Ballinamore

Ballinamore is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland, 19km from the border with Northern Ireland. It is located on the R202 regional road where it is joined by the R199 and R204. Béal an Átha Móir means "mouth of the big ford", and the town is so named because it was the main crossing point of the Yellow River, which flows past the town. This waterway become known as the Ballinamore-Ballyconnell canal, built to link the Rivers Erne and Shannon in the 1840s. It reopened as the Shannon–Erne Waterway in 1994.HistoryThe history of Ballinamore has enabled it to grow through the centuries as a town with a large variety of trades and tradesmen. The first mention was under the plantation of Leitrim in 1621 when the Manor of Ballinamore was granted to Sir Fenton Parsons with 600acre of arable land. In the 18th century, settlers from County Down who were dispossessed by landowners travelled to the west of Ireland looking for new places to live. They stopped in an area of land they found suitable notably for its location near the rivers Shannon and Erne. This was the origins of Ballinamore. These dispossessed people brought with them numerous skills such as blacksmiths, tinsmiths, skilled craftsmen and farmers. Between 1695 and 1750 there was a flourishing ironworks. Througout at least the 19th and 20th centurys, two annual fairs were held at Ballinamore on- May 12, and November 12. Back in 1925, Ballinamore town comprised 163 houses, up to 28 houses licensed to sell alcohol.