Ifran ...
(
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
).
Between 100 and 237 English settlers and local Irish people were sold into
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
,
of whom only two or three ever saw Ireland again.
Reminders of the incident still exist in the form of
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
names, like the "Algiers Inn". The survivors fled to
Skibbereen
Skibbereen (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in West Cork
West Cork ( ga, Iarthar Chorcaí) is a tourist region and municipal district in County Cork, Ireland. As a municipal district, West Cork falls within the administr ...
, and Baltimore for generations was almost deserted. A slow recovery began in the 18th century, and by the early 1800s the village was starting to prosper again, only to suffer further great losses in the
Great Famine.
Baltimore was granted
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle Ag ...
status in 1612 with a town government consisting of a "sovereign" (Sir Thomas Crooke) and twelve
burgesses. It returned two members to the
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fra ...
1613-1801.
Places of interest
One of the most notable landmarks in the area is the
Baltimore Beacon
The Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon positioned high above the channel between the mainland and Sherkin Island near the entrance to the harbour at Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland.
The structure is approximately high and in dia ...
, also known as
Lot
Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to:
Common meanings Areas
* Land lot, an area of land
* Parking lot, for automobiles
*Backlot, in movie production
Sets of items
*Lot number, in batch production
*Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...
's wife. Towards the end of July 1847, Commander James Wolfe, R.N., informed the Ballast Board that he had recently completed a survey of Baltimore Harbour and noticed the destruction of the beacon on the eastern point of the southern entrance to the harbour.
George Halpin
George Halpin (Sr.) (1779? – 8 July 1854), was a prominent civil engineer and lighthouse builder, responsible for the construction of much of the Port of Dublin, several of Dublin's bridges, and a number of lighthouses; he is considered the f ...
, the Board's inspector was ordered to report the matter which he did the following month, stating that the original, locally built beacon was too small, poorly built, and had been vandalised. He recommended a large and properly constructed beacon with which the Board concurred.
Almost a year passed, 6 July 1848, before the Board requested the secretary to seek permission from Lord Carbery for a piece of ground ten yards in diameter, on which to build the beacon. By the end of July, a reply had been received from Mr Arthur Perry-Aylmer informing the Board that Lady Carbery of Castle Freke near Rosscarbery had given her full permission to either rebuild or re-construct the existing beacon and granted free access as the beacon was a matter of such vast importance to fishermen and others.
By February 1849 inspector George Halpin reported that the masonry work of the beacon was complete but the iron staff and vane still had to be placed on top.
The conspicuous conical white-painted Baltimore Beacon, sometimes called the 'pillar of salt' or '
Lot's wife
In the Bible, Lot's wife is a figure first mentioned in . The Book of Genesis describes how she became a pillar of salt after she looked back at Sodom. She is not named in the Bible but is called "Ado" or "Edith" in some Jewish traditions. She ...
' is approximately 50 feet (15.2m) high and 5 yards (4.6m) in diameter at the base. The vent, mentioned by Halpin in 1849 was obviously vulnerable and at a later date was replaced by a sphere.
Tourism
Baltimore attracts visitors and the resident population increases in the summer months due to the summer homes that have been built in the area. Baltimore is used by visitors interested in sailing, fishing and exploring the countryside. Baltimore is a base from which tourists explore Cape Clear, Sherkin and
Lough Hyne. Lough Hyne, Ireland's first marine nature reserve is approximately 5 km from the town. Baltimore also has become a venue for scuba diving, due largely to the number and variety of shipwrecks in the bay. These include a
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
submarine (
U-260), the bulk carrier
Kowloon Bridge
MV ''Kowloon Bridge'' was a Ore-bulk-oil carrier, ore-bulk-oil combination carrier built by Swan Hunter in 1973. She sank off the coast of the Republic of Ireland in December 1986.
History
The MV ''Kowloon Bridge'' was built on the River Tees b ...
and the
Alondra from 1916.
One local restaurant has a
Michelin star
The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of a ...
