placenamesBallylooby
Béal Átha Lúbaigh
Ballylooby’s church and former school stand together at the centre of the village. Their surviving details record nineteenth-century parish life, while the development of nearby playing grounds shows a later generation investing in shared facilities.
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
- Béal Átha Lúbaigh · Irish · main form · validated name
- Ballylooby · English · main form
Place & story
Our Lady and Saint Kieran’s church
The early nineteenth-century church of Our Lady and Saint Kieran occupies a prominent position in Ballylooby. Its cross-shaped plan brings transepts off the main nave, with circular windows high in their walls. A worked limestone entrance contrasts with the rendered exterior, and pointed windows contain stained glass. Inside, an open timber hammer-beam roof and an ornate marble reredos add richness to an otherwise comparatively simple building. Stone gate piers and iron railings complete the enclosure facing the village. [2]
The school beside the church
An adjoining building preserves another part of the village’s institutional history. Recorded as a former school dating approximately to 1840, it later served as a hall. Its single-storey form, hipped slate roof and projecting porch remain recognisable. Timber sash windows survive, while circular windows at the rear give the building an unusual detail. The architectural survey treats this combination of surviving fabric and former educational use as important to Ballylooby’s social history. [3]
Developing the Kilroe grounds
Ballylooby–Castlegrace GAA purchased land at nearby Kilroe in June 2005 and developed pitches, a training area and a clubhouse. A contemporary account in the 2010 county yearbook describes separate finance and development committees, with a weekly fundraising lottery beginning in November 2005. Pitch work started in August 2006, followed by construction of dressing rooms and associated facilities in October 2008. The grounds were formally opened on 10 May 2009, marking the result of several years of parish fundraising and grant support. [4]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Tipperary
- Barony
- Iffa and Offa West
- Civil parish
- Tubbrid
- Coordinates
- 52.32498, -7.98460 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 67165 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Ballylooby. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Catholic Church of Our Lady and Saint Kieran, NIAH 22208125 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Former school beside Our Lady and Saint Kieran’s, NIAH 22208124 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
- Ballylooby–Castlegrace New Club Development: Tipperary GAA Yearbook 2010 · Tipperary GAA / Tipperary Studies
- Our Lady and St Kieran's Church, Ballylooby illustration: based on a Church in the townland of Burgess by liam murphy. AI-assisted watercolour and ink adaptation; cream paper margins added, incidental clutter omitted and fine details simplified. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.