Piltown

Piltown, historically known as Ballypoyle, is a small village in County Kilkenny, Ireland. It lies on the R698 regional road, which was the N24 national primary road before the locality was bypassed in 2002.Approaching Piltown from Carrick-on-Suir in the west is the landmark of "the Tower" ( Sham Castle ) which forms a roundabout in the road. This monument, dedicated to the son of a local landowner, dates back to the Napoleonic era. Today its upper section serves as a water tower.Piltown is also home to Ireland's largest Horticultural and Agricultural College, Kildalton College and hosts a fair, called The Iverk Show the fourth Saturday in August each year.Piltown is a Local Electoral Area of County Kilkenny and includes the electoral divisions of Aglish, Ballincrea, Brownsford, Castlegannon, Dunkitt,Dysartmoon, Farnoge, Fiddown, Jerpoint West, Kilbeacon, Kilbride, Kilcolumb, Kilculliheen, Kilkeasy, Killahy, Kilmakevoge, Listerlin, Muckalee, Pilltown, Pollrone, Portnascully, Rathpatrick, Rosbercon Rural, Rossinan, Shanbogh, Templeorum, The Rower, Tubbrid, Ullid and Whitechurch.HistoryPiltown also has a unique place in English history as it was the only place on the island of Ireland to see a battle in the Wars of the Roses. In the Battle of Piltown (1462) Thomas FitzGerald, 7th Earl of Desmond, on the side of the House of York, defeated the Butlers of Kilkenny, fighting for the House of Lancaster, resulting in more than 400 casualties for the Butlers. Local folklore claims that the battle was so violent that the local river ran red with blood, hence the names Pill River and Piltown (Baile an Phuill - Town of the blood).