Crookstown
An Baile Gallda | |
---|---|
Village | |
Coordinates: 51°50′34″N 08°49′56″W / 51.84278°N 8.83222°W | |
Country | Ireland |
Province | Munster |
County | County Cork |
Parish | Moviddy |
Elevation | 70 m (230 ft) |
Population | 183 |
Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
Eircode (Routing Key) | P14 |
Irish Grid Reference | W420664 |
Crookstown (Irish: An Baile Gallda, meaning "town of the invader or foreigner")[2] is a small village in County Cork in Ireland, about 12 km east of the town of Macroom and about 1 km off the N22 Cork–Killarney road. It had a population of 183 at the 2022 census,[1] down from 203 in the 2016 census.[3]
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1991 | 353 | — |
1996 | 345 | −2.3% |
2002 | 320 | −7.2% |
2006 | 302 | −5.6% |
2011 | 222 | −26.5% |
2016 | 203 | −8.6% |
2022 | 183 | −9.9% |
[4][1][3][5] |
To the south of Crookstown village is the ruin of the 16th century Clodagh Castle, once home to one of the branches of the McSweeney clan.[6] Another ruined castle, Castlemore Castle or Dundrinan Castle, lies to the north of the village.[6][7]
Crookstown Road railway station, located close to Castlemore Castle approximately 2 km from the village centre, operated as a stop on the Cork and Macroom Direct Railway from 1866 until services on the line ceased in the 1940s.[8]
The Irish Republican Army (IRA) was active around Crookstown during the Irish War of Independence, and Crookstown House, an estate house owned by the Warren family was burnt-out by the IRA in June 1921. It was later rebuilt.[9] According to biographer Tim Pat Coogan, Michael Collins was likely on his way to a meeting in Crookstown when he was killed in an ambush at nearby Béal na Bláth during the Irish Civil War.[10]
Crookstown is approximately 30 km from Cork City, and 4 km from Béal na Bláth. It lies between the River Bride and River Brouen, and in 2012 was subject to flooding when both rivers burst their banks.[11][12]
Crookstown is a rural village with a number of shops, pubs and other businesses.[11]
A large mill, built c.1810 at Bellmount close to the village, was once economically important to the area.[13][14] The area is now better known for its brick and concrete factory at Castlemore.[citation needed]
The Crookstown area is served by a Garda station and post office.[15][16] Local sports clubs include Crookstown United (which fields teams in the Munster Football Association's 'shipping league')[17] and Crookstown Karate Club (members of which have competed in national and international competition).[18]