Wikipedia

Ballinlough, Cork

Ballinlough (Irish: Baile an Locha, meaning 'town of the lake')[1] is a mainly residential townland and suburb on the southside of Cork city, in Ireland. It is located between Ballintemple and the larger suburbs of Douglas and Blackrock.

Ballinlough
Baile an Locha
Suburb
Ballinlough is located in Ireland
Ballinlough
Ballinlough
Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 51°53′22″N 8°26′47″W / 51.88944°N 8.44639°W / 51.88944; -8.44639
CountryIreland
Administrative areaCork (city)
Time zoneUTC+0 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-1 (IST (WEST))

While previously separated from Cork city, Ballinlough is now within the Cork City Council administrative boundary and zoned as a suburban residential area. As of 2022, it had amongst the most expensive residential properties in Ireland, outside of Dublin, based on the price of a three-bed semi-detached house.[2]

History

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Illustration of Croker's 1815 survey of the Ballinlough Stone

Among the earliest written references to the townland and then village of Ballinlough date from 1601 (as "Ballinlogha") in the Calendar to Fiants of reign of Henry VIII,[3] and from 1655 (as "Ballinloghy") in the Down Survey.[4] These Irish language names (Baile an Locha, the town of the lake) reflected the position of the village focal-points (including Ballinlough House and the original Ballinlough school), close to Lough Mahon and the Douglas River Estuary.[5] The Ballinlough Stone, a standing stone (gallaun) near Ballinlough House, was surveyed by antiquary Thomas Crofton Croker in the early 19th century.[6][7] Later archaeological surveys of the stone question whether its origins are prehistoric, or if it is a less ancient boundary marker.[7][8]

In the 19th century, land use in the area was mainly focused on farming and market gardening.[7][9] The larger farms were managed from estate houses including Ballinlough House, Ardfallen House, Thorn Hill House, and LakeVille/Ravenscourt.[7][9]

From the early 20th century, with Cork city expanding east, and the village expanding west, the area became more suburbanised. This included the building of housing developments during the 1920s and 1930s in the neighbouring and sub-townlands of Browingstown, Coppingers Stang, and Knockrea.[7][9][10] Early 20th century censuses however still recorded 17 market gardeners in the area.[10] With the construction of a new church in 1938,[11] two additional schools in 1944 and 1965,[12][13] and a later community centre, the focal-points of the (now) suburb shifted westward towards the city. Previously separated by remaining green belts and outside the city's administrative area, Ballinlough is now within the Cork City Council administrative boundary and zoned as a suburban residential area.[9][14]

Amenities

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The community centre in Ballinlough includes a public park and a number of buildings which host community activities. The main building hosts a Montessori school, bowls and bingo events.[15] The 38th/40th Cork Scout Group (a member of Scouting Ireland) is also based on the community centre site,[16] as is the youth club (which is affiliated with Ógra Chorcaí).[17] Ballinlough Tennis Club has five outdoor courts in the community centre complex,[18] and is accredited to Tennis Ireland's "gold" standard for facilities and club management.[19]

The Gus Healy Municipal Swimming Pool is also in Ballinlough,[20] and the Páirc Uí Rinn Gaelic Athletic Association grounds and the Cork Constitution rugby club lie on the border between Ballinlough and Ballintemple.

Ballinlough is an independent Roman Catholic parish of the Cork and Ross Catholic Diocese and is home to Our Lady of Lourdes Church.[21] It is also the location of the Wesley chapel of the Cork Methodist Church - which also operates a sheltered housing complex from the grounds of Ardfallen House.[22][23]

Education

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There are three primary schools in Ballinlough: St. Anthony's Boys National School, Eglantine Girls National School, and Our Lady of Lourdes Girls National School.[24][25][13] Rockboro School, a private primary school off the Boreenmana Road on the boundary with South Parish, closed in 2023.[26]

Singer Mary Hegarty[27] and a number of Olympic athletes, including Louise Shanahan and Margaret Cremen, are past pupils of Eglantine Girls National School.[28] Past pupils of St. Anthony's Boys National School include actors Cillian Murphy and Cillian O'Sullivan,[29][30] rugby players Peter Stringer, Patrick Campbell, Niall Scannell, Rory Scannell, and Billy Scannell,[31] hurlers Shane Kingston, Alan Cadogan, Robbie Cotter, Brian Hayes and Cathal Cormack,[31][32] Gaelic footballers Michéal Aodh Martin, Mark Cronin and Kevin O'Donovan,[31][32] and Olympic rower Ronan Byrne.[31]

Notable residents

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References

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  1. ^ "Baile an Locha/Ballinlough". logainm.ie. Irish Placenames Database. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  2. ^ "These Cork areas boast some of the most expensive three-bed semis in Ireland". yaycork.ie. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  3. ^ Calendar to Fiants of reign of Henry VIII. 1510-47 of Queen Elizabeth. 1558-1603, vol. folio 6539, RLK (1875-90) – via Placenames Commission #13734
  4. ^ William Petty (1655). "Down Survey" (Map). Cork Liberties. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  5. ^ Map of Ballinlough (23" scale, 1897-1913) (Map). Ordnance Survey of Ireland. Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  6. ^ Kieran McCarthy. "South East Ward History". Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e Richard Henchion (2005). East to Mahon : the story of Blackrock, Ballintemple, Ballinlough, Ballinure and Mahon. Dahadore. pp. 1–25. ISBN 9780954129323.
  8. ^ Cremen, C (1926). "The Ballinlough Stone" (PDF). Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. 2. XXXI. CHAS: 104–105. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d C Ó Foghlú (1989). "A Glimpse of Ballinlough". Ballinlough Community Association. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016.
  10. ^ a b "Historical walking tour of Ballinlough". Cork Independent. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014.
  11. ^ "Our Lady of Lourdes Church Ballinlough - 75th Anniversary". ballinloughparish.ie. Ballinlough Parish. Archived from the original on 23 July 2014.
  12. ^ "History of Our Lady of Lourdes N.S." Our Lady of Lourdes School. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  13. ^ a b "School History". stanthonys.ie. St Anthonys BNS. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Cork City Development Plan 2004 - Chapter 10 - Suburban Areas (Land Use Zonings)" (PDF). Cork City Council. 2004. p. 165. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 August 2016.
  15. ^ "Association Activities". Ballinlough Community Association. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016.
  16. ^ "38th/40th Cork – Ballinlough Scouts". BallinloughScouts.com. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  17. ^ "Ógra Chorcaí Ltd. - The Cork Youth Association". Homepage.eircom.net. 29 October 1998. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  18. ^ "Tennis Club Facilities". Ballinlough Tennis Club. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  19. ^ "Gold Standard at Ballinlough". Ballinlough Tennis Club. 25 July 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Upgrade of Cork's Gus Healy swimming pool 'long overdue'". Echo Live. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  21. ^ Ruth Egan (Fireball Media). "Parishes > Ballinlough". Diocese of Cork and Ross. Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  22. ^ "Cork Methodist Church - Homepage". Cork Methodist Church. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  23. ^ "Ardfallen Grove Sheltered Housing". Irishmethodist.org. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Eglantine Primary School - School History / About". Eglantine.ie. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  25. ^ "Our Lady of Lourdes School - About". OurLadyOfLourdesNS.com. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  26. ^ "Rockboro school in Cork will 'not open this September' after drop in pupil numbers". Irish Examiner. 23 June 2023. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  27. ^ "Hitting the high notes for 75th anniversary". Echo Live. 30 November 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  28. ^ "One of Cork's best-known schools celebrates their four Olympians". 21 July 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Tánaiste Micheál Martin cheering Murphy for Oscar glory". rte.ie. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  30. ^ "In From the Cold: Cork actor Cillian O'Sullivan on his new Netflix spy thriller". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
  31. ^ a b c d "Christmas Newsletter 2021" (PDF). stanthonys.ie. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Ballinlough school students take action on climate crisis". Echo Live. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  33. ^ Cummins, Kevin (4 October 2017). "Cork Nostalgia: Kevin, did you walk the dogs?". Evening Echo. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  34. ^ Seán Donnelly (6 June 2002). "Micheal Martin Profile from Elections 2002". ElectionsIreland.org. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
  35. ^ Roche, Barry (18 April 2024). "Tributes paid to veteran RTÉ broadcaster and producer Alf McCarthy". Irish Times. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  36. ^ Early, Ronan (1 January 2021). "After the ball: Donncha O'Callaghan on rugby, retirement and adapting to a new way of life". Business Post. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  37. ^ "I am currently working on a book about growing up as a girl within the GAA". echolive.ie. The Echo. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
  38. ^ Maume, Patrick (June 2015). "Wyse, (Jeremiah) Pearse". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Royal Irish Academy. doi:10.3318/dib.009714.v1. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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