Ballingarry, County Limerick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ballingarry
Baile an Gharraí
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Village
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Housing in Ballingarry
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 Ballingarry
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Limerick |
| Population
(2022)
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570 |
| Eircode routing key |
V94
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| Dialling code | 069 |
| Irish Grid Reference | R413361 |
Ballingarry is a village in County Limerick, Ireland. Its name comes from the Irish words "Baile an Gharraí," which means "town of the garden." You can find Ballingarry near Granagh village, between the towns of Rathkeale and Kilmallock. It's located right on the R518 road.
Ballingarry is part of a larger area called a "civil parish" and also an "ecclesiastical parish" for the local churches. In 2022, about 570 people lived in Ballingarry. This was a small increase from 521 people in 2016.
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History of Ballingarry
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People have lived in the Ballingarry area for a very long time. You can still see signs of old settlements, like ringforts. These were circular areas with banks and ditches, used for protection in ancient times. There are also "holy wells," which are special springs of water that people believed had healing powers.
From the 1100s, several early religious buildings were set up nearby. One important site was a "preceptory," which was a type of headquarters for groups like the Knights Templar or Knights Hospitaller. These were medieval military and religious orders.
In the village, on Knight Street, stands the 15th-century Ballingarry Castle. This castle is a "tower house," a strong stone tower built by the Normans. It is traditionally linked to the De Lacy family, who were powerful landowners.
The local Church of Ireland church was built in 1820. It stands on the site of an even older church and graveyard. The current Roman Catholic church, called Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, opened in 1879. These churches are among seven buildings in Ballingarry that are officially "protected structures." This means they are important for their history or architecture and must be preserved.
Ballingarry used to have a big industry making woven cloth and linen. However, this industry declined greatly after the Great Famine in the mid-1800s.
Sports in Ballingarry
Ballingarry is home to several active sports clubs.
Gaelic Games
The local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club is called Granagh-Ballingarry GAA. This club mainly plays hurling and camogie. Hurling is a fast-paced game played with sticks and a ball, similar to hockey but in the air. Camogie is a similar game played by women.
- The Granagh-Ballingarry hurling team won the Limerick Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2023.
- The Granagh-Ballingarry camogie team has won the All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie Championship multiple times, in 1998, 1999, and 2003.
Soccer
The local association football (soccer) club is Ballingarry A.F.C.. This team won the Desmond League Premier Division in the 2003/2004 season.
Notable People from Ballingarry
Several well-known people have connections to Ballingarry:
- Anthony Forde (born 1993) is a professional footballer. He plays for Wrexham A.F.C. and grew up in the Ballingarry area.
- Edward Joseph Hannan (1836–1891) was a priest. He was born in Ballingarry in 1836 and later became the founder of the famous football club Hibernian Football Club in Scotland.
- Patrick Walsh (1840–1899) was born in Ballingarry in 1840. He later moved to the United States and became a US Senator for the state of Georgia. He served in the Senate from 1894 to 1895.
