The village of Ballyboy, nestled between the majestic Slieve Bloom
mountains
and the gentle great Bog of Allen has evolved from the history and geography
of both.
Historically the village was at the centre of a territory known as Fireceall
comprising the baronies of Ballycowan, Ballyboy and Eglish. These can
be loosely compared to the present parishes of Tullamore, Rahan, Kilcormac
and Eglish.
Geographically the silver river is the remains of the great rolling
glacier, which gorged through the width of Ireland leaving a wealth
of rich fertile soil. These two factors combined have taken Ballyboy
through time leaving a heritage to be envied and a future to be embraced.
Many monuments remain testament to the famous people who lived and passed
through our now depleted village. Recent years have seen a welcome rise
in the population once again whilst keeping the homely and precious
village preserved yet progressing.
In ancient times the village was a very different place. The great Northern
road took travellers on foot through the wolf infested forests of then
Ireland to the sanctuary of a clearing the was Baile Atha Buidhe."
Town of the Yellow Ford"(Ballyboy). Our quaint village owes its
origin to the geography of the land, this being the only point at which
to cross the river. "yellow" being the colour of the river
in flood. As with many such places in Ireland houses were built to accommodate
weary travellers on their journey and soon it became a town.
Our earliest famous visitor was Saint Brigid, who founded a convent
in Ballyboy in 500AD. Close to the river and linked to the church (then
St.Mary's Church) by an underground tunnel it is thought to have been
her first in Ireland.
The church survived many changes and the present version; Saint Cormac's
Church was built in 1815 on the original site at a cost of 900pounds.
Unfortunately it was closed in January 1970 as the congregation was
too small. The graveyard however provides an invaluable record of the
families who lived in the area. Written records were destroyed in a
fire in the public records office in 1922 but one volume was salvaged
and the local historical society has made a list of those buried there.
The Normans favoured the site of the convent for their own reasons,
defensive site on a height at a river crossing. Their coming is evidenced
in the Norman Mound at what is known as Abbey Rath beside the river.
Mylar Fitzhenry was the Norman leader who settled here in 1172.
As was the case with most Irish baronies battles over land were common
and bloody. Ballyboy fell foul of the greedy kings of Meath, the O'Molloys,
and was ruled by them from c.600AD to 1600. Over 60 towns lands in Ballyboy
were ruled by O'Molloy landlords until the arrival of Cromwell in 1650.
In 1600 geography brought Hugh O'Neill and in 1601 Red Hugh O'Donnell
and their armies through Ballyboy on their way to great battles in the
South. The O'Molloys, having been taken by the English enlisted the
help of Hugh O'Neill but failed and, not for the first time, had to
beg pardon of the English to retain their land.
In 1641 Cromwell and his renowned fierce army took the O'Molloys' land
but the residents of Ballyboy escaped ruin by hiding in caves in the
ground. They also managed to save a statue of Spanish origin,which was
in the church. Locals hid the pieta in the bog where it remained for
60 years. The only man remaining alive who knew its whereabouts had
to be carried, on his death bed, to point out where to dig. It was safely
recovered in perfect condition and remains in Kilcormac church to date.
The oldest building in the village dates to this time. Ballyboy house
is recorded in Sir William Petty's Down Survey in 1650 by location and
date. Lands in the barony of Ballyboy were then passed on to William
Petty. His successors were called Landsdowne.
After war comes peace and prosperity and Ballyboy enjoyed a rich and
varied community of talent. Merchants, tanners,blacksmiths,millers,wheelrights,carpenters,bakers,nailers
and hatters all prospered at the meeting place that was the river crossing,
Ballyboy. The remains of the flourmill still stand, testament to a more
commercial time.
In the 17th century, after the death of King James I the shortage of
change necessitated the minting of coins in Ireland. The fact that it
was made illegal did not mean that it was eliminated and Ballyboy had
at that time its own mint. A coin found at Abbey Rath dates back to
Rob Hutchinson of Ballyboy in 1668.
It's position both politically and geographically took many important
armies through the crossing at Ballyboy. Sarsfield's and William's armies
both passed through what was at that time a formidable town of great
commercial importance. It is ironic to think that along with the disappearing
age of war and plunder went the great northern road. It now only exists
on maps and under dense hedges and ditches.
During penal times Ballyboy church came into disuse along with all the
others around the country. Priests had to say mass in secret and hide
from the English. Perhaps a rare tale in such times is the 
story
of the local protestant landlord named Biddulph hiding a priest who
was on the run from the cavalry. The priest was subsequently apprehended,
hanged, drawn and quartered. However in a time when life and death so
profoundly depended on difference, Ballyboy was able to sustain a bond
which is still in evidence today. People from all over the world receive
an equally warm welcome in this historical yet modern village.
The School was built in 1820 on the site of the hatters factory and
turned over to the Board of Education in 1832 but no doubt the roll
book was had great gaping holes by 1850. The Great Famine of 1847-49
depleted the population of Ireland to less than half. Ballyboy was no
exception. Before there were 400, after 219. This is perhaps the single-handed
blow that reduced a thriving community to a peaceful village.
Other places of interest in Ballyboy include the Wesley Chapel, built
following a dispute in 1874. However in the absence of a local minister
the dispute was short lived and the building was used as a hall from
1900 and later became a grocery shop. A Bible, which was used in the
church, then, is in Dan and Molly's pub bearing the inscription:
"This bible was in use for several years in Wesley Chapel, Parsonstown,
and on the occasion of Mr.Haslam presenting the chapel with a new bible
the trustees presented Mr.Haslam with this. Mr.Haslam now presents this
to the congregation of Wesley Chapel,Ballyboy March 23rd 1888"
"On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of John Wesley's visit
to the midlands in 1748, the Methodist people are pleased to return
this bible to Ballyboy and present it to Dan and Molly for safekeeping.
2nd May 1998"
In 1954 the Young Farmers Association built a hall on the site of an earlier hotel and subsequent blacksmith's forge. Many card drives and dances were held there until a fire destroyed it in 1967. It was later refurbished and used for a further ten years by the Ballyboy youth club.
These few short paragraphs only skim the skin of what is a cream
of Irish history that Ballyboy has to offer. The only real way to get
a grip of the presence of the place, both in time and in people , is of course to visit. The famous
thatched pub in Ballyboy is the only place to start such a journey
where the essence of Irish heart and hearth are personified behind the
bar. Your thirst for knowledge and sustenance can be satisfied with
ease as you browse the walls laden with photographs and songs of the
past.