Ballyboy — Ballyboy (ballyboy By.)

Possible medieval settlement in the village of Ballyboy, cluster of dwellings depicted on the 17th centurymap of Ballyboy. A seventeenth century trade token was found in the village of Ballyboy, dated 1668 and belonged to Bob Hutchinson of Ballyboy, Merch [Merchant] (Cooke 1875, 233). The Williamite chronicler, George Story, has left two accounts of an attack on Ballyboy in September 1690. In the first account he relates that ‘another Party [of Jacobites] burnt Balliboy, a village 8 miles from Birr [recte 20 miles or 16.5km], wherein there was then six companies of the Earl of Drogheda’s Regiment, who finding themselves very much outnumbered, and the village no ways tenable, they retired all to a mount nigh the middle of the same village, which they defended till the Irish were obliged to quit the place, have killed us about 28, themselves leaving 16 dead upon the streets, besides several more that were killed in plundering the houses.’ (1693, 46). His second account records that the officer in command, Lieutenant Colonel Bristow, ‘took most of his men into that open village; which the Irish having notice of, came in the night, and lay in the hedges nigh the town. Our men had heard of the designed attempt the day before, and desired Colonel Bristow to deliver out ammunition; but he apprehending no danger, took no care to prepare for such a mischief. However, our men sate upon all that night, and sent out a Lieutenant, with twenty men mounted, to learn tidings of the enemy, who returned without discovering any, for they were all this while close in the hedges. After reveille the officer and soldiers, thinking all safe, went to their lodgings, all but the ordinary guard. They had not been dispersed half an hour, till the Irish set both ends of the town on fire. The officers and soldiers made what haste they could to a mount towards the middle of the town, where they staid till a party of dragoons came from Birr to their relief, for the Irish after some small time drew off, and would not adventure to force them from the mount, tho' they were four times our number. We had about twenty eight killed and some wounded. And Captain Henry Gore, as he was going towards the mount, had a rencounter with some of the lrish Grenadiers, in which with club-musket he had his jaw-bone broke, and several wounds on the head; but he is since recovered. We killed several of the enemy, both in the streets, and in the houses that they went to plunder.’ (Story 1693, 146). The mount referred to in the above accounts clearly is the motte and bailey (OF031-015002-). (Loeber 1988, vol. 1, 26-30). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). Revised by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 22 February 2018