Ballymote (Irish: Baile an Mhóta, meaning 'town of the motte/mound') is a market town in southern County Sligo, Ireland. It is around 20 km south of Sligo town in the province of Connacht, which is in the north-west of Ireland. Ballymote lies in the barony of Corran. It is a commuter town with a strong history of independent enterprises along with firm local health, school, and transport services. Ballymote is on the main Dublin to Sligo Train Line, and 10 minutes from the N4 / N17 roads. The town serves a large hinterland area in south east County Sligo.
The origins of the settlement appear to have been derived from the 12th century Norman Castle,[3] though evidence of earlier settlement and farming in area from c.1000BC exists through the presence of ringforts, cairns, and archaeological remains.[4][5]
Ballymote was much affected by the disruption of the full conquest of Ireland by the English and Protestant settlers in the early modern period (1536–1691). Ballymote was ravaged several times in the 16th century and finally burned to waste.[6] In 1608 King James I granted an estate encompassing the castle and area around the town to James Fullerton,[7] this was soon to pass to the Taaffes.[8] Following litigations, court action and a forced sale John Fitzmaurice (Lord Shelburne) bought the Ballymote estate in 1753.[9][a]
On coming to Ballymote, Shelburne found the land mostly uncultivated with the inhabitants, all Roman Catholic, making no attempt to manufacture goods but subsisting on herding cattle.[10][12] Shelburne made a start to establish Ballymote as a centre for the linen industry in County Sligo,[13] by provisioning cottages for Protestant weavers and spinners brought in from Ulster.[10] Expansion was slow, and with Shelburne's death in 1761 his widow attempted to progress his project through managers, expanding from 20 to 60 looms.[14] In 1774 the younger son, Thomas Fitzmaurice, after studying the linen business, began the modern expansion of the town, with the construction of a bleach mill, workers houses,[4] and Earlsfield House, a residence for himself.[11] In 1776 it was noted that Fitzmaurice had invited architect James Paine to plan a redevelopment of the town with a new street layout, a market house and other associated houses. No records exist of Paine's plans, and it is not clear if his designs were implemented.[15] By 1799, it was recorded that most of the inhabitants of Ballymote were weavers. Linen production peaked in the period from 1815 to 1820, but went into steep decline by the 1840s.[16] Within the history of planned industrial settlements centred around the linen industry in Ireland, this was one of the later attempts[17] with the manufacturing of linen in the town ultimately abandoned.[18]
In 1833, the ownership of the town was transferred from the Fitzmaurices to the Gore-Booth family of Lissadell,[19] who has established a corn mill in the town in 1795.[20] In 1837, the town consisted of 140 houses on a single main street at the junction of six roads, and was owned by Robert Gore-Booth.[3] A map from 1847 shows the core layout of the current town established.[4]
In addition to a selection of shops and services, there are factories just outside the town at Ballybrennan, and a small business park at Carrownanty on the R296 Road to Tobercurry.[22][23] There is a livestock mart and a microbrewery.[24][25] The wider area is mainly agricultural,[4] with many people commuting to Carrick on Shannon and Sligo town for work.[26]
A number of sports are played in the town, including Gaelic football and athletics at Corran Park and soccer at Brother Walfrid Memorial Park. The town had had a nine-hole golf course on the outskirts of the town since 1943 (though some claim 1930s), which relocated c. 1993. and which closed in 2019 as financially unviable with dwindling membership.[27][28]
The Ballymote Heritage Group was founded on 30 May 1984. At the bank holiday at the beginning of August they organise a heritage weekend with a variety of events and an annual publication, The Corran Herald.[29][30]
The Irish Raptor Research Centre near Templehouse Lough was originally set up for research purposes but since 2003 demonstrates the fun and educational Eagles Flying Show as well.[31]
A children's playground has been created at Town Park. A miniature railway was previously in operation there on some summer weekends.[32]
The town regularly host St Patricks day parades each year.
It is a historic town, with Ballymote Castle, the last and the mightiest of the Norman castles in Connacht.[33] This castle, dating from 1300, was built by Richard de Burgh. It also has a Market House, a three-bay, two-story building formerly used by the South Sligo Adult Community Mental Health team of the Health Service Executive.
There has been a library in the town since 1949; originally run from the Loftus Hall, it was relocated to the former courthouse in 1984 before moving in 2011 to its current location on Teeling Street.[34]
Temple house is located approximately 2 km from the town.
Paddy Killoran (1903–1965), one of the finest exponents of the South Sligo Style of Fiddle playing (born near Ballymote).[36]
Sophia McColgan, recipient of the 1998 IrishPerson of the Year award on behalf of her family for her courage in bringing a familial abuse story to public attention.[37]
^F. H. A. Aalen; Kevin Whelan; Matthew Stout (1997), Atlas of the Irish rural landscape, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, ISBN0-8020-4294-5, OCLC39672233
Darley, Gillian (1975). Villages of vision (1st ed.). London: The Architecctural Press Ltd. ISBN0851397050. OCLC925311089. OL4934366M. Estate belonging to Gore Booth family; single street with 160 houses. Linen industry failed
D'Imperio, Antio (2014). "Ballymote Castle". irishstones.org. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
Development Planning Unit (September 2012). Ballymote Local Area Plan 2012–2018(PDF) (Report). Sligo Count Council. Archived(PDF) from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
Ní Chinnéide, Síle (1977). "A Frenchman's Tour of Connacht in 1791. Part II". Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society. 36. Galway Archaeological & Historical Society: 30–42. JSTOR25535500.
Ballymote travel guide from Wikivoyage