Ballysteen (Irish: Baile Stiabhna) is a small village and townland in County Limerick, Ireland.[1] It is located in the civil parish of Iveruss and the historical barony of Kenry.[1]
Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of ringfort, enclosure and tower house sites in the townlands of Ballysteen, Beagh, Ballinvoher and Issane.[2] Beagh Castle, an outpost fortification built in the 13th century by the FitzGerald family,[3] is located close to Ballysteen village.[4] Ballysteen House, an 18th-century country house,[5] is reputedly built on the site of the former Ballysteen Castle.[6] The Catholic church in Ballysteen, which dates to 1861,[7] is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick.[8] The ruins of a 15th or 16th-century chapel and churchyard are nearby in Beagh townland.[9][10] Ballysteen's Carnegie library (constructed c. 1905) was restored in the early 21st century and is now a community and heritage centre.[11]
Local sports clubs include Ballysteen GAA (a Gaelic Athletic Association club which fields teams in competitions organised by Limerick GAA),[12] and Ballysteen AFC (an association football (soccer) club which participates in the Limerick Desmond League).[13] The local primary school, Ballysteen National School, had an enrollment of 26 pupils as of 2024.[14]
References
edit- ^ a b "Baile Stiabhna / Ballysteen". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Record of Monuments and Places as Established under Section 12 of the National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994 - County Limerick. Dublin: National Monuments and Historic Properties Service. 1997.
- ^ "Heritage - Places of Historical Interest on the Shannon Estuary Way". shannonestuaryway.ie. The Shannon Estuary Way. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Beagh Castle Holiday Cottages & Iverus Café". limerick.ie. Limerick City and County Council. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Ballysteen House, Keenoge, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Westropp, Thomas Johnson (1906). "The Ancient Castles of the County of Limerick (Central and South-Eastern Baronies)". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature. 26: 156. JSTOR 25502742.
- ^ "Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Calliaghstown, Ballysteen, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "St. Patrick's Church Ballysteen". askeatonballysteen.ie. Askeaton Ballysteen Parish. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Lewis, Samuel, ed. (1837). "Iverus". A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Dublin: Lewis.
- ^ Westropp, Thomas Johnson (1904). "A Survey of the Ancient Churches in the County of Limerick". Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature. 25: 388, 389. JSTOR 25502727.
- ^ "Ballysteen Carnegie Library re-opens on proud day for local community". ilovelimerick.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Ballysteen GAA - History". ballysteengaa.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Limerick Desmond Football League - Ballysteen AFC". limerickdesmondfootballleague.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Directory Page - Ballysteen N S". gov.ie. Department of Education. Retrieved 19 April 2024.