Ballylongford
Encyclopedia
Ballylongford is a village
near Listowel in north County Kerry
, Ireland
.
, close to Carrigafoyle Island and on the coast road between Tarbert
and the seaside town of Ballybunion
.
The farmland is suited to dairying and this is a mainstay of the local economy along with fishing and tourism.
Three km to the north, on Carrigafoyle Island, stands the castle and anchorage commemorated in the name of the village. For centuries, Ballylongford shared the political, military and religious fate of the castle and the nearby Franciscan
Lislaughtin Abbey.
Carrigafoyle Castle was built between 1490 and 1500 by Conchuir Liath Uí Conchuir (Connor Liath O’Connor) using a design borrowed from the Normans
. In addition to fine windows and archways, it features a spiral staircase of 104 steps that visitors can climb to this very day. The castle, now a listed National Monument
, stands almost 30 m high and its battlements provide stunning views of the estuary and the monastic Scattery Island in County Clare
. An interesting feature of the castle is a dock, which allowed boats to tie up safely, possible because the castle stands between the high and low water marks on the shore.
The O’Connors of Kerry held political sway from this strategic base which allowed them to “inspect” ships passing to and from the port of Limerick. Thus “taxation” and smuggling were the main sources of income. The castle was fortified and the narrow spiral staircase ascends clockwise thus disadvantaging any attacker, particularly right-handed ones.
In 1580, during the Second Desmond Rebellion
, the castle was defended by an Irish, Spanish and Italian garrison of up to seventy led by the Italian Captain Julian. The Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle
by Elizabethan forces under Lord Justice Sir William Pelham
began on Palm Sunday
. After two days, it was breached by cannon fire and taken, following which the surviving defenders were all hanged. The cannon breach is clearly visible to this day.
Towards the end of the Nine Years War, taking advantage of the distraction of the English, Chieftain John O’Connor briefly re-occupied the castle only to be put out again in 1603 by George Carew
, the Governor of Munster.
King James restored the castle to the O’Connors in 1607 but in 1651 during the mid century Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
, it was again captured, this time by Cromwellian
forces under Edmund Ludlow
. Ludlow was Henry Ireton’s
second in command and, after Ireton's death, commander in chief in Ireland. Ludlow ensured that the castle could never again be fortified and garrisoned by knocking the outer defensive walls.
The O’Connor lands were confiscated under the Act for the Settlement of Ireland
of 1652 and given to William Sandes of Cumberland, who had arrived in Ireland with Oliver Cromwell in 1649. Following the restoration of the monarchy
the lands were subsequently granted to Trinity College Dublin in 1666. The College remained the principal landlord in the Ballylongford area up to the passage of the Land Act in 1903. Indeed, some land titles are still vested in the college to this day.
On the other side of the creek, the O’Connors also built the Friary of Lislaughtin in 1478, known locally as Lislaughtin Abbey (Lios Laichtin, meaning Lachtin's Dwelling). St Lachtin was the first to preach Christianity
in the area. Two of the O'Connor chiefs are buried within its walls.
The Abbey was raided twice by English forces coinciding with the military action against Carrigafoyle Castle, above. The Abbey was dissolved in the 17th century. A priceless processional cross, probably buried by the friars for safekeeping, survived the raids and was later discovered by a farmer. This processional cross, known as Lislaughtin Cross, is now on display in the National Museum
in Dublin. Today, the Abbey and its grounds serve as the main Roman Catholic cemetery
for the town.
The village in its present form dates from the end of the eighteenth century, though a bridge over the ford existed long before then. The old bridge destroyed by flood in 1926. A reinforced concrete bridge was completed in 1930 and stands to this day.
Photographs taken at the turn of the century show the village to have been largely made up of thatched houses, but many of these were burned by the Black and Tans
during the War of Independence
.
at the time of the Reformation
, and was used as the parish church until 1829, when a new church was built on the opposite side of the road. Glebe House was the rectory
for this new church and today serves as a guesthouse on the Ballybunion road.
Michael O’Rahilly
, (The O’Rahilly), prominent in the Gaelic League, and one of the founders of the Irish Volunteers
in 1914 was born in the village in 1875. He was killed while retreating from the GPO in Dublin during the Easter Rising
of 1916. Today, a plaque marks the house and a life–size portrait, presented to the village by his family, can be seen in Michael Finucane’s Public House, which was formerly the O’Rahilly family’s business premises. As a further commemoration, the Ballylongford Gaelic football
Club is known as "O’Rahilly’s Gaelic football Club".
