Ballycumber

Ballycumber Béal Átha Chomair
—  Town  —
Ballycumber Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 53°19.34′N 7°41.07′W
Country	Ireland
Province	Leinster
County	Offaly
Population (2006)
• Rural	688
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference

Ballycumber (Irish: Béal Átha Chomair, meaning "town of the small ford") is a village located where the R436 regional road crosses the River Brosna in County Offaly, Ireland. It is 5 km (3.1 mi) west of the town of Clara, on the western edge of Clara bog. According to the Census 2006, the DED population for Ballycumber was 688 people. However, it is estimated that the population within the village boundary is approximately 260 people.

Ballycumber is located in the Parish of Leamonaghan. Leamonaghan parish has 44 townlands. Four of these are in County Westmeath, namely Ballinahown village, Kilgarvan, Glebe and Renaun. The other forty are in County Offaly

The parish is divided roughly into three parts, each part with its own church – Ballinahown, Boher, about six miles (10 km) east of there, and Pullough about ten miles (16 km) south-east of Ballinahown.

The church in Boher (dedicated to St. Manchán of Lemanaghan, a local saint) was opened in 1861 – before that there was a mud-walled church in the area which has left no trace.

The parish takes its name from an old monastic ruin in the townland (district) of Leamonaghan, about half-way between Boher and Pullough – it ceased to function as a church about the time of the English Reformation.

Education

The local National School, Boher NS, is located beside St. Manchans Church. The School was founded by St. Manchan & St. Ciaran, hence its name. The school has approx 118 pupils and 8 teachers. The old school house to the west of the church was turned into living quarters as the new school was built to the east of the church in 1989. The school has 5 classrooms, a gym, library, staff room, learning support room, resource room, office & wheel-chair access. It also has a newly refurbished football pitch, basketball & soccer courts, & a vegetable garden. The school boasts off street parking facilities for teachers and bus drop off and collection points. The school is situated 2 minutes outside Ballycumber in Boher.

Sport

Ballycumber

Ballycumber GAA pitch is located 2 miles (3.2 km) outside of the village with an adjoining community centre. The pitch has been named as one of the best pitches to play a game of football on in Offaly. Ballycumber are a very successful team with many titles to their name. Their primary colours are dark blue and yellow. There is a senior team, consisting of just Ballycumber players. However, the minor, u21, u16, u14, u10 and u8's team are joined with Tubber to form Ballycumber/Tubber. Brosna Gaels are the hurling club in the Parish. They are a team consisting of mainly Ballycumber, but also Tubber, Doon, & Pullough. Brosna Gaels have been largely successful especially in recent years winning many titles including the senior A championship.

Ballycumber also have a 2 soccer teams, an A team and a B team. Ballycumber Rovers, managed by Brendan Grennan, are largely successful throughout the midlands. County cups have been won with previous managers and the team is very proud to be a leading midlands soccer team.

Also home to Declan "The Shot" Daly, Offaly footballer of the year 2010

Transport

1798 memorial on the roadside

• Although Ballycumber is a small rural village, there are great road networks. It is situated on the R346 regional road which connects Birr to Clara. Athlone is a 20 minute drive in a car while the nearby Offaly capital Tullamore is a short 13 minutes in a car. The New M6 connecting Dublin & Galway is a short 10 minute drive away adjoining in Moate/Tubber. Bus Éireann run an "on the hour, every hour" schedule from Moate & Tullamore with buses going to Galway, Dublin, Waterford & Belfast. The Bus Station for the midlands is located in Athlone just 20 minutes drive away. Iárann Ród Éireann run a train from Dublin to Galway every half hour from Clara train station as Ballycumber station, which was opened on March 1, 1862, closed on June 17, 1963.

See also

• List of towns and villages in Ireland

Other villages in the Ballycumber Parish & towns which are in close proximity include:

Ballinahown
Pollagh
Doon
Tubber
Lemanaghan
Ferbane
Clara
Moate
Tullamore
Athlone


http://www.dublintheatrefestival.com/programme/display.asp?EventID=334

http://www.tourismresources.ie/cht/ballycumber.htm

References

http://www.tourismresources.ie/cht/ballycumber.htm

http://boherschool.com/

http://mandmstairs.ie/

http://www.irelands-directory.com/Offaly/Ballycumber/Business/CarDismantlers.html

http://www.yelp.ie/search?findhttp://www.solocheck.ie/FreeIrishCompanyReport?

http://www.solocheck.ie/FreeIrishCompanyReport?companyNumber=247645&companyName=JAMES+ENNIS+(BALLYCUMBER)+LIMITED

http://www.localbusinesspages.ie/area.asp?area=Ballycumber&county=Offaly

http://www.brosnapress.ie/

http://www.cbg.ie/dealerprofile.aspx?id=290