| Borrisokane Buiríos Uí Chéin
|
|
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
|
Borrisokane
|
|
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | North Tipperary |
| Elevation | 61 m (200 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Urban | 1,145 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | R914939 |
| Website | www.borrisokane.com |
Borrisokane (Irish: Buiríos Uí Chéin, meaning "the Burgage of the Cianacht" [1]) is a town in North Tipperary, Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of approximately 1,145. It is situated on the N52/N65 National secondary road between Nenagh and Portumna and the N52 between Nenagh and Birr. It is close to Lough Derg which is only 12 km to the west. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Ormond Lower. It is also an Ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe.[2]
Contents |
During the Norman invasion of Ireland, the area now known as Borrisokane was the property of the O'Carrolls of Ely[3] who claimed to be descendants of the 'Clan or Cian or the Cianacht. The O’Kennedys were another significant ruling family, owning tower houses in surrounding townlands.
During the Cromwellian Plantation, Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Anglesey, the Earl of Cork and the Earl of Arran were among those granted lands at Borrisokane. Arran hill, a townland of Borrisokane, is thought likely to be named after the latter[4].
Local population changes throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have underlined the great social and economic challenges that Ireland as a nation itself faced during these times. The population of the parish in 1831 was 2, 634 and in 1841, it had risen to 3, 175[5]. Due to reasons of famine and emigration, this number has fallen steadily to 1, 145 today.
During the War of Independence, and the Civil War which followed, Borrisokane was witness to local hostilities. On the 26 June 1920: About 200 IRA volunteers attacked an RIC barracks at Borrisokane, currently the town's Garda Station. The attack was unsuccessful, but the building was so badly damaged that it was evacuated the next day. One Volunteer was killed in the action, and a plaque commemorates him today as Micheál Ó Cinnéide, Uncle of the former Government Minister Michael O'Kennedy.
The Modreeny Ambush took place on the 3 June 1921, during the Irish War of Independence. The ambush was an attack on an RIC and Black and Tan patrol en route to the local Petty Sessions in Borrisokane Courthouse. It was committed by a Flying Column led by Sean Gaynor at Kallegbeg Cross, between Borrisokane and Cloughjordan and resulted in the deaths of four RIC/ Black and Tan members.[6][7][8] Later that same day, a branch of the "Munster and Leinster" bank was robbed of £2,000. Borrisokane Courthouse and its jail were also burned[9].
Situated as it is in the Great Plain of Lower Ormond, much of the land around Borrisokane is well suited to farm production. As such, the area has a strong agricultural history which continues to this day.
During the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century, Borrisokane was an important centre for wheat production. There was an active mill in the town, which was operational from 1810 until about 1940. There seems to have been a brewery at this site also, due to a lane running alongside the now derelict mill named 'Brewers Lane'. This mill was demolished in April, 2010, an event which caused some local anger[10].
In his poem, The Faerie Queene, Edmund Spenser is said to have referred to the local hill of Knockshegowna[11][12][13]. Knockshegowna (Irish: Cnoc Sí Úna) translated literally means 'The Hill of Fairy Una'. In Spenser's poem, Úna, the personification of the "True Church" travels with the Redcrosse Knight (who represents England), whom she has recruited to save her parents' castle from a dragon.
Knockshegowna Hill and its supposed fairies is also the subject of R.D. Williams' poem The Fairies of Knockshegowna[14] and The Legend of Knockshegowna by Crofton Croker[15]
In 1930, the David Clarke Memorial Hall[16] was opened in Borrisokane, dedicated to the memory of the town's then most prominent Landlord, David Clarke. The Hall is still used today for the staging of musical and theatrical productions.
2009 saw the opening of Tess Burkes. It has since established itself as a popular live music venue attracting up and coming bands from all over the country.
GAA Borrisokane GAA club is based at Páirc Gairnéir and their colours are Green & White [17]. In 2010 they won the Tipperary County Intermediate Hurling Championship and were unlucky to lose out in the Munster Intermediate Hurling Championship. In 2009, Borrisokaqne won the inaugural North Tipperary Junior C Hurling Championship. This was due in no small part to the leadership provided by team captain Pat Carroll in the mid-field position.
Borrisokane Athletic Club caters for athletes from age 8 to senior and are one of the most successful sports clubs in Ireland. Athletes from this small town club have travelled the world representing their country and can boast over 100 National titles throughout its 30 years. Most recently the clubs success has came from the senior ladies who were crowned National League Champions in 2008.[18]
Horse Racing associated with The Ormond Hunt pack were first held at Borrisokane on the farm of John Reddan at Kylenagoona, near Borrisokane in the year 1863[19][20]. Meetings were held annually in June, July and August, with most competition being for The Borrisokane Plate. Racing continued here up until the early 1900s when it moved closer to the town[21]. A song, 'The Kylenagoona Races' was composed in reference to Borrisokane's local horse racing[22].
The town and district are today home to a number of well known equestrian personalities including former Irish champion jockey turned Racehorse Trainer Charlie Swan who lives in nearby Cloughjordan.
Whilst there are other buildings of architectural interest in and around Borrisokane, the following are featured in 'An Introduction To The Architectural Heritage Of North Tipperary' [23] and on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage website [24]
| ' | Lorrha | Birr | ||
| Lough Derg (Shannon) | ||||
| Borrisokane | ||||
| Nenagh | Cloughjordan |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
