Ballinskelligs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ballinskelligs
Baile an Sceilg
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Village
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 Ballinskelligs
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Kerry |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 375 (Electoral District) |
| Irish Grid Reference | V429657 |
| Website | http://www.visitballinskelligs.ie |
| Official name: Baile an Sceilg | |
Ballinskelligs is a lovely village in County Kerry, Ireland. Its official Irish name is Baile an Sceilg. This means "town of the craggy rock." It is located in the southwest part of the Iveragh peninsula.
Ballinskelligs is part of an area called the Gaeltacht. This means that the Irish language is spoken here every day. About 10% of the people in this area speak Irish regularly.
The "craggy rocks" in the village's name are the famous Skellig Islands. These islands, Skellig Michael and Little Skellig, are off the coast. Skellig Michael was once home to an ancient monastery. Ballinskelligs also has a beautiful beach.
In 1875, Ballinskelligs became a special place for communication. It was where an early transatlantic telegraph cable ended. This cable stretched all the way from Nova Scotia, Canada. It was a huge distance of about 4,750 kilometers (2,950 miles)!
Exploring Ballinskelligs
Ballinskelligs Castle
You can find the ruins of Ballinskelligs Castle on the western side of Ballinskelligs Bay. It sits on a narrow piece of land. The MacCarthy Mór family built this castle in the 1500s.
They built it to protect the bay from pirates. It might also have been used to collect fees from trading ships coming into the area.
Ballinskelligs Priory
Another important historical site is Ballinskelligs Priory. This was a type of monastery. It belonged to a group of religious people called Augustinian canons.
Art and Creativity
Ballinskelligs is also home to the Cill Rialaig project. This project has two parts. One is an Artist Retreat in the old village of Cill Rialaig. The other is an Arts Centre in Dun Geagan village.
This project helps artists. It was started in the 1990s by a local person named Noelle Campbell-Sharp.
