placenamesBallinlough
Baile an Locha
The school’s own account records successive teachers and a move in 1972; parish records document the church’s rededication in 1999.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Baile an Locha · Irish · main form
- Ballinlough · English · main form
Place & story
School beside the church
Ballinlough National School traces its beginnings to 1850, in the building beside the Catholic church that later became the community centre. Its own history acknowledges that the earliest years remain incompletely documented. Correspondence supplies the names of Thomas P. Harman, headmaster in 1889–1893, John Geraghty in 1894–1896 and James P. Ward in 1897–1902. [2]
Teachers and the 1972 move
The school remembers Master Ward living in the attached house, with his sister also teaching there. Patrick McDonnell served from 1925 until 1958, followed by Vincent Geraghty until 1988. During Geraghty’s tenure the school transferred to its present site in 1972, leaving the older building to a community role while teaching continued nearby. [2]
Rededication after restoration
The parish’s history records substantial restoration of both Ballinlough and Kilskyre churches in 1999–2000, overseen by architect Eamonn Hederrman and contractor Val Ledwith. The Church of the Assumption at Ballinlough reopened and was rededicated by Bishop Michael Smith on 19 September 1999. This later investment added another phase to the building’s history beyond its nineteenth-century construction. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Ballinlough. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- History of Ballinlough National School · Ballinlough National School
- History: Kilskyre and Ballinlough parish · Kilskyre and Ballinlough parish
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2011-01-20. How this page was prepared.