Ballinamore

{{lang|ga|Béal an Átha Móir}}, corrupted Bellanamore, means "town at the mouth of the big ford", so named because it was a main crossing (ford) of the Yellow River. The gaels called the baile Átha na Chuirre ("homestead of ford of the afflictions") because a hospital-house stood near the bridge in the 13th century.{{sfn|Earley|O'Seaneachain|2015|p=439}}{{sfn|Seymour|1935|p=245}}

Ballinamore is in the south-east of County Leitrim in the North Midlands of Ireland, the town being {{convert|19|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the county boundary with County Fermanagh. The town is built on the Yellow River. The R202 regional road intersects the R199 and R204 roads here. A historic barge waterway, built in the 1840s to connect the Erne and Shannon rivers, was reopened for boat traffic in 1994 as the Shannon–Erne Waterway. Ballinamore has daily Local-link bus services to Carrick-on-Shannon and Dromod railway station, Monday to Saturday.

After the 5th century, the Conmaicne settled this area, displacing and absorbing an older tribe named the "Masraigh".{{sfn|Ó Duígeannáin|1934|p=113-140}} These Conmhaícne ancestors were called the "Cenel Luachán". This is the origins of Ballinamore.

In 1244, the town ({{langx|ga|baile}}) was named Áth na Chuirre ("ford of the afflictions") because, according to the Irish Annals, a hospital dedicated to Saint John the Baptist ({{langx|ga|spital}}) stood beside the ford. Saint Bridget's church, and holy-well, stood on a high hill one kilometre north of present-day town.{{sfn|O'Donovan|1856}}{{sfn|Earley|O'Seaneachain|2015|p=439}}{{sfn|Seymour|1935|p=245}}

In 1256, the Battle of Magh Slecht occurred nearby, leading to the division of Bréifne between the O'Rourkes of North Leitrim and the O'Reillys of East Bréifne (modern-day County Cavan).{{sfn|O'Donovan|1856}}

In 1621, the name 'Ballinamore' is first mentioned, when under the Plantation of Leitrim, the "Manor of Ballinamore" was granted to Sir Fenton Parsons with {{convert|600|acre|km2}} of arable land.{{Cite book |last=Fr Dan Gallogly |title=Sliabh an Iarainn Slopes, History of the Town and Parish of Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim |year=1991}}

Around 1693, Ballinamore Iron works was established, and in production until circa 1747 when the business was put up for sale, the assets including a furnace, forge, slitting mill, mine yards, coal yards, large quantities of pig iron, mine and coals.{{sfn|Meehan|1926|pp=413}}{{refn|Iron works at Ballinamore, Castlefore, and Dromod, were established on Irish land confiscated during the plantations of Ireland, by english adventurers named Capt. William Slacke, John Skerret, and Joseph Hall.{{sfn|Kelly|1995|pp=1-12}}|group=a|name=englishConfiscations}} The native Irish forests bounding the parish were exhausted for this mining.{{sfn|Kelly|1995|pp=1-12}}

In the 18th century, dispossessed Catholics from County Down settled in the area.

In 1860, the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal was opened, but declined in use after 24 October 1887, the date Ballinamore railway station opened. The railway station was part of the narrow gauge Cavan and Leitrim Railway and was the hub of the line, with the locomotive depot and works. It was the point where the line from Dromod through Mohill and Ballinamore to Belturbet branched to Kiltubrid, Drumshanbo and Arigna.{{Cite book |last=Baker |first=Michael HC |title=Irish Narrow Gauge Railways. A View from the Past |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |year=1999 |isbn=0-7110-2680-7}} The railway line was used until closure on 1 April 1959.{{Cite web |title=Ballinamore station |url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926042407/http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf |archive-date=26 September 2007 |access-date=2007-09-09 |website=Railscot - Irish Railways}}

In the 19th, and early 20th centuries, annual fairs were held at Ballinamore on- 12 May, and 12 November.{{sfn|Longman|1819|pp=405}}{{sfn|Watsons|1830}}

In 1925, Ballinamore town comprised 163 houses, approximately 28 being licensed to sell alcohol.{{sfn|Irish Free State|1925|pp=31}}

In 1994, the Ballinamore and Ballyconnell Canal was reopened as the Shannon–Erne Waterway and marketed as a tourist/cruising waterway.

