Ballycotton
Encyclopedia
Ballycotton is a village in County Cork
, Ireland
, situated about 25 miles east of Cork city
. It is a famous fishing village and has given its name to the folk band Ballycotton. The village is set on a rocky-ledge overlooking Ballycotton Bay and its sandy beach that stretches for about 25 km east to Knockadoon Head. The current village is actually a re-settlement of an older village which is now entirely underwater. Ballycotton experiences severe coastal erosion with metres of land crumbling into the sea every few years. It is a site of international research interest on coastal erosion.
lifeboat
station was established in 1858 even though medals had been awarded for rescues that took place in 1826 and 1829. The most famous rescue by the Ballycotton lifeboat took place in 1936. A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Patrick Sliney, Silver Medals to Second Coxswain John Lane Walsh and Motor Mechanic Thomas Sliney, and Bronze Medals to Crew Members Michael Coffey Walsh, John Shea Sliney, William Sliney and Thomas Walsh for the service on February 11 when the Daunt Rock lightship broke away from her moorings. The seas were so mountainous that spray was flying over the lantern of the lighthouse 196 ft high. The Barnet class lifeboat, was away from the station for 79 hours and at sea for 49 hours; the crew had no food for 25 hours and they only had three hours sleep. The eight crew were rescued after the lifeboat went alongside the vessel more than a dozen times. This was one of the most exhausting and gallant services in the history of the RNLI.
Ballycotton was the scene of a major movie called 'Divine Rapture' in summer 1995 which starred Marlon Brando
, Johnny Depp
and Debra Winger
. Unfortunately, after 2 weeks the film production team went bankrupt and the movie was never made.
The village now plays host to an annual arts festival organised by the local community. Named the 8 Degrees West Arts Festival, after the line of longitude which runs between the island and the mainland. The festival is held on the first weekend of June and is now entering its forth year. Last year included arts workshops, and performances by nationally acclaimed performers including Declan Sinnott
and Snatch Comedy.
Now in its 32nd year, the Ballycotton Road Race attracts runners from around Ireland and abroad to its 10 Mile circuit of country backroads, each year the race is over subscribed many times over.
The local area is home to many artists and craftspeople included woodworkers, painters, potters, writers and musicians who regularly exhibit at the Stephen Pearce Gallery in Shanagarry
.
Ballycotton has a scenic cliff walk extending westward to Ballytrasna. The full walk is about 9 km. along a goat-track, with safety fencing where it is needed. Cycling and Horse Riding are prohibited. There is plenty of bench seating placed at the better viewing points. The walk provides excellent opportunities to take photographs of the cliffs and seascapes and is rich in wildlife at any time of the year. The cliff walk is used annually, in March, for a charity walk in support of the Children of Chernobyl.
Wildlife is plentiful in the area, with seals and dolphins being regular harbour visitors. Whales of various types can be seen from the cliffs in December and January. The nearby beach at Ballynamona is on a wildlife sanctuary and herons, oystercatchers and sandhoppers are regularly spotted.
in Kufic
script which may be interpreted as As God wills, In the name of Allah or We have repented to God. It is held in the British Museum's brooch collection, and the provenance is: "said to have been found in or near Ballycotton Bog" (hence the variant spelling of the artefact compared to the modern place name). As an early indicator of possible links between the British Isles and early Islam, the cross has been cited in academic papers and histories of Islam's presence in Northern Europe in the late Dark Ages, and on speculative history websites and forums.
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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,...
, situated about 25 miles east of Cork city
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. It is a famous fishing village and has given its name to the folk band Ballycotton. The village is set on a rocky-ledge overlooking Ballycotton Bay and its sandy beach that stretches for about 25 km east to Knockadoon Head. The current village is actually a re-settlement of an older village which is now entirely underwater. Ballycotton experiences severe coastal erosion with metres of land crumbling into the sea every few years. It is a site of international research interest on coastal erosion.
Lighthouse
Situated on the steep sloped Ballycotton Island approximately 2 km from the village, the lighthouse was commissioned in 1851 when the keeper and his family lived on the island and their children rowed to school weather permitting. By 1899 the four keepers were housed in the town with keepers rotating duty at the lighthouse. In 1975 the light was converted to electricity and it was automated on 28 March 1992 when the lighthouse keepers were withdrawn.Lifeboat
The RNLIRoyal National Lifeboat Institution
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution is a charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of Great Britain, Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, as well as on selected inland waterways....
lifeboat
Lifeboat (rescue)
A rescue lifeboat is a boat rescue craft which is used to attend a vessel in distress, or its survivors, to rescue crewmen and passengers. It can be hand pulled, sail powered or powered by an engine...
station was established in 1858 even though medals had been awarded for rescues that took place in 1826 and 1829. The most famous rescue by the Ballycotton lifeboat took place in 1936. A Gold Medal was awarded to Coxswain Patrick Sliney, Silver Medals to Second Coxswain John Lane Walsh and Motor Mechanic Thomas Sliney, and Bronze Medals to Crew Members Michael Coffey Walsh, John Shea Sliney, William Sliney and Thomas Walsh for the service on February 11 when the Daunt Rock lightship broke away from her moorings. The seas were so mountainous that spray was flying over the lantern of the lighthouse 196 ft high. The Barnet class lifeboat, was away from the station for 79 hours and at sea for 49 hours; the crew had no food for 25 hours and they only had three hours sleep. The eight crew were rescued after the lifeboat went alongside the vessel more than a dozen times. This was one of the most exhausting and gallant services in the history of the RNLI.
