Freemount () 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 ...

in Ireland. It lies on the

River Allow The River Allow (; ga, Abhainn Ealla) is a river in Ireland, flowing through County Limerick and County Cork. Course The Allow rises in the Mullaghareirk Mountains and forms part of the County Limerick–County Cork border before flowing east ...

, which is crossed by Allow Bridge (dated 1834) on the R578 regional road. As of the 2016 census, Freemount village had a population of 159 people.

History and name

The village and surrounding

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 origi ...

takes its original Irish name, ''Cillín an Chrónáin'', from an early Christian church which was located on an earlier

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 ...

site. The village's later English name, Freemount, was first recorded in the mid-18th century, and reputedly associated with the Freeman family of nearby Castlecor House. The Freeman family purchased Castlecor House, in neighbouring

Kilbrin Kilbrin () is a civil parish in the barony of Duhallow, County Cork, Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western ...

, in the early 18th century.

Amenities

The Catholic church in the village is dedicated to Saint Michael and is in the Diocese of Cloyne. A plaque on the facade of the church is dated 1842. The local Gaelic Athletic Association club,

Freemount GAA Freemount GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the village of Freemount in the north-west of County Cork, Ireland which forms part of the parish of Milford, Freemount and Tullylease. The club plays in the Duhallow division and ...

, competes in the Duhallow division. As of 2021, Freemount's national (primary) school had approximately 80 pupils enrolled.

References

Towns and villages in County Cork {{Cork-geo-stub