Various Irish Annals mention the baile of Áth na Cuirre, i.e. Ballinamore,{{sfn|Earley|O'Seaneachain|2015|p=439}}{{sfn|Seymour|1935|p=245}} in 1244 AD. A Connachta army marched from nearby Fenagh towards the baile, presumably along the R202 route. At the Yellow River ford, today's bridge into the Main Street, the soldiers vandalised the nearby Hospital of Saint John the Baptist, accidentally killing one of their own,{{refn|Or a sudden blast of wind according to the Annals of Clonmacnoise- "Phelym O’Connor with great forces … came to the Corre, where there was a tymber house of Couples, into which Magnus m’Mortagh, and Connor m’Cormack entered, & immediately there arose a great blase of winde, which fell down the house, whereof one couple fell on the said Magnus … was struken dead;"|group=a|name=ballinamore}} an important leader of Clann Murtagh O'Connor named Mhaghnusa mic Muircertaig Muimnigh.{{sfn|Bambury|2008|p=1244.5}}{{sfn|O'Donovan|1856|p=M1244.6}}{{sfn|Simms|2001|p=5}}

{{langx|ga|"Do imdhigh in slúag iarsin ass an mbaile amach, ... co h-Ath na Cuirre forsan nGeircthigh, & do bhí an tuile tar bruachaib di, & ni rancotar tairrsi condernsat tech sbidél Eoin Baisde do bhái a nimeal in átha do scaoiled, da chur tarsan abhuinn do dhul tairsi dont slúaig; condechaid mac Muircertaig Muimnigh, .i. Maghnus, isin tech, & Concobar mac Cormaic Mic Diarmada; condubairt Maghnus risin bfer do bhí thúass ag scaoiled an tighe, ag sínshépe a cloidem uadha súas, agsin an tairrnge chongbhus an maide gan tuitim; leisin comrádh sin do thuit airrghe an tighe a gcend Mhaghnusa mic Muircertaig Muimnigh, gonderna brúligh día chinn, gur bhó marbh dhe ar an lathair sin"}}

"{{langx|en|The host went afterwards out of the town, ... to Ath-na-cuirre on the Geirctech; and the flood was over its banks, and they did not pass over it until they pulled down the hospital-house of John the Baptist, which was on the margin of the ford, to place it across the river, that the host might pass over it. The son of Muirchertach Muimhnech, i.e. Maghnus, and Conchobhar, son of Cormac Mac Diarmada, went into the house, when Maghnus, pointing up his sword, said to the man who was overhead throwing down the house, ‘there is the nail which prevents the beam from falling.’ At these words the rafter of the house fell on the head of Maghnus, son of Muirchertach Muimhnech, and fractured his skull, so that he died on the spot;"}}.{{sfn|Hennessy|2008|p=LC1244.4}}

[text: Annals of Lough Ce https://celt.ucc.ie/published/T100010A/text010.html]{{sfn|Hennessy|2008|p=LC1244.4}}

