placenamesBallymacward
Baile Mhic an Bhaird
Ballymacward’s history includes a church built in stages, the joining of neighbouring hurling clubs and a remarkable run of All-Ireland camogie victories.
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 Mhic an Bhaird · Irish · main form · validated name
- Ballymacward · English · main form
Place & story
A church replaces its thatched predecessor
The parish records the laying of the foundation stone of Saints Peter and Paul’s Church in 1851, replacing a thatched church on the same site. The bell tower followed in 1894. These dates mark separate stages in the development of a prominent village building. The parish also dates the establishment of the present Saints Peter and Paul’s National School to 1974. [2]
Two hurling clubs become one
Ballymacward and Gurteen’s junior hurling clubs amalgamated on 23 February 1966 to form Pádraig Pearses. The club attributes the merger to a county rule allowing one GAA club per parish. Success followed with the 1967 county junior title. Ballymacward had previously won the 1940 championship, decided in 1941 against Loughrea. The merger joined two existing local traditions rather than introducing hurling to the area. [3]
Camogie reaches the national stage
Pearses Camogie Club was founded in 1979 to serve Ballymacward and Gurteen. Its honours include five senior All-Ireland club championships: 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001 and 2002. County senior titles accompanied that sustained run. The record places women’s sport firmly within the area’s history of Gaelic games, with achievements reaching well beyond the parish and County Galway. [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Galway
- Barony
- Tiaquin
- Civil parish
- Ballymacward
- Coordinates
- 53.38221, -8.48094 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 1413451 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Ballymacward. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Ballymacward and Gurteen: parish history · Ballymacward-Gurteen Parish
- Club history · Pádraig Pearses GAA, Ballymacward-Gurteen
- Pearses Camogie Club: history and honours · Galway Camogie
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-03-11. How this page was prepared.