Ballymote () is a market town in southern
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...
, approx. 24 km south east of
Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the largest urban cent ...
town in the province of
Connacht
Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms (Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and Delbhn ...
, which is located in the north-west of
Ireland. Ballymote lies in the
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of
Corran. A
commuter town with a strong history of independent enterprises along with firm local health, school, and transport services. It is located on the main
Dublin to Sligo Train Line, and situated 10 minutes from the
N4 /
N17 Roadways. Ballymote serves a large hinterland area in south east
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province of Connacht. Sligo is the administrative capital and largest town in the county. Sligo County Council is the local ...
.
The
Norman Ballymote Castle
, location=County Sligo, Connacht
, nearest_town=Ballymote
, country=Ireland
, image=Co. Sligo, Ballymote Castle 2, 1792.jpg
, alt=The castle in the 1790s
, caption=The castle in the 1790s
, pushpin_map=Ireland
, pushpin_map_alt=Location ...
dates from the 1300s, and the
Book of Ballymote
The ''Book of Ballymote'' (, RIA MS 23 P 12, 275 foll.), was written in 1390 or 1391 in or near the town of Ballymote, now in County Sligo, but then in the tuath of Corann.
Production and history
This book was compiled towards the end of t ...
was written in or near the town in the 1390s.
History
The origins of the settlement appear to have been derived from the 12th century Norman Castle, though evidence of earlier settlement and farming in area from 1000BC exists through the presence of
ringforts,
cairn
A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ).
Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehi ...
s, and archaeological remains.
Ballymote was much affected by the disruption of the full conquest of Ireland by the English and Protestant settlers in the
early modern period (1536–1691). Ballymote was ravaged several times in the 16th century and finally burned to waste. In 1608 King
James I granted an estate encompassing the castle and area around the town to
James Fullerton, this was soon to pass to the
Taaffes. Following litigations, court action and a forced sale
John Fitzmaurice (Lord Shelburne) bought the Ballymote estate in 1753.
On coming to the Ballymote Shelburne found the land mostly uncultivated with the inhabitants, all
Roman Catholic, making no attempt to manufacture goods but subsisting on herding cattle. Shelburne made a start to establish Ballymote as a centre for the linen industry in County Sligo, by provisioning cottages for Protestant weavers and spinners brought in from Ulster. Expansion was slow, and with Shelburne's death in 1761 his widow attempted to progress his project through managers, expanding from 20 to 60 looms. In 1774 the younger son,
Thomas Fitzmaurice, after studying the linen business, began the modern expansion of the town, with the construction of a
bleach mill, workers houses, and Earlsfield House, a residence for himself. In 1776 it was noted that Fitzmaurice had invited architect
James Paine to plan a redevelopment of the town with a new street layout, a market house and other associated houses. No records exist of Paine's plans, and it is not clear if his designs were implemented. By 1799, it was recorded that most of the inhabitants of Ballymote were weavers. Linen production peaked in the period from 1815 to 1820, but went into steep decline by the 1840s. Within the history of planned industrial settlements centred around the linen industry in Ireland, this was one of the later attempts with the manufacturing of linen in the town ultimately abandoned.
In 1833, the ownership of the town was transferred from the Fitzmaurices to the Gore-Booth family of
Lissadell, who has established a
corn mill
A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
in the town in 1795. In 1837, the town consisted of 140 houses on a single main street at the junction of six roads, and was owned by
Robert Gore-Booth. A map from 1847 shows the core layout of the current town established.
Annalistic references
From 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 2,242 ...
:
* ''M1300.3.The castle of Ath-Cliath-an-
Chorainn (i.e.of Ballymote) was commenced by the
Earl.''
* ''M1317.5.The castle of Ath-cliath an Chorainn (i.e. of Ballymote) was demolished.''
Geography
Ballymote lies 24 km south-east of
Sligo Town
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the largest urban cen ...
and 193 km west from
Dublin.
Caves of Keash are located 5 km south of the town
Demography
In 1900 Ballymote had a population of 1,145, compared to 1,549 in 2016.
Economy
In addition to a selection of shops and services, there are factories just outside the town at Ballybrennan, and a small business park at Carrownanty on the R296 Road to
Tobercurry
Tubbercurry or Tobercurry () is the second-largest town in terms of both population and land area in County Sligo, Ireland. It lies at the foot of the Ox Mountains, on the N17 national primary road. The village is twinned with Viarmes in Fr ...
.
There is a livestock mart and a microbrewery.
The wider area is mainly agricultural, with many people commuting to
Carrick on Shannon
Carrick-on-Shannon () is the county town of County Leitrim in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county of Leitrim. A smaller part of the town lies in County Roscommon. The population of the town was 4,062 in 2016. It is situated on a strat ...
and
Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the largest urban cent ...
town for work.
Sport
A number of sports are played in the town, including
Gaelic football and athletics at Corran Park and
soccer at
Brother Walfrid
Andrew Kerins ( ga, Aindreas Ó Céirín; 18 May 1840 – 17 April 1915), known by his religious name Brother Walfrid, was an Irish Marist Brother and is best remembered for being the founder of Scottish football club Celtic.
Life
Walfrid was ...
Memorial Park. The town had had a nine-hole golf course on the outskirts of the town since 1943 (though some claim 1930s), which relocated 1993. and which closed in 2019 as financially unviable with dwindling membership.
Heritage and culture
The Ballymote Heritage Group was founded on 30 May 1984. At the
bank holiday at the beginning of August they organise a heritage weekend with a variety of events and an annual publication, ''The Corran Herald''.
The Irish Raptor Research Centre near
Templehouse Lough was originally set up for research purposes but since 2003 demonstrates the fun and educational ''Eagles Flying Show'' as well.
