Ballaghmore, County Laois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ballaghmore An Bealach Mór
Village
Ballaghmore Castle
Ballaghmore Location in Ireland
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	County Laois
Time zone	UTC+0 (WET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-1 (IST (WEST))

Ballaghmore is a small village in County Laois, Ireland. Its name, An Bealach Mór, means "the great way" in Irish. You can find it about 7 kilometers (4 miles) east of Roscrea. It's a quiet place with a lot of history.

What's in Ballaghmore?

Ballaghmore might be small, but it has some important places. It has a local hurling club called Kyle GAA. Hurling is a very fast and exciting Irish sport! There's also a Roman Catholic church, Saint Molua's. This church was first built in 1812 and was updated in 1978.

Local Life and Work

The main type of work in Ballaghmore is farming. Many people in the village work on farms.

Ballaghmore Castle: A Historic Landmark

The village is most famous for its amazing Ballaghmore Castle. The castle got its name from the Bealach Mor. This was an ancient road that led to Munster. The castle was built right on this important route.

Who Built Ballaghmore Castle?

Ballaghmore Castle was built a long time ago, in 1480. It was built by an Irish chieftain named Mac Giolla Phádraig. This name means "Son of the Servant of Patrick." Today, people often call this family name Fitzpatrick.

Castle's History and Restoration

Like many castles in Ireland, Ballaghmore Castle was damaged during a time of conflict. It was hurt by forces loyal to Oliver Cromwell in 1647. This happened during the Laois-Offaly Plantation.

Later, in 1836, a man named Mr. Ely started to fix up the castle. While he was working, he found a secret hoard of gold on the land! The castle then became empty for a while. It was even used to store grain. It started to fall apart until its current owner bought it in 1990.

Today, Ballaghmore Castle is special. Of all the old castles in the area of Upper Ossory, it is the only one that people can still live in!