| Ballinspittle Béal Átha an Spidéil |
|
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Ballinspittle village centre. | |
|
Ballinspittle
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Cork |
| Parish | Courceys |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
Ballinspittle (Irish: Béal Átha an Spidéil) is a village in County Cork, Province of Munster, Ireland.[1] It is in the parish of Courceys and lies about 8km (5 miles) south-west of Kinsale. It is near Garrylucas and Garrettstown Blue Flag beaches.
The village is a community with new housing estates, businesses, a Post Office, a National School and a Gaelic Athletic Association facility known as the Jim O' Regan Memorial Park.
Contents |
In the summer of 1985, Ballinspittle received national and international attention when some locals claimed to have witnessed a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary moving spontaneously. As news of the phenomenon spread, thousands of pilgrims and spectators flocked to the site of the statue. Many of the visitors claimed that they observed similar movements. The Catholic Clergy in Ireland maintained a neutral stance regarding the authenticity of the claims. The phenomenon was never scientifically confirmed.
The famous Irish Tenor Finbar Wright grew up in the townland of Kilmore just outside of the village.
There is a Summer Festival that has been running since 2001 featuring Live Bands on the Village Centre Festival Stage. The neighbouring village of Ballinadee hosts events on the weekend prior to Ballinspittle Festival. The village enjoys an annual influx of summer visitors mainly from Cork City.
Community events include Fancy dress parades, Historical walks, Road Bowling (an ancient sport on the country roads of Ireland), Country Market, Family Athletics, Novelty Races, Garden Tour, traditional music, pet shows, cow bingo, swimming races, crab fishing, sandcastle building, crazy football, car treasure hunt, festival Mass, nightly street barbecue, and a visit of the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.
Ancient historical sites include Ballycatten Fort, dating from the 6th Century, and Curtapurteen where legend tells that St. Patrick once visited. The most southerly tip The Old Head of Kinsale is a site of ancient and present day Lighthouses has a Golf Links.