Ballymote steeped in ancient history
THE market town of Ballymote in south Sligo is steeped in ancient history. The Book of Ballymote was written in or around 1391 at Ballymote Castle. The manuscript, which is mostly in Irish, is held by the Royal Irish Academy, having been presented to it when it was founded in 1785, and is considered to be a hugely important document.
A compendium of Gaelic learning, it includes the Six Ages of the World, the Book of Invasions and a key to the Ogham alphabet, as well as translated works on the destruction of Troy and the history of Philip and Alexander of Macedonia.
The shell of the castle itself is still standing on the outskirts of the town. The imposing ruin, the last of the Norman castles in Connacht, is a link to major events in centuries past such as when Red Hugh O’Donnell marched from it to meet with disaster at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601.
Natural history is also to be found in abundance around Ballymote. Just six kilometres away, the limestone Caves of Keash on Keshcorran Hill are well worth a visit for those who like hiking. Animal remains found in the caves have been dated back to around 12,000 years ago while evidence of human habitation dates back to the Neolithic period. The caves feature prominently in Irish myths and folklore including in three stories about Fionn Mac Cumhaill.
In another link with history, Brother Walfrid, the Irish Marist Brother who founded the iconic Celtic Football Club in Glasgow, was born in Ballymote.