(
Dede), as did
Mews
A mews is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them, built behind large city houses before motor vehicles replaced horses in the early twentieth century. Mews are usually located in desirable residential ...
(2018–20).
Sport
The local GAA club is
Ilen Rovers
Ilen Rovers is a Gaelic football club in County Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to Cork GAA and Carbery GAA divisional boards.
Ilen Rovers is located in a rural community that is located on the River Ilen, the river that flows through Ski ...
, which was formed in 1973 and consists of the surrounding parish and that of Lisheen and Kilcoe. They compete in the Cork County Senior Football Championship and appeared in the Senior final in 2007 losing to
Nemo Rangers
Nemo Rangers Hurling & Football Club is a Cork-based Gaelic Athletic Association club on the southside of Cork city, Ireland. The club was founded in 1922 and is involved in Gaelic football, hurling, Ladies football and Camogie.
History
Nemo R ...
. The local soccer team Baltimore FC also known as the Crabs were established in 2006. They won division 2 in 2010 and are currently a division 1 side in the
West Cork League. Sailing is also a popular activity in Baltimore. Courses are held in the summer months for both adults and children.
Transport
Ferries sail from Baltimore to
Schull
Schull or Skull ( ; or ''Scoil Mhuire'', meaning "Mary's School") is a town in County Cork, Ireland.
Located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the municipal district of West Cork, the town is dominated by Mount Gabriel (407 m). It has ...
further along the coast, to
Sherkin Island
Sherkin Island, historically called Inisherkin (), lies southwest of County Cork in Ireland alongside other islands of Roaringwater Bay. It had a population of 111 people at the time of the 2016 Census, and measures long by wide. The isl ...
, and to the more remote
Cape Clear Island
Clear Island or Cape Clear Island (officially known by its Irish name: Cléire, and sometimes also called Oileán Chléire) is an island off the south-west coast of County Cork in Ireland. It is the southernmost inhabited part of Ireland and ha ...
.
Baltimore is located on the
R595 road, leading to the
N71 road for
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
, roughly 100 kilometres from the village. The closest town to Baltimore is
Skibbereen
Skibbereen (; ) is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is located in West Cork
West Cork ( ga, Iarthar Chorcaí) is a tourist region and municipal district in County Cork, Ireland. As a municipal district, West Cork falls within the administr ...
, 13.4 kilometres northeast of the village. Bus services to Skibbereen and Cork are provided by
Bus Éireann
Bus Éireann (; "Irish Bus") is a state-owned bus and coach operator providing services throughout Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the Greater Dublin Area, where bus services are provided by sister company Dublin Bus. It is a subsidia ...
. The nearest airport is
Cork Airport
Cork Airport ( ga, Aerfort Chorcaí, ) is the second-largest of the three principal international airports in Ireland, after Dublin and ahead of Shannon. It is located in Cork City, south of the city centre in an area known as Farmers Cross ...
Baltimore railway station on the
West Cork Railway
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway (CB&SCR), was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland. It opened in 1849 as the Cork and Bandon Railway (C&BR), changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great Sou ...
opened on 2 May 1893, but finally closed on 1 April 1961.
See also
*
List of towns and villages in Ireland
*
Baltimore (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
Baltimore was a potwalloper constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons from 1614 to 1801.
Borough
This constituency was a parliamentary borough based in the town of Baltimore in County Cork.
Potwalloper
A potwalloper (sometimes potw ...
(to 1800)
*
List of RNLI stations
Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) stations are the bases for the RNLI's fleet of search and rescue lifeboats that cover the coastal waters around the entire British Isles, as well as major inland waterways.
The service was establi ...
*
Heir Island
Heir Island, also known as Hare Island or Inishodriscol (), is an island in southwest County Cork, Ireland. It has a year-round population of around 25–30. The island is 2.5 km long and 1.5 km wide. It is the fourth-largest of Carber ...
References
External links
Baltimore West CorkOfficial Site
Baltimore LifeboatRNLI Lifeboat based at Baltimore
Marine life at Baltimore coast
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Cork
Pirate dens and locations
Populated coastal places in the Republic of Ireland