Firies
Firies
Na Foidhrí(Irish) | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Church of St Gertrude | |
  Firies Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates:52°10′14″N09°35′52″W/ 52.17056°N 9.59778°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Kerry |
| Population | 573 |
Firies(/ˈfaɪ.əriːz/officiallyFieries;Irish:Na Foidhrí)[2]is a village inCounty Kerry,Ireland in thehistorical baronyof Magunihy. It is situated midway between the hub towns of Killarney (14.5 km), Tralee (16 km), Castleisland (16 km) and Killorglin (13 km).[3]It is on theR561road betweenFarranforeandCastlemaine.The population at the2022 censuswas 573.[1]There are two principal rivers, namely the Maine and its chief tributary, the Brown Flesk.
History
[edit]Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number ofring fort,enclosureandholy wellsites in thetownlandsof Firies and Killahane.[4]
In Firies townland, on a rock outcrop approximately 850 meters south of the village, are the remains of a rectangular tower known as Firies (or Fieries) Castle. The ground-floor appears to be occupied by a single chamber which was covered by a rounded vault which is almost entirely fallen. Only part of the walling above ground-floor level survives.[5]Thistower housewas built by the O'Connors. It is in the townland of Firies, in the parish of Firies, in the barony of Magunihy. It was built in the thirteenth century and it was knocked in the sixteenth century. The small castle has been in ruin for over two hundred years. A number of woods flourished for miles around it. It is from these woods that Firies got its name.[6]
Saint Gertrude's Catholic Church, in Killahane townland, was builtc. 1860.[7]
Education
[edit]In 1991, Firies National School moved to a new location beside the church. It is a rural school with, as of 2024, 19 teachers and 8 special needs assistants.[8]As of January 2024, there were over 270 pupils enrolled.[9]The school is involved in the Green Schools Initiative, Discovery Science and the Aistear Programmes.[8]
Notable people
[edit]- Eamonn Casey(1927–2017), Catholic prelate who was bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh from 1976 to 1992, was born in Firies.[10]
- Donal Daly,former Gaelic footballer.[11]
- Jack Sherwood,former Gaelic footballer.[12]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"Sapmap Area: Settlements Firies".Census 2022.Central Statistics Office.Retrieved16 June2024.
- ^"Fieries".Placenames Database of Ireland.Retrieved30 April2012.
- ^"Fieries"(PDF).Kerry County Council.Retrieved30 April2012.
- ^Record of Monuments and Places - County Kerry.Dublin: National Monuments and Historic Properties Service. 1998.
- ^"Archaeological Survey Database".National Monuments Service.Retrieved31 October2014.
- ^"Fieries Castle".Dúchas.ie - The Schools' Collection.
- ^"Saint Gertrude's Catholic Church, Killahane, Fieries, Kerry".buildingsofireland.ie.National Inventory of Architectural Heritage.Retrieved4 April2024.
- ^ab"About us".firiesnationalschool.ie.Retrieved5 April2024.
- ^"Directory Page - Firies Mxd N S".Department of Education. 22 January 2024.Retrieved5 April2024.
- ^"Obituary: Eamonn Casey".Irish Times.13 March 2017.Retrieved4 April2024.
- ^"Building begins on Kerry Food Hub".The Kerryman.27 September 2014.Retrieved5 April2024.
Firies native and former Kerry footballer Donal Daly
- ^"Firies star Jack Sherwood on 'the best year ever with the club'".The Kerryman.15 November 2022.Retrieved5 April2024.
External links
[edit]
Media related toFiriesat Wikimedia Commons