Duration: 0:13

16 views

2

Ballincollig (Irish: Baile an Chollaigh) is a suburban town within the administrative area of Cork city in Ireland. It is located on the western side of Cork city, beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2016 it was the largest town in County Cork, at which time the Ballincollig Electoral Division had a population of 18,621 people.[1] The nearest towns include Ballinora, Carrigrohane, Kilnaglory, Ovens, Killumney, Inniscarra, Blarney, and Tower. It is located beyond the green belt from the suburbs of Bishopstown and Wilton. Ballincollig is within the Cork North-West Dáil constituency.
Originally known as Maghmakeer as early as the 14th century, the town eventually came to be known after the Coll (or Cole) family who built Ballincollig Castle during the reign of Edward III, before selling it to the Barrett family in either 1468 or 1469.[8][9] The castle was taken from Andrew Barrett by rebels in 1641, but they were expelled by English Parliamentary forces under Murrough O'Brien, Earl Inchiquinn, in 1645. It was garrisoned for James II in 1689, during the Williamite war in Ireland, then remained unoccupied after his defeat, and fell into decay.

The Ballincollig Royal Gunpowder Mills along with its visitor centre/museum is on the north side of the town. Some buildings in the Gunpowder Mills are now in disrepair but the area is still open to walkers in the Regional Park.

The grave of Rory Gallagher is located at St Oliver's Cemetery, on the Model Farm Road, just outside Ballincollig. His headstone is a replica of an award he received in 1972 for International Guitarist of The Year.

The Coolroe Lime Kiln is an example of the historic quarrying in the Coolroe area of the town.[citation needed]
Ballincollig bridge,moody skies,Irish red brown bull, sparkling blue sea
In the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology Donn Cúailnge, the Brown Bull of Cooley, was an extremely fertile stud bull over whom the Táin Bó Cúailnge (Cattle Raid of Cooley) was fought.

He was originally a man named Friuch, a pig-keeper, who worked for Bodb Dearg, king of the Munster sidh. He fell out with Rucht, who was a pig-keeper for Ochall Ochne, king of the Connaught sidh. The two fought, transforming into various animal and human forms, ultimately becoming two worms which were swallowed by two cows and reborn as two bulls, Donn Cuailnge and Finnbhennach ("White-horned"). Donn belonged to Dáire mac Fiachna, a cattle-lord of Ulster; Finnbhennach was born into the herds of queen Medb of Connacht, but considered belonging to a woman beneath him and joined the herds of her husband, Ailill.

The Mórrígan had a heifer which she took to Cooley to be bulled by Donn. The result was a bull-calf which fought Finnbhennach and narrowly lost. After seeing that, Medb was determined to see Finnbhennach fight the bull-calf's sire.

When Medb discovered that owning Finnbhennach made Ailill richer than her, she resolved to even the account by possessing Donn Cuailnge. She sent messengers to Dáire with an extremely generous offer of land and treasure, and if necessary sexual favours, if he would loan the bull to her for a year. Dáire agreed. However the messengers got drunk, and one boasted that if he hadn't agreed Medb would have taken the bull by force. When Dáire heard that he backed out of the deal.

Medb raised an army to steal Donn, and marched on Ulster. As Fergus mac Róich knew the terrain he was chosen to lead. The Mórrígan, in the form of a crow, warned Donn of the coming army, and Donn Cuailnge goes on a rampage.

The men of Ulster were intent on fighting Medb's army but were disabled by the curse of Cruinniuc's wife, Macha. The only person fit to defend Ulster is seventeen-year-old Cúchulainn but he lets the army take Ulster by surprise because he's off on a tryst when he should be watching the border. Medb ultimately tracked Donn Cuailnge down and he gores the first Connaught herdsman that attempts to capture him. He then stampeded with fifty heifers through the camp killing fifty warriors before charging off into the countryside.

Cúchulainn meets Medb's army on the mount of Slieve Foy, who invoked the right of single combat at a ford, defeating a series of champions in a standoff lasting months.While Cúchulainn is thus engaged Buide mac Báin has found Donn Cuailnge and is driving him and twenty-four cows to Connaught. Cúchulainn kills Buide mac Báin and his twenty-four followers, but in the carnage Donn Cuailnge again runs off.

Eventually, after a pitched battle with the Ulster forces, Medb's armies were forced to retreat, but they managed to bring Donn Cuailnge back to Cruachan. He and Finnbhennach fight. After a long and gruelling battle Donn killed his rival. Mortally wounded himself, he wandered around Ireland inspiring placenames before returning to Cooley to die.