Ballydehob

Ballydehob ( Irish: Béal an Dá Chab ) is a small town on the southwest coast of Ireland in County Cork in the province of Munster. Ballydehob had 2011 837 inhabitants in the census year. Ballydehob is located 12 km west of Skibbereen and 32 km east of Mizen Head, the westernmost point of Ireland and 30 kilometers east of Sheep's Head with the lighthouse Fastnet Lighthouse.

History

At the beginning of the Bronze Age (2200-600 BC), copper was mined in the area Ballydehobs as in the nearby copper mines at Mount Gabriel. In the subsequent era of the Iron Age Celts various clans fought for dominance in this area. Finally, the McCarthy and the O'Mahonys were the leading families in the southwestern coast of Ireland. A number of medieval fortifications protected the coastal strip. Kilcoe Castle was the westernmost bastion of McCarthy. Today, it is the best preserved building from this period in West Cork.

In the time of Elizabeth I, the troops George Carewsin invaded in 1602 incorporated the territory and expelled the rebellious clan chiefs. Your train through West Cork has been described in Pacata Hibernia by Sir Thomas Stafford. But not only this, from the standpoint of the conquerors of written narrative illuminates the struggles that time, but also the contemporary work historicae Catolicae Iberniae Compenium by Don Philip O'Sullivan, who had fled from Ireland to Spain.

In the 17th century, many Protestants moved from England to the coast, but also Huguenot refugees escaped the persecution in France in small boats and landed on the Irish coast. The Swanton from Norfolk soon became the most influential family in this area and in the late 18th century, the town was renamed in Swanton Town. The use of this name is shown to the census of 1821.

In the 1820s, the copper mining most important economic sector in Ballydehob began to grow. Lord Audley opened the Cappagh mine whose 20 -meter-high chimney for the roasting of copper ore existed until February 2002, when it was destroyed by a lightning strike. During this period, a station of the Royal Irish Constabulary was set up in Ballydehob, six years before London was the first police station. In the 1840s, the city's population had grown to 20,000. But soon decimated the Great Famine in Ireland the population. Thousands of inhabitants died or migrated through the ports of the southern coast of Ireland to the United States. In Ballydehob, the population shrank from 1841 by 42%.

In the 1880s, the County Cork was a center of cooperative -oriented land reform and in Ballydehob held the Irish National Land League in the square, on the day of St. Brigit 's School is a large gathering from where also Anna Parnell, sister of Charles Stewart Parnell, made ​​a speech.

Traffic

On September 6, 1886, the station of Ballydehob was opened with a big party and numerous sporting events. The station was located on the route of the Schull and Skibbereen Railway, a narrow gauge railway, which was observed at this time in this area, a speed limit of 15 miles per hour. A stone bridge with 12 arches led across the estuary of the river and now serves as a tourist attraction and viewpoint. The decline of copper mining and coal shortages led to the closure of the route. The last railroad train rolled on January 27, 1947 the place. The station was closed on June 1, 1953.

Ballydehob is located on the N71 national secondary road one, which connects the city of Cork with Killarney in County Kerry.

Culture

In the 1960s, many artists and writers settled in Ballydehob. For some time there was also hippie communes in place. A house was painted with flowers, and was soon known as the Flower House.

Ballydehob hosts a number of annual festivals and visitors not only from the environment, but

• Féile Átha Dá Chab is a festival of traditional Irish folk music and dances, which takes place in April.
• Ballydehob International Jazz Festival is an ever -increasing Jazz Festival in May, attended by musicians and visitors from around the world.
• Ballydehob Summer Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. It is a typical summer festival for families. In this context, the Ballydehob Traditional Boat Gathering took place in recent years.
• Ballydehob Old Time Threshing and Vintage Weekend is a harvest festival and celebrates the traditional Irish Agriculture West Cork in October.

Tourism

Levis ' Pub, a traditional Irish Pub of Levis Sisters is opposite Annie 's Restaurant. There is a long tradition, first stopping off at the pub to drink something while you study the menu of Annie 's Restaurant. From the opposite Diner then often Annie Barry himself comes to taking orders and ask the guests over when the food is ready. After the meal at the restaurant many visitors return back to the pub where for 25 years the Levis Sisters occurred. In Ballydehob, there are a number of other traditional pubs and restaurants.

Personalities

One of the most famous inhabitants of the city was the wrestler Danno Mahony. He won on June 30, 1935 the world championship of the National Wrestling Alliance in Boston by a title fight against Jim Londos. He was known by the nickname " Irish Whip " ( Irish Whip ). This name came from a throwing technique developed by him. In the center of Balldehob exists today a pub called The Irish Whip. Mahony died on 4 November 1950 in a car accident. In 2000 a bronze statue was erected Mahony's in Ballydehob.

The mid-90s was the medieval Castle Kilcoe acquired by the actor Jeremy Irons and renovated for residential purposes.

The Berlin-born geologist Colin J. Campbell, who through his work on the global peak oil ( peak oil ) was known now lives in Ballydehob.