My ancestors - Blennerhassett - Contents

Ballyseedy

Ballyseedy parish, just SE of Tralee, Co.Kerry.

Seat of Blennerhassett (in various buildings) from 1590 to 1967.

Ballyseedy and Ballycarty on 1829 to 1842 map.
Old Ballyseedy is at the W end of Ballyseedy Wood.
New Ballyseedy is at the E end of Ballyseedy Wood (entrance off the E side road).
Ballycarty is E of the E side road.

Ballyseedy on 1887 to 1913 map.
See wider view with Ballycarty.

The Blennerhassett estate at Ballyseedy marked on a copy of the above map.
With stamp apparently dated 1919.
Map inherited by 7th Baronet when he inherited Ballyseedy in 1965.
See larger and full size.
See modern satellite view.

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Locations

The Irish placename is Baile Ui Sioda.
In English, this was "Ballyseedy" or "Ballysheedy" or "Ballyshiddy".

Ballyseedy Wood is SE of Tralee, Co.Kerry, S off the main Tralee-Killarney road (the N21), on the small River Lee.
There is a turning off the N21 at the E end of Ballyseedy Wood, which I shall call the E side road. See street view.
There is a car park on the N side of the woods. See street view.
There is another car park on the S side of the woods. See street view.

Ballyseedy townland, Ballyseedy par, is the area W of the E side road. It covers from the W end of the wood to the E end of the wood (at the E side road).
Ballyseedy Bridge over the river is at the E edge of Ballyseedy townland, on the E side road.
In Ballyseedy townland:

Old Ballyseedy (ruins) is at the W end of the wood, in the NW end of Ballyseedy townland.

New Ballyseedy (formerly called Elm Grove or Elmgrove) is at the E end of the wood, in the NE end of Ballyseedy townland, off the E side road.
On the E side road is the 19th century Protestant Ballyseedy church, with the old ruined Ballyseedy church.

Ballycarty townland (or sometimes Ballycarthy), Ballyseedy par, is the area E of the E side road.
Ballycarty Bridge over the river (or Ballycarty Cross) is at the NE corner of Ballycarty townland, on the main road.
In Ballycarty townland:

Ballycarty Castle was in the NE end of Ballycarty townland.

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Old Ballyseedy

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New Ballyseedy

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Ballycarty

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Map of Ballyseedy area, 1777.
Up is West.
From p.107 of [Taylor and Skinner, 1777].
Light adjusted. See full size and original and other scan. From Bill Jehan.
Shows "Ballyseedy" (location of old Ballyseedy), "Elm Grove" (location of new Ballyseedy) and Ballycarty.
Another map on Page 186.

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References

• BALLYSEEDY in [Houses of Kerry].
• BALLYCARTY in [Houses of Kerry].
• ELMGROVE in [Houses of Kerry].

• Russell Mc Morran
  • "Ballyseedy Wood", Kerry Magazine no.3, 1991, p.21-23.
    Reprinted in "History of Ballymacelligott and Its People", published by Ballymacelligott Active Retirement Association, pp.141-143.
  • "Red Rose for Ballyseedy Wood", Kerry's Eye, Tralee, 15th Feb 1996.

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Sources yet to be consulted

• Russell Mc Morran
  • "Walking in Ballyseedy Wood", The Old Kerry Journal, Volume 2, 2008, pp.4-12.
  • "A History of Ballyseedy Wood", The Old Kerry Journal, Volume 2, 2008, pp.40-51.

• Bolton, J. (2008). "Built heritage management plan for Ballyseedy Wood, Co. Kerry."
• Brendan P. Lynch. Ballyseedy Woods built heritage conservation report 2008-2009.

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• Ballyseedy Castle in Landed Estates project

• GENUKI - Ireland
  • Ballyseedy

• The Ballyseedy massacre, 1923
  • During the Civil War, Ballyseedy crossroads was the scene of a massacre of Republican prisoners by Free State troops in Mar 1923. There is now a huge monument to this on the main road. See street view.
  • There is also a small monument just outside the Ballyseedy House gates to a Republican who died earlier in the Civil War, Sept 1922. See street view.

• Ballyseedy Wood is a last remnant of Co.Kerry's original forest cover.
• Ballyseedy Wood is now owned by Kerry County Council and is open to the public for recreation.