The lost village of Ballybought in the city of Kilkenny

Most Kilkenny people are aware that Ballybought Street is a street located in the eastern environs of Kilkenny City adjacent to Kilkenny Military Barracks, renamed in 1969 as Stephen’s Barracks after the Kilkenny native and Fenian leader James Stephens.

However, very few are aware that there once was a line of houses similar to the present day line of the Golf Links Road scheme that was known as ‘Ballybought village’.

Ballybought Street derived its name as a consequence. A number of towns throughout Ireland including Dublin City has an area known as Ballybought. The word ‘Ballybought’ is the anglicised version of the two Irish words ‘baile’ and ‘bocht’, meaning ‘poor town’.

Ballybought village disappeared from history when the area was renamed Golf Links Road following the completion of the Newpark estate housing scheme in 1956.

Ballybought was the thoroughfare to Kilkenny Golf Club at Newtown Manor. This may have been a determining factor as the clubhouse was located at the northern end of the village from 1947 until 1962 and thus the new name. Perhaps some people felt there was a negative stigma attached to the name ‘Ballybought’.

The 1839 Ordnance Survey Map clearly shows the layout of the village (see right). It is likely that the houses of the old village date from the early 19th Century.

The eastern environs of the city was largely built over the first half of the 19th Century, as Kilkenny Military Barracks was built in 1803, Kilkenny Union Work House colloquially known as ‘The Poor House’ was built in 1841 and the Railway Station opened on May 11, 1848.

The original Ballybought name may have been a consequence of its proximity to the Work House/Poor House. St John’s de La Salle boys national school now known as St John’s Senior School, was built at Ballybought Street in 1948 and was commonly referred to by the local community and pupils alike as Ballybought school.

Five new cottages were built at the north end of Ballybought village in 1936 and some of the residents of the village were transferred to these new houses.

Thirteen new cottages were built at the Johnswell Road in 1951 with other families of the village being transferred to them. The final number of families living in the village were transferred to earliest new houses built at the Newpark scheme.

The village was then demolished and the Newpark scheme was constructed between 1953 and 1956. Many of these families and their descendants continue to live in the Newpark, Golf Links Road and Johnswell Road areas today. The Grace family home ‘Esker,’ though of a more recent vintage than the rest of the village, is the last house of the old village still standing today.

The residents of Ballybought village are deeply proud of their roots and I know of many Newpark older acquaintances who up to recent times always referred to the Golf Links Road as Ballybought village.

Joe Cody, a first citizen of Kilkenny as mayor in 2001 was a son of Tom and Margaret Cody of Ballybought village. Indeed Martin Brett of Newpark has been first citizen of Kilkenny on four occasions — 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2019.

Some of the families that also resided at Ballybought Village include Evans, Cantwell, Francis, McDonald, Bergin, O’Neill, Kavanagh, Cody, Lennon, Rowe, Millea, Purcell, Brennan, O’Shea, Smyth, Grace, Murphy, O’Brien, Power, Deegan, Harold, Goss and Blanche (Blanchfield).

Of course a legend of Ballybought Village was the former GAA County Board Secretary Paddy Grace who lived at ‘Esker’. It is said that the Murphy family who also hailed from the village had a connection with the discovery of the Tayto crisp.
Sadly the village wayside pump which stood for over a century opposite the former Mulhall’s/Murphy/Casey shop was removed by the council some years ago. Hopefully, it will be reinstated in the not too distant future.

Another wayside pump was located near the former Rowe’s/Coogan’s shop at the junction with Johnswell Road. A memorial to the memory of the village and its people would not be inappropriate either.

The people of Ballybought village had a deep affection with all things countryside and especially the farming community. Many of them got seasonal employment opportunities from local farmers. They felt very much ‘country’ people themselves.

A number of locals would also have found employment at the Boot Factory at nearby Wolfe Tone Street when it opened in 1934 and Kilkenny Products at Hebron Road when it was established in 1947.

Ballybought village may be lost to the memory for many, but the 22 families who originally lived in the village never will be forgotten. Ar dheis De go raibh an hAnamacha go leir.

FOR MORE
*A Newpark Townlands Heritage group has been established and it invites likeminded individuals to join. They can do so by contacting doniebutler48@gmail.com Tel: 087-315 6359.