Ballitore


Ballitore is a village in County Kildare, Ireland, sometimes spelt Ballytore. It is noted for its historical Quaker associations.

History

A Quaker School was founded in Ballitore by Abraham Shackleton in 1726 which catered for Quakers from many parts of Ireland as well as both Protestant and Catholic local children. Parliamentarian Edmund Burke, a student at Shackleton's school from 1741-1744, remained devoted to his old master, whom he termed "the planter of the future age". The former home of Mary Leadbeater, a local diarist, is now a Quaker Museum. As of 2013, the Quaker School was proposed for demolition in order to make way for a Glanbia development in the centre of the town.
Pupils came from as far away as Bordeaux, Jamaica and Norway to stay and study in the school, staying in a row of houses in the village whose attics had been knocked into one long room.

Demographics

In the 2002 census, Ballitore had a population of 338, increasing to 793 by the time of the 2016 census. In 1837 the population was 933.

Transport

Ballitore is connected to the R448 and R747 regional roads.
The village is served by bus route 880 operated by Kildare Local Link on behalf of the National Transport Authority. There are several buses each day including Sunday linking the village to Castledermot, Carlow and Naas as well as villages such as Moone in the area.

Culture

is based in the parish of Narraghmore, encompassing Kilmead, Booley, Narraghmore, Calverstown, Kilgowan, Brewel, Ballymount, Ballitore and Mullaghmast.
Griese Youth Theatre operates in the Quaker Meeting House, and have participated in local historical reenactments as well as in National Theatre Connections and with Youth Theatre Ireland.

People