Fáilte go Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh, at?suite ar bruach na Lao? Gheibheann s?a h-ainm mar a bhfuil s?suite ag béal an Ghaorthaidh, a shineann soir go Droichead Maigh Cluain Aodh, le hais Mhaigh Chromtha. Bh?sean Átha ait a bhfuil an sraid anois a chabhraig len ár sean-mhuintir an Bun Síleann a treasnu san am anallód.

T?Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh mar chuid de Pharóiste Uibh Laoire a sníonn ? Cúm Rua, thiar ?Ghuagán, chomh fada leis an nGaorthadh ag Droichead Na Toinne. T?an-cháil ag an nGaorthadh cheanna de bharr an luibheolaíochta agus ?thaobh na fiandheatha dhe.

T?Locha Lua soir ?Bhéal Átha An Ghaorthaidh agus síneann said chomh fada soir le h-Inse Geimhleach.

Deirtear gur ruaig Naomh Fionnbarra an t-arrachta Lua ?Loch Irce sa nGuagán agus gur ghearr s?gleann na Lao?amach ar a shl?dh?amach Cuan Chorca? más fíor scéal!

Áiteacha Suimiúla

1. Guagán Barra; Seo an áit a chónaíodh Naomh Fionnbarra ins an Seacht?aois agus ba ann a bhunaigh s?a mhainistir. In dhiaidh sin bhunaigh s?cathair Chorca? Chónaigh Tadhg ?Buachalla agus a bhean Ansty, lastoir den nGuagán i nGaorthadh na Péice. Scriobh Eric Cross leabhar ina dtaobh dharbh ainm “The Tailor and Ansty?

An Phairc Náisiúnta; T?an Phairc Náisiúnta seo síar ón nGuagán i gCúm Rua. Is ?an chéad Pháirc Fhoraoise Náisiúnta a chruthaíodh in Éirinn.

2. Céim An Fhia; Conar ?seo a ghearr abha a shíníodh amach as loch a bh?laisteas i nGleann h-Abhann Meáine le linn na hóighearaoise deireanna? T?an-cháil air ?thaobh an Geograife dhe agus glaotar Clais Scéithe air. Scríobh Máire Bhu?N?Laoghaire dán, “Cath Céim An Fhia? faoi scliúchas a tharla ann idir na Gíománaigh agus Buachaill?Na Carraige sa bhliain 1822 agus t?an-cháil ar mar dhán.

3. Na Céimeanna; Droichead cloch ?seo at?in aice an tsráid. T?cúpla ceann eile sa dúthaigh chomh maith ?ceann amhain thuas i Ros a’Locha thar Abha Na Sroine.

4. Béal a’Ghleanna; T?leacht cuimhneacháin anseo ag déanamh comóradh ar fhir a ghlac páirt i luíochán ?an chéad cheann ?i gCogadh Na Saoirse sa bhliain 1918.

5. Oiléan U?Mheihigáin; Crannóg ?seo at?suite i Locha Lua sa áit go snionn Abha Atha Na Cinniartha isteach iontu. ‘S?an t-aon chrannóg amháin i gCo. Chorca??

6. Coláiste Na Mumhan; Bunaíodh an Coláiste sa bhliain 1904. B’é an chead choláiste samhraidh d’fhoghlaimeoir?na Gaeilge. T?an foirgneamh suite trasna an bhóthair ?Oifig a’Phoist. Tagann isteach is amach le 400 dalta go dt?an Coláiste nua soir an tsráid gach bliain.

7. ?Súilleabháin Béara; Oiche Coille na bliana 1602 ghaibh DónalCám ?Súilleabháin Béara tr?Bhéal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh maraon le 1000 d?lucht leanúna ar a gcúl-throid iomráiteach ?Dhun Baoi i leithinis Bhéara go dt?Co. Liatroma. Shuíodar campa ag Teampaillín Eachrois ~ sean séipéal at?ina fothroach anois agus at?timpeall dh? mhíle sl?lastuaidh den sráidbhaile. Briseadh cos capall Dónail ar an sl? go Baile Bhúirne. Bh?eas san áit ar briseadh an chos agus t?“Easach Na Circe?mar ainm air ?shin. “Cearc?an t-ainm a bh?ar an gcapall, ar dóigh. T?sceál eile ann gur bádh an Cearc i bpoll pórtaigh. Glaotar Poll Na Circe ar an bpoll ?shin i leith. Ag deireadh a dturais níor mhair ach cúigear déag ar fhicéad den mhíle duine.

8. An tSeanchearta
 

9. An Pota Gorta

Visitors Guide

Welcome to Béal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh (Ballingeary), situated on the banks of The Lee, Co Cork,s principal river. It’s name in Irish, ‘Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh? means ‘the ford at the mouth of the wooded valley through which flows a river?

Ballingeary is part of the Parish of Uibh Laoire, the ancient home of the O’Leary family. Uibh Laoire stretches from Gougane Barra, a beautiful valley four miles west of Ballingeary, to The Gearagh, an ancient wooded area, now a nature reserve, twelve miles to the east.

Just east of Ballingeary the River Lee widens into Locha Lua, ‘the Lakes of Lua?which extend from Ballingeary to Inchigeela, our sister village in the Parish Of Uibh Laoire. St Finbarr is reputed to have banished the serpent Lua from Gougane Barra Lake. The course the serpent was forced to take to Cork Harbour is now the valley of the River Lee.


Places of Interest;

1. Gougane Barra. This beautiful mountain valley was home to St. Finbarr in the 7th Century. He afterwards founded Cork City. Gougane was also home to the celebrated Tim Buckley and his wife, subjects of Eric Cross’s The Tailor and Ansty.

Páirc Naisiunta/ Forest Park. West of Gúgán Barra lies Cúm Rua, site of Ireland’s first Forest Park


2. Céim An Fhia (The Leap Of The Deer) /The Pass of Keimaneigh. This mountain pass on the R584 road to Bantry was immortalised by local poet Máire Bhu?N?Laoire in her poem Cath Céim An Fhia, an account of a battle in 1822 between Local Whiteboys and Yeomen supported by British soldiers. An overflow channel from a glacial lake during the last Ice Age formed the Pass.


3. Na Céimeanna, (Clapper Bridge). This ancient stone bridge is only 200 yards from this Park and crosses the River Lee.   This fine example of a clapper bridge is 1 of 10 remaining in Munster.


4. Béal an Ghleanna/Mouth of The Glen; A monument marks the position of where the first engagement of the War Of Independence occurred on 1918


5. Oileán U?Mheihigáin; This man made island or ‘crannóg?in Locha Lua is the only one of its kind in Co. Cork.


6. Coláiste Na Mumhan; Irelands first Irish language college was established in Ballingeary in 1904 across the road from the local Post Office. The present Coláiste welcomes 400 students each summer.


7. O’Sullivan Beara; On New Years Eve 1602 Donal O’Sullivan Beara and his 1000 followers passed through Ballingeary on their celebrated forced retreat from their home on the Beara Peninsula to Co. Leitrim. They camped at Teampaillín Eachrois, a ruined church two miles north of Ballingeary. At the end of their two-week ordeal only 35 reached their destination in O’Rourke’s Castle in Leitrim Village.

8. The Forge

9. The Famine Pot