Local attractions
Ballycotton is also well known as the home of many fine public houses including the Blackbird of Ballycotton, Lynch's or the Inn by the Harbour, The Schooner and McGraths. The Blackbird was known as a good music venue but,sadly, closed on January 1.2011. McGraths is a great example of a traditional Irish "Local".Ballycotton was the scene of a major movie called 'Divine Rapture' in summer 1995 which starred Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
, Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
and Debra Winger
Debra Winger
Mary Debra Winger is an American actress. Three-times an Oscar nominee, she received awards for acting in Terms of Endearment, for which she won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress in 1983, and in A Dangerous Woman, for which she won the Tokyo International Film Festival...
. Unfortunately, after 2 weeks the film production team went bankrupt and the movie was never made.
The village now plays host to an annual arts festival organised by the local community. Named the 8 Degrees West Arts Festival, after the line of longitude which runs between the island and the mainland. The festival is held on the first weekend of June and is now entering its forth year. Last year included arts workshops, and performances by nationally acclaimed performers including Declan Sinnott
Declan Sinnott
Declan Sinnott is an Irish musician and producer.Originally from Wexford, where his family ran a record shop in John Street, he came to Dublin in the late sixties. Around 1970 he was a member of the poetry-and-music group Tara Telephone, in which he composed, sang, and played guitar...
and Snatch Comedy.
Now in its 32nd year, the Ballycotton Road Race attracts runners from around Ireland and abroad to its 10 Mile circuit of country backroads, each year the race is over subscribed many times over.
The local area is home to many artists and craftspeople included woodworkers, painters, potters, writers and musicians who regularly exhibit at the Stephen Pearce Gallery in Shanagarry
Shanagarry
Shanagarry is a village in east County Cork in Ireland. The village is located along Ireland's south coast, and is known for the Ballymaloe Cookery School, the home and gardens of celebrity chef Darina Allen...
.
Ballycotton has a scenic cliff walk extending westward to Ballytrasna. The full walk is about 9 km. along a goat-track, with safety fencing where it is needed. Cycling and Horse Riding are prohibited. There is plenty of bench seating placed at the better viewing points. The walk provides excellent opportunities to take photographs of the cliffs and seascapes and is rich in wildlife at any time of the year. The cliff walk is used annually, in March, for a charity walk in support of the Children of Chernobyl.
Wildlife is plentiful in the area, with seals and dolphins being regular harbour visitors. Whales of various types can be seen from the cliffs in December and January. The nearby beach at Ballynamona is on a wildlife sanctuary and herons, oystercatchers and sandhoppers are regularly spotted.
Ballycotton cross
In 1875 a local antiquarian, Philip T. Gardner, donated the Ballycotton cross to the British Museum. It is a 9th-century jewelled Celtic cross with a centre glass jewel with an inscription of the BismillahBismillah
There are multiple uses of Bismillah :* Bismillah is first word of the Basmala phrase of Islam.* Bismillah , born in Oruzgan, Afghanistan, in 1952...
in Kufic
Kufic
Kufic is the oldest calligraphic form of the various Arabic scripts and consists of a modified form of the old Nabataean script. Its name is derived from the city of Kufa, Iraq, although it was known in Mesopotamia at least 100 years before the foundation of Kufa. At the time of the emergence of...
script which may be interpreted as As God wills, In the name of Allah or We have repented to God. It is held in the British Museum's brooch collection, and the provenance is: "said to have been found in or near Ballycotton Bog" (hence the variant spelling of the artefact compared to the modern place name). As an early indicator of possible links between the British Isles and early Islam, the cross has been cited in academic papers and histories of Islam's presence in Northern Europe in the late Dark Ages, and on speculative history websites and forums.
See also
- Lighthouses in IrelandLighthouses in IrelandThis is a list of lighthouses in Ireland. The Commissioners of Irish Lights are responsible for the majority of marine navigation aids around the island though a small number are maintained by local harbour authorities...
- List of towns and villages in the Ireland
- List of RNLI stations
External links
- Ballycotton 10 Annual 10 mile road race
- Ballycotton Bay area website
- Ballycotton Development Company Tourism, sports and local, activities development organisation.
- www.britishmuseum.org
- Ballycotton lifeboat station
- Ballycotton lighthouse Commissioners of Irish Lights
- Ballycotton lighthouse history Commissioners of Irish Lights
- Inn By The Harbour - Bar, Restaurant, Bed & Breakfast