Ballydesmond

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Ballydesmond (Baile Deasumhan in Irish) is a rural village in County Cork, Republic of Ireland, situated on the Blackwater River, near its rising in Menganine, directly on the Cork-Kerry border. In Irish Baile Deasumhain, meaning town of the Desmond, was named after the legendary freedom fighter, the Earl of Desmond, who is believed to have taken refuge in the nearby hills.

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[edit] History

Ballydesmond boasts a history of a quite distinctive nature. Established as a model village, and named after the reigning British King, Kingwilliamstown was later renamed after the Irish War of Independence.

The Tureengarriffe ambush occurred near Ballydesmond, where a number of British army officers were killed during the Irish War of Independence by untrained members of the local flying column of the Irish Repuublican Army.

[edit] Local economy

Ballydesmond has a thriving local economy, dominated by the number two; two shops, two pubs, two funeral homes, two petrol stations, two quarries. A new pub and resturant have been opened in the village, where there is also has a modern crech, Ballydesmond is also home to the international company - Munster Joinery, which employs over 1000 people from the locality.

[edit] Transport & communications

It is an ever expanding town on the main Cork-to-Tralee link, where the population is increasing in line with national trends.

[edit] Education

There are two primary schools in the district.

[edit] Sport & culture

  • Ballydesmond has a Gaelic football team which sports the colours of blue and yellow. The team which has been successful in recent years within the Duhallow division at Junior A level, is equally representative of both sides of the border. Boasting a fine football pitch, the Nora Herlihy Park, unique in that it is one of only two G.A.A. pitches named after women, the other being Countess Markevitcz in County Sligo.
  • It lies in the Sliabh Luachra area famed for its traditional Irish music and culture.

[edit] See also

Coordinates: 52°11′N 9°14′W