Week 2 of the Village Tour takes us to Ballyporeen!
Background:
Ballyporeen (Irish: Béal Átha Póirín) is a village in South Tipperary.
It lies in the Galtee-Vee Valley with the Galtee Mountains to the north and the Knockmealdowns to the south. The River Duag which is a tributary of the Suir runs through the village. It is located on the R665 regional road. The nearest large towns are Mitchelstown and Cahir, which are 12 km and 21 km respectively.
The village is approximately 11 km from Junction 12 of the M8 Motorway.
Ballyporeen is best known for being the ancestral home of United States President Ronald Reagan. His great-grandfather, Michael Regan (who later changed the spelling of his name), was baptised in the village in 1829 and lived there until his emigration to London not later than 1851 and ultimately the United States in 1857. President Reagan visited the village on 3 June 1984 and delivered a speech to its residents, during which he discussed his ancestry and what he called the “Irish-American tradition”.
There was some opposition to Reagan’s visit to Ireland, particularly from the Roman Catholic Church. Authorities kept approximately 600 protesters behind barriers on the outskirts of the village on that day, they were not permitted inside until the presidential party had departed. The main focus of the protesters was toward the Reagan administration’s foreign policy, in particular its support of the Contras in Nicaragua.
Ballyporeen was previously home to The Ronald Reagan Pub. While the building still stands, the pub closed in 2004 and the following year its fittings and external signage were transferred to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
Ballyporeen is home to the singer/songwriter Gemma Hayes whose hits include Hanging Around from her debut album Night on my Side which was released to critical acclaim and was nominated for the 2002 Mercury Music Prize.
Sport
Soccer, Gaelic football, hurling, racquetball and handball are all represented by clubs in the area.
The local Gaelic football club, Ballyporeen GAA, competes at Senior level within the Southern division of Tipperary GAA. The rural settlement of Skeheenarinky has a hurling club, Skeheenarinky GAA, currently competing at Intermediate level. Ballyporeen has also had a very successful record in handball.
Village Tour
As part of the Tipp Today Village Tour, we heard from the Ballyporeen Ukele Group and its Director and local musician Seamus Hennessy, Mike Geary from Ballyporeen GAA and Field Development Committee.
Jim O’Brien from the Community First Responders, Pat Russell from Russells shop, Lucinda from the Tidy Towns, Rose and Betty from the Historical Society, Father Joe on his retirement and his love of the village, David Russell a local yoga master and Ned Carey on the funds raised in the aftermath of a tragic family heartache