In 1983, members of the Provisional IRA kidnapped Quinnsworth managing director Don Tidey, holding him captive in Derrada Woods, outside of the town.{{Cite news |date=22 October 2023 |title=Who helped Don Tidey's IRA kidnappers escape, after murdering a garda and an Irish soldier in Derrada Wood? |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/republic-of-ireland/who-helped-don-tideys-ira-kidnappers-escape-after-murdering-a-garda-and-an-irish-soldier-in-derrada-wood/a2147388609.html |work=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk}} Garda Gary Sheehan (police officer) and Private Patrick Kelly were murdered during a rescue attempt.{{Cite web |date=15 December 2023 |title=Victims' group calls for memorial for two men killed in Don Tidey rescue |url=https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/victims-group-calls-for-memorial-for-two-men-killed-in-don-tidey-rescue-1565389.html |website=BreakingNews.ie}}{{Cite web |date=December 16, 2023 |title=Today marks 40th anniversary of the killing of Carrickmacross Garda |url=https://www.northernsound.ie/news/today-marks-40th-anniversary-of-the-killing-of-carrickmacross-garda-227773 |website=Northern Sound}}{{Cite news |last=McGreevy |first=Ronan |date=January 2, 2022 |title=Gardaí confirm Provisional IRA killed garda and soldier during Don Tidey kidnap |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/gardai-confirm-provisional-ira-killed-garda-and-soldier-during-don-tidey-kidnap-1.4767480 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}{{Cite news |last=Reilly |first=Jerome |date=15 June 2008 |title='Don't be dead heroes,' IRA gang told gardai, soldiers |url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dont-be-dead-heroes-ira-gang-told-gardai-soldiers-26454113.html |work=Irish Independent}}{{Cite news |date=16 February 2009 |title=Garda Ar Lár |url=http://www.rte.ie/tv/gardaarlar/09prog5.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090323010410/http://www.rte.ie/tv/gardaarlar/09prog5.html |archive-date=23 March 2009 |publisher=RTÉ Television}} Historians believe local Sinn Féin politician John Joe McGirl assisted the kidnappers in holding Tidey at the location.{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Gary |date=10 November 2023 |title=Book Review: The Kidnapping recalls the survival of Don Tidey after IRA abduction |url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-41266831.html |website=Irish Examiner}}

The local Church of Ireland church is the oldest building in Ballinamore in the 1780s from the ruins of the local Roman Catholic Church (St Patrick's) demolished during the reformation and penal laws.

The nearby Ballinamore Estate was granted to the Ormsby family in 1677.{{Cite web |date=18 May 2011 |title=Estate Record: Ormsby (Ballinamore) |url=http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=181 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150813210822/http://landedestates.nuigalway.ie/LandedEstates/jsp/estate-show.jsp?id=181 |archive-date=13 August 2015 |access-date=5 April 2012 |website=Landed Estates Database |publisher=NUI Galway}} Elizabethan settlers located at first in County Sligo, from where they spread into Counties Mayo, Roscommon and Galway. The Ballinamore branch were descended from the Ormsby of Comyn or Cummin in County Sligo.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}

There is a monument to the IRA Chief of Staff, TD, and local councillor John Joe McGirl{{Cite web |title=John Joe McGirl Memorial |url=https://www.ballinamore.ie/index.php?id=646 |access-date=29 December 2023}} on an island on the Shannon-Erne Waterway.

Ballinamore Seán O'Heslin's GAA are the local Gaelic games club.{{Cite web |title=Watch: We are Ballinamore - Sean O'Heslin's make powerful video ahead of county final |url=https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/home/484293/watch-we-are-ballinamore-sean-o-heslin-s-make-powerful-video-ahead-of-county-final.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200713205344/https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/news/home/484293/watch-we-are-ballinamore-sean-o-heslin-s-make-powerful-video-ahead-of-county-final.html |archive-date=13 July 2020 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=www.leitrimobserver.ie}}{{Cite web |title=Ballinamore Sean O'Heslin's all set for County Final showdown - GALLERY |url=https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/gallery/multimedia/484767/ballinamore-sean-o-heslin-s-all-set-for-county-final-showdown-gallery.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200714024609/https://www.leitrimobserver.ie/gallery/multimedia/484767/ballinamore-sean-o-heslin-s-all-set-for-county-final-showdown-gallery.html |archive-date=14 July 2020 |access-date=13 July 2020 |website=www.leitrimobserver.ie}}

Christy Moore released a song called The Ballad of Ballinamore in 1984, giving the writing credits to Fintan Vallely. Later compilations have referred to the song as simply Ballinamore. The song was a parody of an earlier Irish rebel song called The Man from the Daily Mail. It was written after an RTÉ investigation in the Ballinamore area for evidence of the abducted racehorse Shergar (believed to be abducted by the Provisional IRA) found several locals refusing to say anything other than "no comment".{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

