| Coachford Áth an Chóiste |
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| — Village — | |
| Coachford | |
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Coachford
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Cork |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 439 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
Coachford (Irish: Áth an Chóiste[1]) is a village west of Cork City, in County Cork, Ireland. It is located on the north side of the River Lee. Coachford got its name from Áth an Chóiste (Ford of the Coaches) as there used to be a narrow ford across a stream (which is now part of the River Lee). The Lee was flooded for a hydroelectric power plant and farmland including many houses were flooded by the newly formed lake.
Coachford is located around a crossroads where the R618 and R619 regional roads intersect. Mallow is 20 miles (32 km) north of the village, Macroom is 9 miles (14 km) west, Cork city is 15 miles (24 km) east and Bandon is 20 miles (32 km) south. The village has three food-stores, a Post Office, a Doctor's Surgery, a Pharmacy, a Veterinary Surgery, a hardware store, a co-operative, a hairdresser, a service station, two fast food diners, , a child care centre, a play-school, a primary school, a secondary school and four Public Houses.
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Near Rooves Bridge is a monument to Captain Tadhg Kennefick of the Irish Republican Army, who was killed during the Irish Civil War by the Free State Army. On his way home to his mother' funeral, he was stopped at a Free State checkpoint headed by a General Emmet Dalton. Thirty Free State soldiers tied him to the back of a truck near the tiny hamlet of Peake and dragged him a distance of four miles (6 km) to the bridge where he was shot by soldiers and his body dumped in a ditch. Local people who witnessed this recovered his body. A monument now stands on the site where his body was recovered. Close to Coachford is Mullanhassig Waterfall. It is about 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Coachford just off the Macroom road. Close to the schools is a medieval church surrounded by a cemetery of centuries old graves. Just about 1-mile (1.6 km) south of Coachford on the road to Bandon is Rooves Bridge. This bridge was constructed over the River Lee in the 1950s to replace the old Rooves bridge which was submerged due to the building of the Hydro electric dam at Inniscarra about 6 miles (9.7 km) down river. Rooves bridge is the longest bridge spanning the River Lee. Also close to Coachford (6 km)is Crook's Castle which is in the townland of Rockgrove. Carrig na Muc Castle is also only a few miles away overlooking the Dripsey river. This castle was owned by Cormac Mór McCarthy who also built Blarney Castle. The name Carrig na Muc (meaning 'Rock of the Pigs') came from mediaeval times where pigs were slaughtered on a special rock before being prepared for banquets.
The village is the home of Aghabullogue GAA. Aghabullogue are the club who forever in the annals of the Gaelic Athletic Association will be remembered for capturing Cork's first hurling All-Ireland title in 1890 when they defeated Castlebridge of Wexford in the final. Other sporting clubs in the area are, Coachford soccer club whose home ground is at The Glebe, and two local horse and dog hunts. Olive Loughnane who won a silver medal in the women's 20 km walk in the World Athletics Championships in Berlin in August 2009 is a resident of Coachford. Other sports such as Badminton, Shooting and Karate are also catered for. There are many fishing competitions held on the River Lee, which flows near the village.
The local drama group, Coachford Players, is an amateur Drama Group established in 1987 and performs a full length play each year. Mary Lynch of Coachford is a wonderful artist and exhibits her work on a regular basis in the Village and in Macroom.
The village and its environs are served by a primary (Coachford National School) and post primary school (Coachford College). The College has a catchment area spreading towards Macroom and Ballincollig, Bandon and Kanturk, taking a large rural area near Cork City. There are roughly 600 students. An extension was completed in 2002 and provides the college with a sports hall. In 2007 Leaving Certificate class, 3 gold medals were won for best results in Ireland.
Coachford was formerly connected by railway to Cork city with a narrow gauge railway, opened in 1888 by the Cork and Muskerry Light Railway. The line was closed in 1934 by the GSR. Coachford railway station opened on 19 March 1888, but finally closed on 31 December 1934.[2]