Ballylongford, Co.Kerry, Ireland
Ballylongford Heritage Trails Historical Sights and Beautiful Scenery.
Heritage Trail 1
1 Lislaughin Abbey Window
2 St. Michaels Church
The Roman Catholic Church of St. Michael was dedicated in 1871, built in the Hiberno-Romanesque style to the design of J.J. McCarthy. The Church contains a number of stained glass windows, one of which was donated by The O’Rahilly family, important local merchants in the town. Michael O’Rahilly (The O’Rahilly) would later become a key participant in the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin
3 Bust of O’Rahilly
4 Bust of Brendan Kennelly
5 Eddie Carmody Memorial
6 The Proclamation Garden
7 Gerry Mc Cabe Memorial
8 Aghavallen Church/Graveyard
The graveyard and ruins of Aghavallen Church was originally dedicated as a Catholic Church it later became a place of worship for the local Protestant community. Several 19th century landowners are interred here including the Sandes, Ponsonbys, Popes, Crosbies and the Colts. Its was here that Lord Kitchener, later Secretary of State for War in Britain in the First World War, was baptised in 1851.
Carrigafoyle Castle was built in the 1490s. by the O’Connor family. The Castle is a substantial five storey structure, with 104 internal steps. In 1580 a garrison of soldiers holding the castle for the rebel Earl of Desmond was besieged by Sir William Pelham. The castle fell after three days when it was attacked by artillery from the west. The garrison was executed and the Earl’s valuables were taken and sent to Queen Elizabeth. This event became known as the Siege of Carrigafoyle Castle. The destruction caused by artillery attack to the western wall can be seen to this day.
The Castle is opened to the public in the summer months from first Friday in May to September
10 Blue Light church
11 The Battery
The Battery on Carrig Island is one of a number of artillery and signal towers built around the coast of Great Britain and Ireland in anticipation of an invasion (1800-1815) when Napoleon ruled France. The artillery garrison was withdrawn and the guns dismantled in 1889.
Heritage Trail 2
12 Tara Cinema
13 O’Rahilly Sports Field
14 Home of the O’Rahilly
15 The Mill
16 The Famine Hospital
17 The Creamery
18 Our Lady’s Grotto
19 The Old School
20 Lislaughtin Abbey/Graveyard
Lislaughtin Abbey, Ballylongford, Co.Kerry, is a Franciscan Friary founded in 1475 by John O’Connor Kerry. The Friary is believed to have been built on the site of an earlier church dedicated to St.Lachtin who died in 622AD.
Ballylongford Tidy Towns 