{{See also|Category:People from Ballinamore}}

• List of towns and villages in Ireland
• Conmaicne Luchan

{{reflist|group=a}}

{{reflist}}

{{Refbegin|indent=y|colwidth=40em}}

• {{Cite journal |last=Ó Duígeannáin |first=Mícheál |year=1934 |title=Notes on the History of the Kingdom of Bréifne |journal=The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland |edition=Digitized 2008 from the original at the University of California |publisher=Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland |volume=64-65 |issue=1 |pages=113–140 |jstor=25513764}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Meehan |first=Joseph B. |year=1926 |title=Cavan and Leitrim Items in 18th Century Periodicals. I. |url=http://www.cavanlibrary.ie/file/Local-Studies/Library-Scanned-Docs/Breifny-Antiquarian-Society-Journal-1925-26-Vol-II-No-III.pdf |journal=The Breifny Antiquarian Society's Journal |volume=II |issue=III}}
• {{Cite book |last=Longman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R0DnDPUvoAYC&pg=PA405 |title=Traveller's New Guide Through Ireland, Containing a New and Accurate Description of the Roads |publisher=Longman |year=1819 |edition=digitized from original in Lyon Public Library [2011] |access-date=1 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200715192812/https://books.google.com/books?id=R0DnDPUvoAYC&pg=PA405 |archive-date=15 July 2020 |url-status=live}}
• {{Cite book |last=Watsons |url=https://archive.org/download/gentlemanscitize00wats_0/gentlemanscitize00wats_0.pdf |title=The Gentleman's and citizen's almanack ... for the year |publisher=Dublin, Printed for S. Watson [etc.] |year=1830}}
• {{Cite report |url=http://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/25609 |title=Intoxicating Liquor Commission Report |last=Irish Free State |publisher=The Stationery Office |volume=Reports of Committees |access-date=21 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215070011/https://dspace.gipe.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10973/25609 |archive-date=15 December 2018 |url-status=live |year=1925}}
• {{Cite book |last=Kelly |first=Liam |title=The Face of Time |publisher=Lilliput Press |year=1995}}
• {{Cite journal |last=Seymour |first=John D |year=1935 |title=Drumreilly and Its Clergy A.D. 1401-1481 |journal=The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland |series=Seventh Series |volume=5 No. 2 (31 December 1935) |issue=2 |pages=245–253 |jstor=25513789}}
• {{Cite book |last1=Earley |first1=Joseph E |url=https://booktransdoc.com/download/councils-and-synods-of-the-gaelic-early-and-central-middle-ages.html |title=The medieval island church in Lough Garadice |last2=O'Seaneachain |first2=Diarmuid |year=2015 |volume=BREIFNE JOURNAL OF CUMANN SEANCHAIS BHREIFNE |pages=439–469 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190826020059/https://booktransdoc.com/download/councils-and-synods-of-the-gaelic-early-and-central-middle-ages.html |archive-date=2019-08-26 |url-status=dead}}
• {{Cite web |last=Bambury |first=Pádraig |year=2008 |title=Annála Connacht |url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100011.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303205428/http://www.ucc.ie/celt/online/T100011.html |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=30 August 2019 |publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt |pages=1244.57 |edition=Electronic edition compiled by the CELT Team (2001)(2008)}}
• {{Cite web |last=Hennessy |first=William M. |year=2008 |title=Annals of Lough Ce |url=http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100010A.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325183305/http://www.ucc.ie/celt/published/T100010A.html |archive-date=25 March 2017 |access-date=30 August 2019 |publisher=CELT: Corpus of Electronic Texts: a project of University College Cork College Road, Cork, Ireland—http://www.ucc.ie/celt |pages=LC1244.4 |edition=Electronic edition compiled by the CELT Team (2002)(2008)}}
• {{cite AFM

|pp=M1244.6

}}{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFO'Donovan1856}}

• {{Cite journal |last=Simms |first=Katharine |year=2001 |title=A Lost Tribe: The Clan Murtagh O'Conors |journal=Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society |publisher=Galway Archaeological & Historical Society |volume=53 |pages=1–22 |jstor=25535718}}

{{refend}}

{{Commons category|Ballinamore}}

• [http://www.ballinamore.ie/ Official website]

{{County Leitrim}}

Category:Towns and villages in County Leitrim

Category:Places of Conmaicne Luacháin