Local History
Ballydehob (Irish: Béal Atha Dá Chab, meaning “mouth of the two river fords”) is a microcosm of Irish local history, and legends and folklore abound in the locality.
At the dawn of the Bronze Age (2200-600 B.C.) copper was mined on Mount Gabriel, just west of the village. About the same time stone circles, wedge and boulder tombs were constructed in the area. The Celts arrived some time later, and in the early historic period various clans fought for dominance until the eventual emergence of the McCarthys and O’Mahonys as rulers of the region.
A string of castles along the coastline bear testament to their strength, and to the strategic importance of this area. Kilcoe Castle was the McCarthy’s most westerly stronghold and their only coastal foothold, and is probably West Cork’s best preserved castle having been extensively restored in recent years by its present owner.
There is evidence of a settlement where the village of Ballydehob now stands from as early as the fourteenth century. It was known as “Béal Atha Dá Chab” as the river which flows into the estuary divides into two a short distance upstream, and in the days before bridges both outlets had to be forded – hence the name Atha, meaning a ford.
In 1602 soldiers led by Sir George Carew, Lord President of Munster, descended on the area in a successful bid to break the power of the Gaelic chieftains. Their passage through West Cork was described from an invaders point of view in “Pacata Hibernia” by Thomas Stafford, but interestingly, and probably uniquely for the time, a contemporary Irish account can also be found in Historicae Catolicae Iberniae Compenium by Don Philip O’Sullivan.
1642 saw the battle of Staball Hill, a violent and deadly engagement that was to give the hill it’s name!
The 17th century saw an influx of settlers mainly from England, but a significant number were also Protestants (Huguenots) fleeing persecution in Catholic France. The Swantons from Norfolk became the most prominent family in the locality and by the late 18th century they had succeeded in changing the name of Ballydehob to Swanton’s Town. (The last known use of the name Swanton’s Town was in the census of 1821).
In the 1820s copper mining developed again in the region. The Cappagh mine, the most productive of several, was financed by Lord Audley; its 20 metre chimney survived until February 2002, when it was destroyed by a lightning strike. An interesting feature of this mining era was the introduction to Ballydehob of a police constabulary and barracks, some 6 years before the first London police force.
By the 1840s the population of the area had swelled to nearly 20,000. Then disaster struck when the potato crop failed and the Great Irish Famine resulted. This affected Ballydehob and the whole of West Cork in a most devastating way; thousands died and thousands more emigrated. Between 1841 and 1851 the population of the area fell by 42%, a decline which was much higher than the national average. At present Ballydehob has a resident population of 200.
In the 1880s amid growing agitation over land reform, the Ballydehob branch of the Irish National Land League hosted a visit by Anna Parnell, sister of Charles Stewart Parnell, to address a public meeting on the subject; this was held in the field where St. Brigit’s school now stands, and is commemorated by a plaque.
On 6 September 1886 Ballydehob railway station opened on the narrow gauge Schull and Skibbereen Railway with a huge sports event held in Ballydehob to mark the occasion. At the time there was a 15 mph speed limit on the railway.
The magnificent 12 arch bridge, which dominates the estuary of Ballydehob, was the major engineering achievement of the line. Mounting losses, coal shortages and the arrival of buses and motor cars eventually brought the closure of the line. The final train ran on 27 January 1947 and the station finally closed altogether on 1 June 1953. Ballydehob was the main intermediate station on the railway.
Ballydehob’s most famous son is Danno O’Mahony, world wrestling champion in the 1930′s, who died in a car crash in 1950. He is commemorated by a statue in the main street.
In the 1960s Ballydehob saw an influx of artists, writers and craftspeople, attracted by the village’s peaceful coastal setting. Also for a brief period a number of “Hippy” communes were established in the area. One house / craft shop was decorated with painted flowers, becoming well-known as the “Flower House”.
In 1977, a German magazine ran an article claiming Ballydehob’s coordinates – 51 33 45 N and 9 28 38 W – rendered it immune to nuclear fallout-carrying winds. A year later, the region got a bit of a jolt when the government announced it was going to build a nuclear power plant in county Wexford. Deploying the power of song, the Ballydehob community joined up with Christy Moore and Chris de Burgh and organised two protest concerts at Carnsore Point in 1978 and 1979. The shows were a massive success, the nuclear plans were shelved, and Carnsore Point ultimately became the site of Irelands first wind-generating station!
These days the village enjoys a relaxed atmosphere, with its various bars, eating places and community events ensuring a welcoming and enjoyable social scene.
