Ballysteen

Beagh Castle, near Ballysteen

Ballysteen (Irish: Baile Stiabhna) is a small village and townland in County Limerick, Ireland. It is located in the civil parish of Iveruss and the historical barony of Kenry.

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. Beagh Castle, an outpost fortification built in the 13th century by the FitzGerald family, is located close to Ballysteen village. Ballysteen House, an 18th-century country house, is reputedly built on the site of the former Ballysteen Castle. The Catholic church in Ballysteen, which dates to 1861, is in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Limerick. The ruins of a 15th- or 16th-century chapel and churchyard are nearby in Beagh townland. Ballysteen's Carnegie library (constructed c. 1905) was restored in the early 21st century and is now a community and heritage centre.

Local sports clubs include Ballysteen GAA (a Gaelic Athletic Association club which fields teams in competitions organised by Limerick GAA), and Ballysteen AFC (an association football (soccer) club which participates in the Limerick Desmond League). The local primary school, Ballysteen National School, had an enrollment of 26 pupils as of 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 "Baile Stiabhna / Ballysteen". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  2. ↑ 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.
  3. ↑ "Heritage - Places of Historical Interest on the Shannon Estuary Way". shannonestuaryway.ie. The Shannon Estuary Way. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  4. ↑ "Beagh Castle Holiday Cottages & Iverus Café". limerick.ie. Limerick City and County Council. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  5. ↑ "Ballysteen House, Keenoge, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  6. ↑ 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.
  7. ↑ "Saint Patrick's Catholic Church, Calliaghstown, Ballysteen, Limerick". buildingsofireland.ie. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  8. ↑ "St. Patrick's Church Ballysteen". askeatonballysteen.ie. Askeaton Ballysteen Parish. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  9. ↑ Lewis, Samuel, ed. (1837). "Iverus". A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. Dublin: Lewis.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Ballysteen Carnegie Library re-opens on proud day for local community". ilovelimerick.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  12. ↑ "Ballysteen GAA - History". ballysteengaa.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  13. ↑ "Limerick Desmond Football League - Ballysteen AFC". limerickdesmondfootballleague.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "Directory Page - Ballysteen N S". gov.ie. Department of Education. Retrieved 19 April 2024.

52°38′47″N 8°57′08″W / 52.6464°N 8.9521°W / 52.6464; -8.9521