Brendan Kennelly
, one of Ireland’s most popular poets and novelists, was born in Ballylongford in 1936. There is a festival celebrating Kennelly’s work each August featuring poetry, workshops, theatre, music, dance, literary and other events. Kennelly’s Bar, his boyhood home, is popular with locals and visitors alike.
Detective Garda Jerry McCabe
, a member of the Garda Síochána
, the police force of the Republic of Ireland
. McCabe was killed in Adare
, County Limerick
on June 7, 1996, by members of the Provisional IRA
during the attempted robbery of a post office.
Father Malachi Martin
Ph.D was a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit. Author of sixty books on religious and geo-political topics, he was a controversial commentator for the Vatican and other Catholic matters.
Ltd, in relation to 281 acres (1.1 km²) of the Company’s 600 acres (2.4 km²) landbank at Tarbert-Ballylongford, Co Kerry. Shannon Development had designated this site for deep-water projects and has been actively marketing the potential of the site to an international business audience for many years. The site is about 25 km from the national gas pipeline grid.
Under the agreement, Shannon LNG Ltd, an Irish subsidiary of Hess LNG Limited, is proposing to build a €400 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal. Significant preparatory work is already underway, including site investigations. Planning permission for the terminal was granted in 2008 by An Bord Pleanála.
The project has the potential to make a real difference to long term energy costs as well as delivering significant economic, environmental and employment benefits. This major development has the potential to secure Ireland’s long-term supply of natural gas and to provide an important economic boost in North Kerry.
In November 2006, Shannon Development advertised for expressions of interest for further potential projects for the remaining 300 acres (1.2 km²) of its Tarbert-Ballylongford landbank.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
near Listowel in north County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Geography
The village is situated at the top of a creek of Ballylongford Bay on the tidal estuary of the River ShannonRiver Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, close to Carrigafoyle Island and on the coast road between Tarbert
Tarbert, County Kerry
Tarbert is a town in the north of County Kerry, with woodland to the south and the Shannon estuary to the north. It lies on the N69 coast road that runs along the estuary from Limerick before turning inland at Tarbert towards Listowel, and has two schools Tarbert Primary and Tarbert...
and the seaside town of Ballybunion
Ballybunion
Ballybunion or Ballybunnion is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, Ireland, from the town of Listowel. There are castle ruins near the town, although all that remains is a single wall, and two golf courses in the area including the famous Ballybunion Golf Club, a top class Links...
.
The farmland is suited to dairying and this is a mainstay of the local economy along with fishing and tourism.
Three km to the north, on Carrigafoyle Island, stands the castle and anchorage commemorated in the name of the village. For centuries, Ballylongford shared the political, military and religious fate of the castle and the nearby Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Lislaughtin Abbey.
History
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
. In addition to fine windows and archways, it features a spiral staircase of 104 steps that visitors can climb to this very day. The castle, now a listed National Monument
National Monument (Ireland)
The Irish state has officially approved the following List of National Monuments of Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland, a structure or site may be deemed to be a "National Monument", and therefore worthy of state protection, if it is of national importance...
, stands almost 30 m high and its battlements provide stunning views of the estuary and the monastic Scattery Island in County Clare
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
. An interesting feature of the castle is a dock, which allowed boats to tie up safely, possible because the castle stands between the high and low water marks on the shore.
The O’Connors of Kerry held political sway from this strategic base which allowed them to “inspect” ships passing to and from the port of Limerick. Thus “taxation” and smuggling were the main sources of income. The castle was fortified and the narrow spiral staircase ascends clockwise thus disadvantaging any attacker, particularly right-handed ones.
In 1580, during the Second Desmond Rebellion
Second Desmond Rebellion
The Second Desmond rebellion was the more widespread and bloody of the two Desmond Rebellions launched by the FitzGerald dynasty of Desmond in Munster, Ireland, against English rule in Ireland...
, the castle was defended by an Irish, Spanish and Italian garrison of up to seventy led by the Italian Captain Julian. The Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle
Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle
The Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle took place at Easter in 1580 near modern-day Ballylongford, County Kerry, Ireland on the southern shores of the River Shannon. The engagement was part of the English crown's campaign against the forces of Gerald Fitzgerald, 15th Earl of Desmond during the Second...
by Elizabethan forces under Lord Justice Sir William Pelham
William Pelham (lord justice)
Sir William Pelham was an English soldier and lord justice of Ireland.-Life:He was third son of Sir William Pelham of Laughton, Sussex, by his second wife, Mary, daughter of William Sandys, 1st Baron Sandys of the Vyne near Basingstoke in Hampshire...
began on Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday is a Christian moveable feast that falls on the Sunday before Easter. The feast commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, an event mentioned in all four Canonical Gospels. ....
