Ballinalee

Ballinalee, formerly St Johnstown (Béal Átha na Lao), is a village in northern County Longford, in the province of Leinster, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the parish of Clonbroney.

The village's name in Irish means Mouth of the Ford of the Calves. The name St Johnstown came from the name of the Church of Ireland Church of St. John. In common speech the town is often called "Bal".

History

In 1798, the town was the scene of a massacre of Irish prisoners of war after the Battle of Ballinamuck in a field now called Bully's Acre. During the Irish War of Independence, the town was also the scene of the Battle of Ballinalee, where local leader Sean Mac Eoin (sometimes known as the Blacksmith of Ballinalee) was leader of a badly equipped battalion of 300 men who held 900 Black and Tans for three days. It was the first and only successful defence of an Irish town against the English forces.

Sport

The village has a strong tradition in the Gaelic Athletic Association sport of Gaelic football. The name of the local team is "Sean Connolly's."