| Baltimore Dún na Séad |
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|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Baltimore 2005 | |
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Baltimore
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | Cork |
| Barony | Carbery West |
| Parish | Rath |
| Founded | 1607 A.D |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.04 km2 (1.2 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1.78 km2 (0.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 26 m (85 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 377 |
| • Density | 124/km2 (321.2/sq mi) |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Area code(s) | 028 |
Baltimore ( /ˈbæltɨmɔr/, not /ˈbɒltɨmɔr/; Irish: Dún na Séad)[1] is located in western County Cork, Ireland. Baltimore is the principal village of the parish of Rath and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland. It is the main ferry port to Sherkin Island, Cape Clear Island and the eastern side of Roaring Water Bay (Loch Trasna) and Carbery's Hundred Isles. Although the name Baltimore is an anglicisation of Irish words (Baile an Tí Mhóir) meaning "Town of the Big House", the Irish-language name for Baltimore is that of the O'Driscoll castle, Dún na Séad ("Fort of the Jewels"). The recently restored castle is open to the public and overlooks the town.
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Baltimore enters history as a seat of one of Ireland's most ancient dynasties, the once mighty Corcu Loígde, former Kings of Tara and Kings of Munster.
It was sacked in 1631 by Algerian pirates, and reminders of the incident still exist in the form of pub names, like "The Algiers Inn". It is believed that Napoleon obtained his famous white mare from the area.
One of the most notable landmarks in the area is the Baltimore Beacon, also known as Lot's Wife. Towards the end of July 1847, Commander James Wolfe, R.N., informed the Ballast Board that he had recently completed a survey of Baltimore Harbour and noticed the destruction of the Beacon on the eastern point of the southern entrance to the harbour.
George Halpin, the Board's inspector was ordered to report the matter which he did the following month, stating that the original, locally built Beacon was too small, poorly built, and had been vandalised. He recommended a large and properly constructed Beacon with which the Board concurred.
Almost a year passed, 6th July 1848, before the Board requested the secretary to seek permission from Lord Carbery for a piece of ground thirty feet in diameter, on which to build the Beacon. By the end of July a reply had been received from Mr. Arthur Perry-Aylmer informing the Board that Lady Carbery of Castle Freke near Rosscarbery had given her full permission to either rebuild or re-construct the existing Beacon and granted free access as the Beacon was a matter of such vast importance to fishermen and others.
By February 1849 inspector George Halpin reported that the masonry work of the Beacon was complete but the iron staff and vane still had to be placed on top.
The conspicuous conical white painted Baltimore Beacon, sometimes called the 'pillar of salt' or 'Lot's wife' is approximately fifty feet (15.2m) high and fifteen feet (4.6m) in diameter at the base. The vent, mentioned by Halpin in 1849 was obviously vulnerable and at a later date was replaced by a sphere.
Baltimore attracts many visitors from within Ireland and the population booms in summer months due to the large number of summer homes that have been built in the area in the last ten years. Baltimore also attracts visitors from elsewhere in Europe and the world, particularly those interested in seafaring. Baltimore has also became a very popular venue for scuba diving, due largely to the number and variety of shipwrecks in the bay. These include a World War Two submarine (The U-260) and the bulk carrier Kowloon Bridge.
The local GAA club is Ilen Rovers, which was formed in 1973 and consists of the surrounding parish and that of Lisheen and Kilcoe. They compete in the Cork County Senior Football Championship and appeared in the Senior final in 2007 losing to Nemo Rangers. The local soccer team Baltimore Fc also known as the Crabs were established in 2006. They won division 2 in 2010 and are currently a division 1 side in the West Cork league and are going from strength to strength. Sailing is also a very popular in Baltimore. Courses are held in the summer months for both adults and children.
Baltimore is located near the N71 road which leads to Cork which is roughly 100 kilometres from the village. The closest major town to Baltimore is Skibbereen, 13.4 kilometres north-east of the village. Bus services to Skibbereen and Cork are provided by Bus Éireann.