Country Ireland Time zone WET (UTC+0) Elevation 45 m | County County Clare Irish Grid Reference Q807509 Province Munster | |
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Kilballyowen (Irish: Cill Bhaile Eoghain) is a civil parish and a Catholic parish in County Clare, Ireland. It is located at the end of the Loop Head Peninsula which extends into the Atlantic Ocean to the north of the Shannon Estuary. The parish contains the villages of Cross, Kilbaha and Carrigaholt.
Contents
Map of Kilballyowen, Co. Clare, Ireland
Location
The parish is part of the historical barony of Moyarta. It is 7 by 5 miles (11.3 by 8.0 km) and covers 10,835 acres (4,385 ha). It has a land border with only one parish - the eponymous Moyarta of the same barony. Kilballyowen is at the end of the Loop peninsula. It is 13 miles (21 km) west of Kilrush.
It contains the villages of Kilballyhone, Cross, Kilbaha, Kiltrellig, Ross, and Tullig.
Cliffs rise to 386 feet (118 m) at a point 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the west of Rinevella bay. As of 1845 the parish held the ruins of a church and a friary. The old castle of Clehansevan was blown down by a violent storm in 1802. In 1580 the castle of Cloghaunsavaun belonged to Turlogh MacMahon of Carrigaholt.
Townlands
Townlands in the civil parish are Cloghaunbeg, Cloghaunsavaun, Cross, Feeard, Fodry, Kilbaha North, Kilbaha South, Kilballyowen, Kilcloher, Kiltrellig, Lissalougha, Moneen, Oughterard, Quilty, Rehy East, Rehy West, Ross, Tullig and Trusklieve.
Villages
The village of Carrigaholt, meaning "Rock of the Fleet", is a small fishing village on the south side of the peninsula about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) southwest of Kilkee. The village has two harbors, used for fishing boats and also for angling and dolphin-watching trips. The ruins of Carrigaholt Castle are near the village. Cross village is inland, between Loophead and Kilkee and 2 miles (3.2 km) from Carrigaholt. Cross is home of the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club. The GAA football club of Naomh Eoin was founded on 6 January 1974. It is based at Pairc Eoin. The village of Kilbaha is on Kilbaha Bay, another small fishing village.
Catholic parish
The village of Cross gives its name to the Catholic parish of Cross (Kilballyowen) in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Killaloe. The parish is also just called Kilballyowen parish. The parish churches are Our Lady of Lourdes in Cross and St. John the Baptist in Kilbaha. There are two holy wells in the parish, Tobar Cuain at Kiltrellig, and Tobar Senán at Kilcloher.