Ballinlough, Cork

Ballinlough Baile an Locha
Suburb
Ballinlough Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 51°53′22″N 8°26′47″W / 51.88944°N 8.44639°W / 51.88944; -8.44639Coordinates: 51°53′22″N 8°26′47″W / 51.88944°N 8.44639°W / 51.88944; -8.44639
Country	Ireland
Administrative area	Cork (city)
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)

Ballinlough (Irish: Baile an Locha, meaning "town of the lake")^[1] is a mainly residential townland and suburb on the southside of Cork city, in Ireland. It is located between Ballintemple and the larger suburbs of Douglas and Blackrock.

History

Illustration of Croker's 1815 survey of the Ballinlough Stone

Among the earliest written references to the townland and then village of Ballinlough date from 1601 (as "Ballinlogha") in the Calendar to Fiants of reign of Henry VIII,^[2] and from 1655 (as "Ballinloghy") in the Down Survey.^[3] These Irish language names ("Baile an Locha", the town of the lake) reflected the position of the village focal-points (including Ballinlough House and the original Ballinlough school), close to Lough Mahon and the Douglas River Estuary.^[4] The Ballinlough Stone, a standing stone near Ballinlough House, was surveyed by antiquary Thomas Crofton Croker in the early 19th century.^[5][6] Later archaeological surveys of the stone question whether its origins are prehistoric, or if it is a less ancient boundary marker.^[6][7]

In the 19th century, land use in the area was mainly focused on farming and market gardening.^[6][8] The larger farms were managed from estate houses including Ballinlough House, Ardfallen House, Thorn Hill House, and LakeVille/Ravenscourt.^[6][8]

From the early 20th century, with Cork city expanding east, and the village expanding west, the area became more suburbanised. This included the building of housing developments during the 1920s and 1930s in the neighbouring and sub-townlands of Browingstown, Coppingers Stang, and Knockrea.^[6][8][9] Early 20th century censuses however still recorded 17 market gardeners in the area.^[9] With the construction of a new church in 1938,^[10] two additional schools in 1944 and 1965,^[11][12] and a later community centre, the focal-points of the (now) suburb shifted westward towards the city. Previously separated by remaining green belts and outside the city's administrative area, Ballinlough is now within the Cork City Council administrative boundary and zoned as a suburban residential area.^[8][13]

Amenities

There are three primary schools situated in Ballinlough: St. Anthony's Boys National School, Eglantine Girls National School, and Our Lady of Lourdes Girls National School.^[14][15][16]

The community centre in Ballinough includes a public park and a number of buildings which host community activities. The main building hosts a Montessori school, bowls and bingo events.^[17] The 38th/40th Cork Scout Group (a member of Scouting Ireland) is also based in the community centre in Ballinlough,^[18] as are the Junior, Intermediate and Senior youth clubs (affiliated with Ógra Chorcaí).^[19]

Ballinlough is an independent parish of the Cork and Ross Catholic Diocese and is home to Our Lady of Lourdes Church.^[20]

Ballinlough Tennis Club has five outdoor courts in the community centre complex,^[21] and the Páirc Uí Rinn Gaelic Athletic Association grounds and the Cork Constitution rugby club lie on the border between Ballinlough and Ballintemple.

Notable residents

• Ray Cummins - former Cork hurling and Gaelic football dual player, was born in Ballinlough in 1948
• Micheál Martin - leader of Fianna Fáil and former minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Health, resides in Ballinlough^[22]

Bordering suburbs

Neighbouring areas of Cork.

	Turners Cross	Ashton	Ballintemple, Cork
	Douglas		Beaumont
		Ballinlough
	Douglas	Tramore River Estuary	Mahon, Cork

References