. After two days, it was breached by cannon fire and taken, following which the surviving defenders were all hanged. The cannon breach is clearly visible to this day.
Towards the end of the Nine Years War, taking advantage of the distraction of the English, Chieftain John O’Connor briefly re-occupied the castle only to be put out again in 1603 by George Carew
George Carew
George Carew was an English diplomat and historian.-Life:He was the second son of Thomas Carew of Antony and brother of Richard Carew. He was educated at Oxford and entered the Inns of Court before travelling abroad. At the recommendation of Queen Elizabeth I, who conferred on him the honour of a...
, the Governor of Munster.
King James restored the castle to the O’Connors in 1607 but in 1651 during the mid century Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland
The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland refers to the conquest of Ireland by the forces of the English Parliament, led by Oliver Cromwell during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. Cromwell landed in Ireland with his New Model Army on behalf of England's Rump Parliament in 1649...
, it was again captured, this time by Cromwellian
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
forces under Edmund Ludlow
Edmund Ludlow
Edmund Ludlow was an English parliamentarian, best known for his involvement in the execution of Charles I, and for his Memoirs, which were published posthumously in a rewritten form and which have become a major source for historians of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. After service in the English...
. Ludlow was Henry Ireton’s
Henry Ireton
Henry Ireton was an English general in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. He was the son-in-law of Oliver Cromwell.-Early life:...
second in command and, after Ireton's death, commander in chief in Ireland. Ludlow ensured that the castle could never again be fortified and garrisoned by knocking the outer defensive walls.
The O’Connor lands were confiscated under the Act for the Settlement of Ireland
Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652
The Act for the Settlement of Ireland imposed penalties including death and land confiscation against participants and bystanders of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and subsequent unrest.-Background:...
of 1652 and given to William Sandes of Cumberland, who had arrived in Ireland with Oliver Cromwell in 1649. Following the restoration of the monarchy
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
the lands were subsequently granted to Trinity College Dublin in 1666. The College remained the principal landlord in the Ballylongford area up to the passage of the Land Act in 1903. Indeed, some land titles are still vested in the college to this day.
On the other side of the creek, the O’Connors also built the Friary of Lislaughtin in 1478, known locally as Lislaughtin Abbey (Lios Laichtin, meaning Lachtin's Dwelling). St Lachtin was the first to preach Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
in the area. Two of the O'Connor chiefs are buried within its walls.
The Abbey was raided twice by English forces coinciding with the military action against Carrigafoyle Castle, above. The Abbey was dissolved in the 17th century. A priceless processional cross, probably buried by the friars for safekeeping, survived the raids and was later discovered by a farmer. This processional cross, known as Lislaughtin Cross, is now on display in the National Museum
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland is the national museum in Ireland. It has three branches in Dublin and one in County Mayo, with a strong emphasis on Irish art, culture and natural history.-Archaeology:...
in Dublin. Today, the Abbey and its grounds serve as the main Roman Catholic cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
for the town.
The village in its present form dates from the end of the eighteenth century, though a bridge over the ford existed long before then. The old bridge destroyed by flood in 1926. A reinforced concrete bridge was completed in 1930 and stands to this day.
Photographs taken at the turn of the century show the village to have been largely made up of thatched houses, but many of these were burned by the Black and Tans
Black and Tans
The Black and Tans was one of two newly recruited bodies, composed largely of British World War I veterans, employed by the Royal Irish Constabulary as Temporary Constables from 1920 to 1921 to suppress revolution in Ireland...
during the War of Independence
Irish War of Independence
The Irish War of Independence , Anglo-Irish War, Black and Tan War, or Tan War was a guerrilla war mounted by the Irish Republican Army against the British government and its forces in Ireland. It began in January 1919, following the Irish Republic's declaration of independence. Both sides agreed...
.
People from Ballylongford
Horatio, and later Lord, Kitchener was born in Ballylongford in 1850 and baptised in the parish church of Aghavallin (Achadh Chonbhail, meaning the field of the hermitage). Dating from the 14th century and originally Roman Catholic, the church came into the possession of the Church of IrelandChurch of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
at the time of the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, and was used as the parish church until 1829, when a new church was built on the opposite side of the road. Glebe House was the rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
for this new church and today serves as a guesthouse on the Ballybunion road.
