Ballinspittle
| Ballinspittle Béal Átha an Spidéil | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
|
Ballinspittle village centre | |
  Ballinspittle Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 51°40′N 8°36′W / 51.667°N 8.600°WCoordinates: 51°40′N 8°36′W / 51.667°N 8.600°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Cork |
| Barony | Courceys |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
Ballinspittle (Irish: Béal Átha an Spidéil, meaning "town of the hospital")[1] is a village in County Cork, Ireland.[2] It is in the barony of Courceys and lies about 8 km (5 miles) southwest of Kinsale. It is near Garrylucas and Garrettstown Blue Flag beaches.
The village is a community with new housing estates, businesses, a post office, a national school and a Gaelic Athletic Association facility known as the Jim O' Regan Memorial Park.
Moving statue
In the summer of 1985, Ballinspittle received national and international attention when inhabitants claimed to have witnessed a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary moving spontaneously. As news of the phenomenon spread, thousands of pilgrims and spectators flocked to the site of the statue. Many visitors claimed to have observed the spontaneous movements. The Catholic Clergy in Ireland maintained a neutral stance in regard to the authenticity of the claims.
Things to See and Do
The Courtmacsherry Bay Area web site (courtmacsherrybayarea.ie) lists many things to see and do, as well as places to stay, eat and drink, in the local area.
Transport
Bus Éireann route 226 serves Ballinspittle on Sundays only during the Summer linking it to Garretstown and Kinsale (where onward connections to/from Cork Airport and Cork city are available).[3] Until June 2013 Bus Éireann route 249 also served Ballinspittle two days per week year-round.[4] The Bus Éireann service in Garrettstown no longer runs as of 2014.
Ballinspittle sits over the PTAT-1 transatlantic fibre optic cable.
Sport
- Courcey Rovers GAA is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballinspittle and Ballinadee. The under-14 girls defeated Iniscarra to enter the Feile 2010 in Clare.
- De Courcey Albion is the local soccer club based in Ballinspittle and Ballinadee.
Notable people
The Irish tenor Finbar Wright grew up in the townland of Kilmore just outside the village.
Ballinspittle Festival
A summer festival has been held in the town since 2001. It features live bands on the Village Centre Festival Stage. The neighbouring village of Ballinadee hosts events on the weekend prior to Ballinspittle Festival. The village receives an annual influx of summer visitors mainly from Cork City.
Community events include fancy dress parades, historical walks, Irish road bowling, markets, family athletics, novelty races, garden tours, traditional music, pet shows, cow bingo, swimming races, crab fishing, sandcastle building, crazy football, car treasure hunts, nightly street barbecues, and a visit by the Courtmacsherry Lifeboat.
Landmarks
Ancient historical sites include Ballycatten Fort, which dates from the sixth century, and Curtapurteen, which, according to legend, Saint Patrick once visited. The most southerly tip the Old Head of Kinsale is a site of ancient and present-day lighthouses, as well as a golf links.
References
- ↑ Ballinspittle (text records) Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2013-02-07.
- ↑ Béal Átha an Spidéil Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved: 2011-02-07.
- ↑ http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=1330&month=Jul
- ↑ http://buseireann.ie/news_timetable.php?id=1317&month=Jun
External links
- Ballinspittle and the moving statues
- BBC News report regarding the moving statues
- De Courcey Albion F.C
