The Ferney area of Mahon, gets its name from Ferney House (now demolished) and Ferney Cottage, (now Oakgrove Leisure Centre). The original Ferney House was built in 1785 and was eventually demolished in the 1970s. Ferney House, was a substantial house, that overlooked, Lough Mahon, and it’s 25 acre estate took in much of theContinue reading “Ferney House, A History.”
Category Archives: Local History
The Castle at Dundanion: A Treasure Trove of History.
Introduction Dundanion Castle is only about 700 metres from Blackrock village. Stroll from the village up the Marina towards Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Walk through the first open field on your left towards Dundanion House on the hill and there nearly hidden in the trees to the right of the Dundanion House lie the ruins ofContinue reading “The Castle at Dundanion: A Treasure Trove of History.”
Ringmahon House: from Big House to Youthreach Centre.
Ringmahon House, has being part of the landscape of the Mahon area, for almost two hundred years. From its elevated site, it overlooks the local community and when built stood proudly over Lough Mahon and the River Lee. This “Big House” has the unique distinction of being home to two of Ireland’s most prominent businessContinue reading “Ringmahon House: from Big House to Youthreach Centre.”
The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway, the Past, Present and Future.
By the 1840s, there was a market for good travel facilities between Cork and some of the villages in Cork Harbour, including Passage and onwards by ferry to Cove. At one stage it looked as if Passage might be developed as a major trans Atlantic port so a direct rail connection could be profitable. FinallyContinue reading “The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway, the Past, Present and Future.”
Ballinure House.
The attached photos show the old Ballinure House in the 1970s, it was demolished soon afterwards. It was located in the present day grounds of the Nagle College, some trees from the estate still stand on these grounds and in Loughmahon Park. The large imposing entrance was located on the old Ballinure road and theContinue reading “Ballinure House.”
The Marina Folly, a Colourful Past, a Potential Future?
One of the more unusual hidden ruins off the Marina is Barrington’s Folly, which is located about 100 metres to the south of the old Blackrock railway line (present-day greenway), as one approaches the Atlantic Pond. It can be seen from the railway line during the winter months. It is located on the grounds ofContinue reading “The Marina Folly, a Colourful Past, a Potential Future?”
Ringmahon Castle
Ringmahon Castle is located on the grounds of the Ringmahon House. Richard Henchion in his book East to Mahon (Dahadore publications 2005) stated that this structure has appeared on a map of Mahon in the 1660’s. While the tower is attributed to the old Gaelic clan of the O’Mahonys’, Henchion suggests that it was probably constructed by the Coppinger familyContinue reading “Ringmahon Castle”
Dunlops Factory, It Made Golf and Tennis Balls.
Dunlops Factory operated in Cork on the Centre Park Road from 1935 to 1983. At one stage, almost 2,000 people worked in the Dunlops complex, many hundreds from this area. While the factory mainly produced tyres, the workers also made rubber footwear, tennis balls and hundreds of thousands of golf balls. Dunlops factory was theContinue reading “Dunlops Factory, It Made Golf and Tennis Balls.”
Crawford’s Quay Revealed on the Mahon Walkway.
Among the sites on the Mahon Walkway to stop and wander (at low tide) is the old grass covered quay by the Ballinure side on the Douglas estuary close to T. J. McHugh Park. An old boathouse lies opposite and Mahony’s Lane nearby. This was believed to be a docking quay used by the CrawfordsContinue reading “Crawford’s Quay Revealed on the Mahon Walkway.”
Ferdia O' Mahony 