Ballylaneen
Encyclopedia
Ballylaneen is a small village in County Waterford
, Ireland
, approximately halfway between the villages of Kilmacthomas
and Bunmahon
on a hill by the River Mahon
.
church (St. Annes, built in 1924), a public house and St. Anne's Holy Well. The village was larger in the 19th century and gave its name to a parish of its own, but is now part of Stradbally parish. There was a large mill east of the village on the river Mahon, whose ruin is still standing. This was one of five, which were sited on the river Mahon. The other four were at Mahonbridge (one) and Kilmacthomas (three).
There are two graveyards in Ballylaneen. The newer of the two, adjacent to St Anne's church has one grave of interest: a flat horizontal tombstone commemorating Mark Anthony of Carrigcastle (1786 – 1 June 1867) who was an officer in the British Royal Navy and served in the battle of Trafalgar
. The old graveyard (rarely used nowadays) is outside the present village on the Kilmacthomas road. It is the burial place of the poet Tadhg Gaelach (see below). To the west, there is an ancient circular enclosure called Cathair Breac on a hill overlooking the village.
The village had a primary school, originally established under the British National School system. It was closed down in the 1950s, after which pupils from the area went to Seafield. The old school building is still there, adjacent to the old graveyard. The best-known teacher at the National School was Tom Walsh. While he taught there, children from other school catchment areas attended, e.g. Jack Kiely of Stradbally (later FRCSI) and David Hill of Kilmacthomas (later MPSI), around 1910.
It is the burial place of the poet Tadhg Gaelach O'Suilleabhain. His stone is a flat upright monument with a curved top and a latin inscription on the front. The Latin epitaph was composed by the poet Donncha Rua mac Conmara (buried in Newtown, 4 miles away). The Irish translation on the black plastic plaque (shown right) was done by Tom Walsh (Tomas Breatnac), the teacher in the Old National School in early 1900s.
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
, 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,...
, approximately halfway between the villages of Kilmacthomas
Kilmacthomas
Kilmacthomas or Kilmactomas , often referred to locally as "Kilmac", is a town on the River Mahon in County Waterford, Ireland. It lies on the R677 immediately north of the N25 national primary road from Dungarvan to Waterford....
and Bunmahon
Bunmahon
Bunmahon Village , also called Bonmahon, is a coastal village in County Waterford, Ireland, at the mouth of the River Mahon.-History:Bunmahon was a mining village. Copper was mined here between 1827 and 1877. The population of the village swelled to over 2000 at that time. A temperance hall was built...
on a hill by the River Mahon
River Mahon
The River Mahon flows from the Comeragh Mountains in County Waterford, Ireland.Falling down the 80-metre Mahon Falls and proceeding past the "Fairy Bush", the river then passes through the village of Mahon Bridge and on past Flahavan's Mill and under the 8-arched rail bridge in Kilmacthomas...
.
Features
The village features a CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church (St. Annes, built in 1924), a public house and St. Anne's Holy Well. The village was larger in the 19th century and gave its name to a parish of its own, but is now part of Stradbally parish. There was a large mill east of the village on the river Mahon, whose ruin is still standing. This was one of five, which were sited on the river Mahon. The other four were at Mahonbridge (one) and Kilmacthomas (three).
There are two graveyards in Ballylaneen. The newer of the two, adjacent to St Anne's church has one grave of interest: a flat horizontal tombstone commemorating Mark Anthony of Carrigcastle (1786 – 1 June 1867) who was an officer in the British Royal Navy and served in the battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
. The old graveyard (rarely used nowadays) is outside the present village on the Kilmacthomas road. It is the burial place of the poet Tadhg Gaelach (see below). To the west, there is an ancient circular enclosure called Cathair Breac on a hill overlooking the village.
The village had a primary school, originally established under the British National School system. It was closed down in the 1950s, after which pupils from the area went to Seafield. The old school building is still there, adjacent to the old graveyard. The best-known teacher at the National School was Tom Walsh. While he taught there, children from other school catchment areas attended, e.g. Jack Kiely of Stradbally (later FRCSI) and David Hill of Kilmacthomas (later MPSI), around 1910.
People
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland