Ballineen derives its name from the Irish, Béal Átha Fhínín, meaning 'mouth of Fineen's ford'.[7]
Enniskean derives its name from the Irish, Inis Céin, meaning 'island of Cian'.[5][6] It takes this name from Cian Maol Muadh, a member of the O'Mahony family and local chieftain.[8][9] Cian married Sábh, the daughter of the High King of IrelandBrian Boru, and resided at Castlelands, Enniskean.[5] The priest and antiquarian John O'Mahony, born locally in 1844, noted that the "Irish-speaking people of that district always pronounced the word as if written in English, 'Inniskayn'".[10] Other Anglicised spelling variations include Enniskeen (used, for example, in some twentieth century census records).[11] Enniskeane is commonly used in the name of the Roman Catholic parish,[12][13] in the name of the local camogie club and routinely in Cork County Council publications.[14][15]
Samuel Lewis wrote in his A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, published in 1837, that the village of Inniskeen or Enniskeen was sacked by rebels in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. In 1690, during the Williamite War in Ireland, it was threatened by one of the leaders of the army of James II. The following year it was sacked by 1,500 Irish rebels, who set fire to it, and every house was destroyed except the houses occupied by the garrison, consisting of 44 men. The garrison held out until reinforcements arrived from Bandon that surprised the rebels, and 72 of the them were killed in the pursuit. In the same year, 1691, it was fortified by Governor Cox, who placed a garrison of militia in the village.[17]
The Church of the Immaculate Conception, in the parish of Enniskeane and Desertserges, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cork and Ross, was built in 1871.[18] Father Daniel Coveney had persuaded the then Duke of Devonshire to donate land for a new church. He donated £250 towards the costs of construction and gave 17 acres for the building of the church, a presbytery, stable, and grazing for the priest's horse.[19]
Located about a half-mile apart, each village was served by separate train stations on the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway, which opened in 1866.[20] These two separate train stations were closed and replaced with a combined station, Ballineen and Enniskean railway station, which opened in 1891.[21][22] A number of businesses, including a flax mill, were built close to the station, on the road between the two villages, ultimately "joining" the two.[5] Ballineen and Enniskean station closed in April 1961.[21]
Demographics
In the 30 years between the 1981 and the 2011 census, the population of the census town of Ballineen-Enniskean increased from 548 to 700 people.[16][23] As of the 2016 census, it had a population of 692.[1]
Economy
The main employers in the area include a large Carbery Group cheese and ingredients factory approximately 2 km (1.24 mi) west of Ballineen on the R586 road, and Grainger's Sawmills in Enniskeane.[4] The Grainger Group sawmill is one of the largest in Ireland,[24] and the Carbery cheese plant at Ballineen is the "largest cheese-making facility" in Ireland and produces one quarter of all Irish-made cheese, including the Dubliner Cheese brand.[25]
John Caulfield (b.1964), American-born footballer and manager of Galway United F.C., played for St. Mary's GAA and lived in Enniskeane and Ballineen[29]
Fiona Everard (b.1998) Irish national champion runner, from Enniskeane[30]
Phil Healy (b.1994) Irish national sprinting champion, from Ballineen[31]
John O'Mahony (1844–1912), antiquarian and Roman Catholic priest from Enniskean[32]
^O'Mahony, John (1908). "A history of the O'Mahony septs of Kinelmeky and Ivagha"(PDF). Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society. 2. 14 (79): 134. The genealogy of the O'Mahonys is traced up from Conn [..] to two other well-known place names :- "From this Kean (Cian, father of Mahon) was called Enniskean"
^O'Mahony, Jeremiah (1961). West Cork and Its Story. Kerryman. p. 80. One of Cian's residences was at Deargrath (red fort), which gave its name to the townland on which was built the village of Enniskean, called after Cian himself
^O'Mahony, John (1913). History of the O'Mahony septs of Kinelmeky and Ivagha. Cork: Guy & Company. Cian [..] occasionally lived at Enniskean, which was called after him [..] There was a fort there, Dearg Rath (Red Fort) which gave its name to the townland on which was built the village of Enniskean. [..] The Irish-speaking people of that district always pronounced the word as if written in English, "Inniskayn"
^"Ballineen". eiretrains.com. Retrieved 1 May 2023. The station, known officially as 'Ballineen & Enniskean', replaced two separate stations which served these villages in May 1891
^ ab"Irish Railways"(PDF). Railscot. Retrieved 7 May 2012. Final Closure [..] Ballineen & Enniskean [..] 01.04.1961
^Pogatchnik, Shawn (23 April 2020). "Mozzarella next on menu as Carbery grows in Asia and US". independent.ie. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 12 August 2020. The Carbery plant in Ballineen is the largest cheese-making facility in the State [..and..] produces a quarter of all Irish-made cheese, including its flagship Dubliner brand
^"Meet West Cork's comeback kings". southernstar.ie. Southern Star. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2023. Riverside Athletic, needing a win to retain their WCSL U16 league title, found themselves 3-0 down at home in Ballineen to Bunratty United
^Auberjonois, Fernand (1998). Ballade Irlandaise (in French). Editions Metropolis. ISBN9782883400634. Installé dans son cottage de Enniskeane, avec sa femme et son chat, à une quarantaine de kilomètres de West Cork
