Ballymore Eustace

Location map
Ireland
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Ballymore Eustace ("Baile Mór na nIústasach" in Irish) is a town in County Kildare in Ireland, which was within a part of County Dublin until 1836. It lies close to the border with County Wicklow.

The town's name is sometimes abbreviated (in everyday usage) to "Ballymore" - even though there are several other towns in Ireland called Ballymore (from Irish: "Baile Mór na nIústasach", meaning "big town of Eustace / the Eustaces").

Location and access

Ballymore Eustace is located at the junction of the R411 and R413 regional roads, on the River Liffey, over which the R411 is carried by a relatively rare seven arch bridge. It had a population of 786 at the 2002 census. The village is served by Dublin Bus, with route number 65, seven times daily, at irregular intervals.

History

Ballymore Eustace in the 13th century - at the time simply known as Ballymore - was the site of a castle, which in 1244 was granted an eight day fair to be held on site by Henry III. The upkeep of the castle was given to Thomas Fitzoliver FitzEustace as constable in 1373, whose family name came to be associated with the town, lending it its present name. No trace of the castle exists today, but the importance of Ballymorre is emphasized by the fact that Parliment was held there in 1389. It was a border town of "the Pale", giving it strategic importance in the area, but also leading to its raiding by local families.

The first reference to a church is in 1192, but the existence of two High Crosses in St. John's Graveyard indicates pre-Norman church site.

The town and surrounding lands formed for centuries one of three detached portions of the barony of Uppercross, County Dublin. These lands, originally part of Dublin because they belonged to religious foundations there, were among the last such exclaves in Ireland, being merged into Kildare only in 1836.

In the 19th century, the town's largest source of employment was a cotton mill (owned by the Gallagher family), the ruins of which still stand by the river at a spot known as the "pike hole". This mill employed in the region of 700 people and a row of single-storey houses were built nearby to accommodate a number of their families - this terrace today known as "Weaver's row", running alongside and down the hill from the Catholic church.

urroundings

Near the town are the Blessington Lakes which were created artificially in the 1940s by the damming of the river Liffey at Poulaphouca (or the "Devil's hole") which was done to generate electricity by the Electricity Supply Board (ESB), and also to create a reservoir for the supply of water for the city of Dublin. The water is treated at a major treatment plant, the Water Treatment Works at Ballymore Eustace run by Dublin City Council.

Activities such as fishing, sailing, canoeing, water skiing and windsurfing are regularly seen on Blessington Lakes and on the Golden Falls lake downstream from Poulaphouca Dam. Also nearby is Russborough House, a fine example of Palladian architecture, which houses the Beit art collection, much of which was donated to the state by Sir Alfred Lane Beit, including works by Goya, Vermeer and Rubens.

It has also been a place of interest for the film industry. The 1959 film Shake Hands With the Devil was filmed in and around the town. Some of the battle scenes in Mel Gibson's (1995) film, Braveheart, were filmed around Ballymore Eustace. The recent film King Arthur was also mostly shot in the village. This resulted in a 1km long mock-up of Hadrian's Wall being constructed in a field outside of the village during 2003. This was disassembled and the field was returned to its original state.

port

On one side of the town, towards Naas, is the Punchestown Racecourse, the site of a well-known horse-racing festival, which takes place over three days every April. Ballymore Eustace is surrounded by well-known stud-farms where many renowned racing horses have been bred down through the years.

Punchestown rececourse is also used for major outdoor music festivals and exhibitions.

Also present is Ballymore Eustace GAA.

ee also

* List of towns in Ireland

External links

* [http://www.kildare.ie/BallymoreEustace/ Ballymore Eustace Online]
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/ballymorebugle/ Photos depicting life in the village]
* [http://ballymore.blogspot.com Online resource for past editions of the Ballymore Bugle]
* [http://www.kildare.ie/touristguide/towns/ballymore-eustace.asp Kildare Tourist Guide to Ballymore Eustace]