Baltimore, County Cork
Encyclopedia
Baltimore is located in western County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

, Ireland. Baltimore is the principal village of the parish of Rath and the Islands, the southernmost parish in Ireland. It is the main ferry port to Sherkin Island, Cape Clear Island and the eastern side of Roaring Water Bay (Loch Trasna) and Carbery's Hundred Isles
Carbery's Hundred Isles
Carbery’s 100 Isles is a term that could refer to all the islands along the coast of the Baronies of Carbery West and Carbery East, descendants of the medieval Barony of Carbery, on the Celtic Sea. It is actually used mainly for those in and around Long Island Bay and Roaringwater Bay...

.
Although the name Baltimore is an anglicisation of Irish words meaning "Town of the Big House", the Irish-language name for Baltimore is that of the O'Driscoll castle, Dún na Séad
Dunasead Castle
Dunasead Castle , is a 17th century fortified house situated in the town of Baltimore in western County Cork, Ireland.-History:The present castle is not the first to have been built on the site...

 ("Fort of the Jewels"). The recently restored castle is open to the public and overlooks the town.

History

Baltimore enters history as a seat of one of Ireland's most ancient dynasties, the once mighty Corcu Loígde
Corcu Loígde
The Corcu Loígde , meaning Gens of the Calf Goddess, also called the Síl Lugdach meic Itha, were a kingdom centered in West County Cork who descended from the proto-historical rulers of Munster, the Dáirine, of whom they were the principal royal sept...

, former Kings of Tara
Kings of Tara
The term King of Tara was a title of authority in ancient Ireland. The position was considered an eminent authority in medieval Irish literature and mythology, though national kingship was never a historical reality in early Ireland....

 and Kings of Munster
Kings of Munster
The name Munster is derived from the Gaelic God, Muman. The province of Munster was once divided into six regions: Tuadh Mhuman , Des Mhuman , Aur/Ur Mumhan , Iar mumhan or Iarmuman , Ernaibh Muman , and Deisi Muman...

.

It was sacked
Sack of Baltimore
The Sack of Baltimore took place on June 20, 1631, when the village of Baltimore, West Cork, Ireland, was attacked by North African pirates from the North African Barbary Coast. The attack was the biggest single attack by the Barbary pirates on Ireland or Britain. The attack was led by a Dutch...

 in 1631
1631 in Ireland
-Events:* June 20 - Sack of Baltimore: the town of Baltimore, County Cork, is sacked by Algerian pirates....

 by Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...

n pirates, and reminders of the incident still exist in the form of pub names, like "The Algiers Inn". It is believed that Napoleon obtained his famous white mare from the area.

Places of interest

One of the most notable landmarks in the area is the Baltimore Beacon
Baltimore Beacon
The Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon at the entrance to the harbour at Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland. The beacon was built at the order of the British government following the 1798 Rebellion...

, also known as Lot's Wife.
Towards the end of July 1847, Commander James Wolfe, R.N., informed the Ballast Board that he had recently completed a survey of Baltimore Harbour and noticed the destruction of the Beacon on the eastern point of the southern entrance to the harbour.

George Halpin
George Halpin
George Halpin , was a prominent civil engineer and lighthouse builder, responsible for the construction of much of the Port of Dublin, several of Dublin's bridges, and a number of lighthouses; he is considered the founding father of the Irish lighthouse service...

, the Board's inspector was ordered to report the matter which he did the following month, stating that the original, locally built Beacon was too small, poorly built and had been vandalised. He recommended a large and properly constructed Beacon with which the Board concurred.

Almost a year passed, 6th July 1848, before the Board requested the secretary to seek permission from Lord Carbery for a piece of ground thirty feet in diameter, on which to build the Beacon. By the end of July a reply had been received from Mr. Arthur Perry-Aylmer informing the Board that Lady Carbery of Castle Freke near Rosscarbery had given her full permission to either rebuild or re-construct the existing Beacon and granted free access as the Beacon was a matter of such vast importance to fishermen and others.

By February 1849 inspector George Halpin reported that the masonry work of the Beacon was complete but the iron staff and vane still had to be placed on top.

The conspicuous conical white painted Baltimore Beacon, sometimes called the 'pillar of salt' or 'Lot's wife' is approximately fifty feet (15.2m) high and fifteen feet (4.6m) in diameter at the base. The vent, mentioned by Halpin in 1849 was obviously vulnerable and at a later date was replaced by a sphere.

Tourism

Baltimore attracts many visitors from within Ireland and the population booms in summer months due to the large number of summer homes that have been built in the area in the last ten years. Baltimore also attracts visitors from elsewhere in Europe and the world, particularly those interested in seafaring.
Baltimore has also became a very popular venue for scuba diving, due largely to the number and variety of shipwrecks in the bay. These include a World War Two submarine (The U-260) and the bulk carrier Kowloon Bridge
Kowloon Bridge
The Kowloon Bridge was a Bridge-class Ore-bulk-oil carrier which sank off the coast of West Cork in 1986 with her cargo of 165,000 tons of iron ore and 2,000 tons of oil...

.

Sport

The local soccer team is fondly referred to as The Crabs. The Crabs were established in 2006. They won division 2 in 2010 and are currently a division 1 side in the West Cork league. The local GAA club is Ilen Rovers
Ilen Rovers
Ilen Rovers is a Gaelic football club in County Cork, Ireland. The club is affiliated to Cork GAA and Carbery GAA divisional boards.The farming and fishing community of Ilen Rovers hails from the estuary of the River Ilen, the West Cork river that flows through Skibbereen before entering the sea...

, which was formed in 1973. Sailing is also a very popular in Baltimore. Courses are held in the summer months for both adults and children.

Transport

  • Ferries sail from Baltimore to Schull
    Schull
    Schull or Skull is a town in County Cork, Ireland. The name derives from a medieval monastic school of which no trace remains. Located on the southwest coast, in West Cork, the village is situated in a scenic and remote location, dominated by Mount Gabriel . It has a sheltered harbour, used for...

     further along the coast, to Sherkin Island
    Sherkin Island
    Sherkin Island, historically called Inisherkin , lies southwest of County Cork in Ireland alongside other islands of Roaringwater Bay. It had a population of 106 people at the time of the 2006 Census, measures 3 miles long by 1.5 miles wide...

    , and to the more remote Cape Clear Island
  • Nearest airport Cork Airport
  • Baltimore railway station opened on 2 May 1893, but finally closed on 1 April 1961.


Baltimore is located near the N71 road
N71 road (Ireland)
-Road standard:The road is mostly relatively poor single carriageway, with better sections towards the Cork end of the route. There are wide sections with climbing/passing lanes, including a very rare configuration with a passing lane on both sides, and a dual carriageway section approaching...

 which leads to Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...

 which is roughly 100 kilometres from the village. The closest major town to Baltimore is Skibbereen
Skibbereen
Skibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...

, 13.4 kilometres north-east of the village.

See also

  • List of towns and villages in Ireland
  • Baltimore (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
    Baltimore (Parliament of Ireland constituency)
    Baltimore was a potwalloper constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons from 1614 to 1801.-Boundaries and Boundary Changes:This constituency was based in the town of Baltimore in County Cork.-Potwalloper:...

     (to 1800)
  • List of RNLI stations
  • Baltimore Beacon
    Baltimore Beacon
    The Baltimore Beacon is a white-painted stone beacon at the entrance to the harbour at Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland. The beacon was built at the order of the British government following the 1798 Rebellion...

    lighthouse

External links

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