Ballygawley, County Sligo
Encyclopedia
Ballygawley is a village in County Sligo, Ireland
. It is located close to Union Wood, approximately 9 km (5.6 mi) south of Sligo
town near to main Sligo-Dublin road, the N4.
include Calliach a Vera, Sliabh Deane, Sliabh Dargan and Aghamore Far. All these four have cairn
s at their summits. The hills are very ancient and are composed of a metamorphic rock
called psammitic paragneiss
. The cairns are viewed by archaeologists such as Stefan Bergh NUIG as part of the Landscape of Monuments which extend through County Sligo, and include Knocknarea
, Carrowmore
and Carrowkeel
. Near to Calliach a Vera is a curious monument consisting of three stones, known locally as The Thief, the Boy and the Cow. Extensive work including earthmoving, is being carried on by the ESB
in these hills at present.
Ballygawley village has two Pubs and two Shops. One is connected with a petrol station. It also has a newly built hairdresser and a post office.
On the outskirts of the village there are two hotels, one being Castle Dargan with an on site Golf Course and Health Spa and Markree Castle with its archery range and stables.
Connecting parishes with Ballygawley are Sooey, Collooney and Ballintogher.
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,...
. It is located close to Union Wood, approximately 9 km (5.6 mi) south of Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
town near to main Sligo-Dublin road, the N4.
Sport
The hotel and golfcourse set around the ruins of the ancient castle Castle Dargan was opened in Ballygawley in 2005. The golf course was designed by Darren Clarke and is set in 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) of mature woodlands.Places of interest
Ballygawley Mountains, a low mountain range which is an extension of the Ox MountainsOx Mountains
The Ox Mountains are a mountain range in County Sligo on the west coast of Ireland. They are also known as 'St Patrick's Mountain after St. Patrick, as he laboured much on it, raised churches on its slopes, and left his name to some of its wells, as for instance that of Dromard' . The highest peak...
include Calliach a Vera, Sliabh Deane, Sliabh Dargan and Aghamore Far. All these four have cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s at their summits. The hills are very ancient and are composed of a metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock is the transformation of an existing rock type, the protolith, in a process called metamorphism, which means "change in form". The protolith is subjected to heat and pressure causing profound physical and/or chemical change...
called psammitic paragneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
. The cairns are viewed by archaeologists such as Stefan Bergh NUIG as part of the Landscape of Monuments which extend through County Sligo, and include Knocknarea
Knocknarea
Knocknarea is a large hill west of Sligo town in County Sligo, Republic of Ireland.The high limestone hill is visually striking, as it is monolithic in appearance and stands in a prominent position on the Cúil Irra peninsula between the bays of Sligo and Ballysadare. At the summit is a large...
, Carrowmore
Carrowmore
Carrowmore, County Sligo is one of the four major passage tomb cemeteries in Ireland. It is located at the centre of a prehistoric ritual landscape on the Cúil Irra Peninsula in County Sligo in Ireland....
and Carrowkeel
Carrowkeel Megalithic Cemetery
Carrowkeel is a Neolithic passage tomb cemetery in the south of County Sligo, near Boyle, County Roscommon. An Cheathrú Chaol in Irish means 'the Narrow Quarter'. Circumstantial Carbon 14 dating places the tombs at between 5400 and 5100 years old, so that they predate the Pyramids on Egypt's Giza...
. Near to Calliach a Vera is a curious monument consisting of three stones, known locally as The Thief, the Boy and the Cow. Extensive work including earthmoving, is being carried on by the ESB
Electricity Supply Board
The Electricity Supply Board , is a semi-state electricity company in Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as a commercial semi-state concern in a liberalised and competitive market...
in these hills at present.
Ballygawley village has two Pubs and two Shops. One is connected with a petrol station. It also has a newly built hairdresser and a post office.
On the outskirts of the village there are two hotels, one being Castle Dargan with an on site Golf Course and Health Spa and Markree Castle with its archery range and stables.
Connecting parishes with Ballygawley are Sooey, Collooney and Ballintogher.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland