Ballybeg, County Waterford
Encyclopedia
Ballybeg is a largely working class
district in Waterford
, Ireland
. The area consists of four council housing estate
- Ballybeg, Priory Lawn, Clonard Park and Ardmore Park, and a private housing estate, Glencarra, and is the largest single housing area in Waterford city, with a population of nearly 4,000.
.(which may be accessed from the new city by-pass)
Surrounding residential areas include Templar's Hall, Carraig an Aird, Cluain-a-Laoi and Meadowbank. There is also a halting site provided for 'travellers' nearby on the Kilbarry Road. There have been many complaints to public authorities by Ballybeg residents and the broader community regarding, among other issues, unauthorised caravan parking, and illegal rubbish dumping, in the vicinity.
However, the ongoing violence and unrest in the area cannot be attributed to any ethnic group, as violent crime in the area is largely attributed to two local families (and their supporters). It appears that the inter-family dispute originated in the early 1980s, when, allegedly, an arranged marriage between the eldest daughter of one, and the youngest son of the other, was called off. The prospective bride's family publicly declared the reason for this to be infidelity on the part of the prospective groom, while the groom's, in turn, cited incompetent completion of marital and sexual 'duties' on the part of his fiancee. The intervening years to date, were littered with skirmishes between the two families, believed by the local community to be indicative of a larger ongoing struggle for quasi-political dominance of the area.
The area of Ballybeg is situated within the wider Kilbarry area. This area was reputedly home to a priory of the Knights Templar and later became the Irishtown of Waterford. Many cities and large towns in Ireland have an area called Baile Beag (Small town) Baile Bocht (Poor town) i.e. 'Ballybock' in Dublin, Ceathrú Rua (Red-haired area) or simply "Irish Town".
The suburb also has a cemetery which is near completion.
Local community groups are active in this area, which is home to one of the original Community Development Projects and also pioneered a joint venture between the local community and local industry in the LEDC which has already built a Creche and Community Sports Facility. The community also has a strong representative group called the Ballybeg Action Group which works for the improvement of facilities in the local community.
Ballybeg is also home to many successful sports and leisure clubs - boxing, soccer, hurling, gaelic and camogie are all played in the area. There is also a strong women's group.
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
district in Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
, 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,...
. The area consists of four council housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
- Ballybeg, Priory Lawn, Clonard Park and Ardmore Park, and a private housing estate, Glencarra, and is the largest single housing area in Waterford city, with a population of nearly 4,000.
Location and access
Access to Ballybeg is available at the N25 junction outside the (now defunct) 'Waterford Crystal' factory, the N25 junction past the 'Hasbro' games factory, and the Ballybeg Link Road off the Kilbarry road just past the travellers' halting siteHalting site
A halting site is a facility constructed for the accommodation of Irish Travellers and other nomadic groups. They are common in Ireland, mainly on the periphery of towns, where they are maintained by local authorities, and include spaces to park caravans and vehicles, electricity and sanitary...
.(which may be accessed from the new city by-pass)
Surrounding residential areas include Templar's Hall, Carraig an Aird, Cluain-a-Laoi and Meadowbank. There is also a halting site provided for 'travellers' nearby on the Kilbarry Road. There have been many complaints to public authorities by Ballybeg residents and the broader community regarding, among other issues, unauthorised caravan parking, and illegal rubbish dumping, in the vicinity.
However, the ongoing violence and unrest in the area cannot be attributed to any ethnic group, as violent crime in the area is largely attributed to two local families (and their supporters). It appears that the inter-family dispute originated in the early 1980s, when, allegedly, an arranged marriage between the eldest daughter of one, and the youngest son of the other, was called off. The prospective bride's family publicly declared the reason for this to be infidelity on the part of the prospective groom, while the groom's, in turn, cited incompetent completion of marital and sexual 'duties' on the part of his fiancee. The intervening years to date, were littered with skirmishes between the two families, believed by the local community to be indicative of a larger ongoing struggle for quasi-political dominance of the area.
The area of Ballybeg is situated within the wider Kilbarry area. This area was reputedly home to a priory of the Knights Templar and later became the Irishtown of Waterford. Many cities and large towns in Ireland have an area called Baile Beag (Small town) Baile Bocht (Poor town) i.e. 'Ballybock' in Dublin, Ceathrú Rua (Red-haired area) or simply "Irish Town".
Amenities
Ballybeg (or Bailebeag) is sometimes described as being like a village within Waterford city, with such facilities as a church (St. Saviour's), a primary school (St. Saviour's National School), 2 supermarkets (Centra and Tesco), a takeaway, a public house (The Chicken Ranch), a post office and a parish centre / sports hall. It also has several sporting organisations, including a GAA club, a soccer club and a boxing club, as well as being near to the Waterford Crystal "sports and social" centre, two other soccer clubs (Southend United FC and Bolton FC) and Waterford City Rugby Club. Waterford United also play their home games very close by, in the Regional Sports Centre.The suburb also has a cemetery which is near completion.
Local community groups are active in this area, which is home to one of the original Community Development Projects and also pioneered a joint venture between the local community and local industry in the LEDC which has already built a Creche and Community Sports Facility. The community also has a strong representative group called the Ballybeg Action Group which works for the improvement of facilities in the local community.
Ballybeg is also home to many successful sports and leisure clubs - boxing, soccer, hurling, gaelic and camogie are all played in the area. There is also a strong women's group.