Ballyduff, County Kerry
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Ballyduff (Irish An Baile Dubh, or Black village) is a village near Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland with a population of 614 (CSO 2002). Located on R551 between Ballyheigue and Ballybunion on hills above Cashen Bay where the River Feale flows to the sea at the mouth of the River Shannon.
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[edit] History
Near Ballyduff at Rattoo, a round tower reaches a height of 28mts, with a base circumference of 15mts. This is the only complete round tower in Kerry, and possibly dates from the late 10th or early 11th centuries. In the mid 19th century, the tower sat on a raised earth causeway in what was then a swamp. The swamp was drained and the causeway removed in the late 1800s so the fields could be cultivated. On 1st November 1920, the Black and Tans burned the creamery to the ground in Ballyduff and shot local man, John Houlihan, dead. Canon William Ferris, the author of "The Gaelic Commonwealth" and many other works, lived here
[edit] Sport
Ballyduff is famed for its sporting past and present and is very successful in both Gaelic Football and Hurling. Ballyduff won the first All Ireland Hurling Final in 1891. The team was trained and captained by James McDonnell. He also trained greyhounds and won the prestigious Waterloo cup. Ballyduff currently holds the North Kerry Senior Football title after defeating Listowel Emmets in the final. On the 10th September 2006, Ballyduff won the County Senior Hurling Championship in Austin Stacks Park, Tralee. They defeated Causeway by 1-16 to 1-11.
[edit] See also
- List of abbeys and priories in the Republic of Ireland (County Kerry)
- List of towns in the Republic of Ireland