Michael O’Rahilly
The O'Rahilly
Michael Joseph O'Rahilly , self-described as The O'Rahilly was an Irish republican who took part in the Easter Rising, during which he was killed in the fighting.-Early life:...
, (The O’Rahilly), prominent in the Gaelic League, and one of the founders of the Irish Volunteers
Irish Volunteers
The Irish Volunteers was a military organisation established in 1913 by Irish nationalists. It was ostensibly formed in response to the formation of the Ulster Volunteers in 1912, and its declared primary aim was "to secure and maintain the rights and liberties common to the whole people of Ireland"...
in 1914 was born in the village in 1875. He was killed while retreating from the GPO in Dublin during the Easter Rising
Easter Rising
The Easter Rising was an insurrection staged in Ireland during Easter Week, 1916. The Rising was mounted by Irish republicans with the aims of ending British rule in Ireland and establishing the Irish Republic at a time when the British Empire was heavily engaged in the First World War...
of 1916. Today, a plaque marks the house and a life–size portrait, presented to the village by his family, can be seen in Michael Finucane’s Public House, which was formerly the O’Rahilly family’s business premises. As a further commemoration, the Ballylongford Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
Club is known as "O’Rahilly’s Gaelic football Club".
Brendan Kennelly
Brendan Kennelly
Brendan Kennelly is a popular Irish poet and novelist. He was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College Dublin until 2005. He is now retired and occasionally tours the USA as university lecturer.-Early life:...
, one of Ireland’s most popular poets and novelists, was born in Ballylongford in 1936. There is a festival celebrating Kennelly’s work each August featuring poetry, workshops, theatre, music, dance, literary and other events. Kennelly’s Bar, his boyhood home, is popular with locals and visitors alike.
Detective Garda Jerry McCabe
Jerry McCabe
Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was a member of the Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. McCabe was murdered in Adare, County Limerick on 7 June 1996, by members of the paramilitary group, the Provisional IRA, during the attempted robbery of a post office van.-Early...
, a member of the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
, the police force of the Republic of 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,...
. McCabe was killed in Adare
Adare
-General information:Adare's origin is as a settlement by a crossing point on the river Maigue. It is situated 16 km from Limerick City. Renowned as one of Ireland's prettiest villages, Adare is designated as a Heritage Town by the Irish government...
, County Limerick
County Limerick
It is thought that humans had established themselves in the Lough Gur area of the county as early as 3000 BC, while megalithic remains found at Duntryleague date back further to 3500 BC...
on June 7, 1996, by members of the Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
during the attempted robbery of a post office.
Father Malachi Martin
Malachi Martin
Malachi Brendan Martin Ph.D. was a Catholic priest, theologian, writer on the Catholic Church, and professor at the Vatican's Pontifical Biblical Institute. He held three doctorates and was the sole author of sixteen books covering religious and geopolitical topics, which were published in eight...
Ph.D was a Roman Catholic priest and a former Jesuit. Author of sixty books on religious and geo-political topics, he was a controversial commentator for the Vatican and other Catholic matters.
Village Development
In April 2006, Shannon Development entered into an option agreement with Shannon LNGShannon LNG
Shannon LNG is a proposed Liquefied natural gas receiving terminal on the Shannon Estuary near Ballylongford and Tarbert in County Kerry to be built and operated by Shannon LNG Ltd, a company owned 50/50 by Hess LNG a subsidiary of the US multinational Hess Corporation and US hydrocarbons trading...
Ltd, in relation to 281 acres (1.1 km²) of the Company’s 600 acres (2.4 km²) landbank at Tarbert-Ballylongford, Co Kerry. Shannon Development had designated this site for deep-water projects and has been actively marketing the potential of the site to an international business audience for many years. The site is about 25 km from the national gas pipeline grid.
Under the agreement, Shannon LNG Ltd, an Irish subsidiary of Hess LNG Limited, is proposing to build a €400 million liquefied natural gas (LNG) receiving terminal. Significant preparatory work is already underway, including site investigations. Planning permission for the terminal was granted in 2008 by An Bord Pleanála.
The project has the potential to make a real difference to long term energy costs as well as delivering significant economic, environmental and employment benefits. This major development has the potential to secure Ireland’s long-term supply of natural gas and to provide an important economic boost in North Kerry.
In November 2006, Shannon Development advertised for expressions of interest for further potential projects for the remaining 300 acres (1.2 km²) of its Tarbert-Ballylongford landbank.
See also
- List of abbeys and priories in Ireland (County Kerry)
- List of towns and villages in Ireland