Bailieborough County Cavan.

The town situated in the east of County Cavan, came to be knows as Ballieborough when William Baillie from Ayrshire, Scotland was granted 1,000 acres of arable land and around 15,000 acres of bogland at Tandragee, as part of the plantation of Ulster in 1610.

During the 1641 rebellion the Protestant population were besieged by the O’ Reilly’s clan. but were subsequently allowed to leave for Droheda. In the Cromellian settlement of 1654 and the Williamite settlement of 1691 the native Irish population lost much of their remaining land, many being forced to leave.

The United Irishmen's Rebellion of 1798 found much cross community support in Bailiesborough, there is said to have been five Presbyterian minister who took an active part. A battle took place at Rebel Hill, where three hundred of the rebels were killed, the survivors retreated but were caught at a place which came to be known as Bloody Bridge where it is though another fourhundred may have been killed. In the aftermath of the rebellion many of those thought to have parcipited were executed or evicted from their homes.

Today the town is a hive of activity with many stores and shops supplying the needs of the largely agricultural community surrounding the town. With its fine public library, and leisure centre with a swimming pool, several pubs, restaurants and a hotel. Together with many comfortable guest houses in the locality, the town would make an excellent base from which to explore County Cavan and beyond.

The beautifully restored 17th Century Wesleyan Chapel is now a dedicated arts and cultural centre. For the more energetic there are some beautiful walks in Baliesborough forest, as well as the remains of a castle bearing the towns name and the site of a battle in 1798 when the United Irishmen tried unsuccessfully to wrest control of Ireland from the English.

County Cavan is a mecca for fishermen with a large number of lakes, stocked with large pike and other coarse fish make Baliesborough an ideal location for a fishing holiday.

Probably the largest employer in the town is the Bailie Central Co-operative Creamery established in 1904.

Ballieborough has perhaps the last remaining cast iron foundry in Ireland.