A children's
playground has been created at Town Park. A miniature railway has been in operation there on some summer weekends.
The town regularly host St Patricks day parades each year.
Landmarks
Buildings
It is a historic town, with
Ballymote Castle
, location=County Sligo, Connacht
, nearest_town=Ballymote
, country=Ireland
, image=Co. Sligo, Ballymote Castle 2, 1792.jpg
, alt=The castle in the 1790s
, caption=The castle in the 1790s
, pushpin_map=Ireland
, pushpin_map_alt=Location ...
, the last and the mightiest of the Norman castles in Connacht.
This castle, dating from 1300, was built by
Richard de Burgh. It also has a
Market House, a three-bay, two-story building formerly used by the South Sligo Adult Community Mental Health team of the
Health Service Executive
The Health Service Executive (HSE) ( ga, Feidhmeannacht na Seirbhíse Sláinte) is the publicly funded healthcare system in Ireland, responsible for the provision of health and personal social services. It came into operation on 1 January 2005 ...
.
There has been a library in the town since 1949; originally run from the Loftus Hall, it was relocated to the former courthouse in 1984 before moving in 2011 to its current location on Teeling Street.
Temple house is located approximately 2 km from the town.
September 11 memorial
The then
Mayor of New York City,
Michael Bloomberg, unveiled Ireland's national monument to the
69th Infantry Regiment (aka The Fighting 69th) and
Michael Corcoran in Ballymote on 22 August 2006. At the foot of the monument is a piece of steel from the
World Trade Center in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* ...
, which was attacked on
September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
. The steel was donated by the family of a local man who died in the attack.
Transport
Ballymote lies on
regional roads R293,
R295 and
R296, and on the main
Dublin to
Sligo
Sligo ( ; ga, Sligeach , meaning 'abounding in shells') is a coastal seaport and the county town of County Sligo, Ireland, within the western province of Connacht. With a population of approximately 20,000 in 2016, it is the largest urban cent ...
railway line.
Ballymote railway station opened on 3 December 1862. local link bus services are provided daily.
The town is also served by
Ireland West Airport
Ireland West Airport ( ga, Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Mhuire), officially known as Ireland West Airport Knock ( ga, Aerfort Iarthar Éireann Chnoc Mhuire), is an international airport south-west of Charlestown, County Mayo, Ireland. The vill ...
that is located approximately 30 minutes away.
People
Some well-known people from Ballymote and the surrounding areas include:
*''
Feldmarschall''
The 3rd Earl of Carlingford (1639–1704). Born in Ballymote, Lord Carlingford became the head of an old
Hiberno-Norman family. He was a senior-ranking commander in the
Imperial Army and the
Army of the Holy Roman Empire
, image = Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor with haloes (1400-1806).svg
, image_size = 150
, caption =
, dates = 1422–1806
, country ...
, the armed forces of the
Habsburg dynasty.
*
Michael Corcoran, brigadier general of the
69th Infantry Regiment during the
American Civil War.
*
Paddy Killoran
Patrick J. Killoran (1903–1965) was an Irish traditional fiddle player, bandleader and recording artist. He is regarded, along with James Morrison and Michael Coleman, as one of the finest exponents of the south Sligo fiddle style in the "go ...
(1903–1965), one of the finest exponents of the South Sligo Style of
Fiddle playing (born near Ballymote).
*
Sophia McColgan, recipient of the 1998
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
Person of the Year __NOTOC__
Person of the Year or Man of the Year is an award given to an individual by any type of organization. Most often, it is given by a newspaper or other news outlet to annually recognize a public person. Such awards have typically been awa ...
award on behalf of her family for her courage in bringing a familial abuse story to public attention.
*
John Perry, a
Teachta Dála and
Minister of State for Small Business in the
31st Dáil
31 (thirty-one) is the natural number following 30 and preceding 32. It is a prime number.
In mathematics
31 is the 11th prime number. It is a superprime and a self prime (after 3, 5, and 7), as no integer added up to its base 10 digits ...
.
*
Eamon Scanlon
Eamon Scanlon (born 20 September 1954) is a former Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as a Teachta Dála (TD) from 2007 to 2011 and 2016 to 2020. He was a Senator for the Agricultural Panel from 2002 to 2007.
Personal life
Scanlon is a na ...
, a Teachta Dála in the
32nd Dáil and a
Senator in the
22nd Seanad.
*''
Feldmarschall''
Nicholas ''Graf'' von Taaffe and 6th Viscount Taaffe (1685–1769). Born in Ballymote, the ''
Graf'' was a cousin of
The 3rd Earl of Carlingford. He was a senior-ranking military commander in the
Holy Roman Empire (also known as the
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...
).
*
James Sreenan former
Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces
The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (COS) ( ga, Ceann Foirne na bhFórsaí Cosanta) is charged with the executive management of the Irish Defence Forces, and is the most senior military officer of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps bra ...
*
Brother Walfrid
Andrew Kerins ( ga, Aindreas Ó Céirín; 18 May 1840 – 17 April 1915), known by his religious name Brother Walfrid, was an Irish Marist Brother and is best remembered for being the founder of Scottish football club Celtic.
Life
Walfrid was ...
, the founder of
Glasgow Celtic Football Club.
See also
*
List of towns and villages in the Republic of Ireland
*
List of market houses in the Republic of Ireland
*
Henry Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe
Heinrich Graf von Taaffe, 12th Viscount Taaffe (22 May 1872 – 25 July 1928) was an Austrian landowner who until 1919 held hereditary titles from two different countries: he was a Count (''Graf'') in the nobility of Austria and a viscount in th ...
References
Notes
Footnotes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Further reading
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Ballymote Town WebsiteBallymote Parish
{{Authority control
Towns and villages in County Sligo