Ballaghmore
Encyclopedia
Ballaghmore is a small village situated on the western side of County Laois
, Ireland
, southwest of Portlaoise.
The main industry in Ballaghmore is farming. The village has a thriving community, with a hurling
club, Kyle GAA
and a local church. Family names from this area include Keogh, O'Grady, England, Gilmartin, Rigney, Delaney and Maher.
It is mainly known for Ballaghmore Castle which is situated in a truly beautiful landscape, with excellent walking and mountain climbing opportunities. The caste derived its name from the Bealach Mor, the ancient road to Munster
on which the castle is located.
Ballaghmore Castle was built in 1480 by the Irish chieftain MacGiollaphadraig, translated as Son of the Servant of Patrick and nowadays conveniently called Fitzpatrick. Like many other castles Ballaghmore Castle was damaged by Cromwellian forces in 1647
during the Laois-Offaly Plantation
.
A Mr Ely restored the castle in 1836 and found a hoard of gold on the land in the process. Mr Ely was killed by an angry farmer and never lived in the castle. The uninhabited building was used as granary and fell in disrepair until it was bought by its present owner in 1990.
which is carved in a corner stone of the outer front-facing wall.
Until the sixteenth century most Irish churches and castles were protected from evil by a statue or carving of Sheela-na-Gig. Sheela-na-Gig is depicted as a plain ugly, half-dead, woman with contorted face and fully exposed vagina. The emphasis on the female reproduction organs in combination with her death-like appearance is associated with the cycle of birth and death. Sheela-na-Gig is known to be a Celtic fertility goddess, but that is about all we know. Scholars assume that Sheela-na-Gig is imported from Mesopotamia where the term nu-gug refers to some sort of sacred prostitutes.
Sheela-na-Gig figures were common in Ireland and Britain, but just a few of them survived the Victorian nineteenth century.
County Laois
County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, southwest of Portlaoise.
The main industry in Ballaghmore is farming. The village has a thriving community, with a hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
club, Kyle GAA
Kyle GAA
Kyle GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association hurling club in County Laois, Ireland.Located near Ballaghmore on the County Laois-County Tipperary border, Kyle won its only Laois Senior Hurling Championship title in 1951....
and a local church. Family names from this area include Keogh, O'Grady, England, Gilmartin, Rigney, Delaney and Maher.
It is mainly known for Ballaghmore Castle which is situated in a truly beautiful landscape, with excellent walking and mountain climbing opportunities. The caste derived its name from the Bealach Mor, the ancient road to Munster
Munster
Munster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the south of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial purposes...
on which the castle is located.
Ballaghmore Castle was built in 1480 by the Irish chieftain MacGiollaphadraig, translated as Son of the Servant of Patrick and nowadays conveniently called Fitzpatrick. Like many other castles Ballaghmore Castle was damaged by Cromwellian forces in 1647
1647 in Ireland
-Events:*July - James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde surrenders Dublin to parliamentary forces under Michael Jones.*August - Battle of Dungan's Hill, Confederate Ireland army intercepted on a march towards Dublin and destroyed by Parliamentary army....
during the Laois-Offaly Plantation
Plantations of Ireland
Plantations in 16th and 17th century Ireland were the confiscation of land by the English crown and the colonisation of this land with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands....
.
A Mr Ely restored the castle in 1836 and found a hoard of gold on the land in the process. Mr Ely was killed by an angry farmer and never lived in the castle. The uninhabited building was used as granary and fell in disrepair until it was bought by its present owner in 1990.
Sheela na Gig
A very interesting feature of the Ballaghmore Castle is the Sheela na GigSheela Na Gig
Sheela na gigs are figurative carvings of naked women displaying an exaggerated vulva. They are found on churches, castles and other buildings, particularly in Ireland and Britain, sometimes together with male figures. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County...
which is carved in a corner stone of the outer front-facing wall.
Until the sixteenth century most Irish churches and castles were protected from evil by a statue or carving of Sheela-na-Gig. Sheela-na-Gig is depicted as a plain ugly, half-dead, woman with contorted face and fully exposed vagina. The emphasis on the female reproduction organs in combination with her death-like appearance is associated with the cycle of birth and death. Sheela-na-Gig is known to be a Celtic fertility goddess, but that is about all we know. Scholars assume that Sheela-na-Gig is imported from Mesopotamia where the term nu-gug refers to some sort of sacred prostitutes.
Sheela-na-Gig figures were common in Ireland and Britain, but just a few of them survived the Victorian nineteenth century.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland