Fountainstown
Fountainstown
Baile Mhóntáin (Irish) | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 Ringabella Bay from Fountainstown | |
  Fountainstown Location in Ireland | |
| Coordinates: 51°46′33″N 08°18′41″W / 51.77583°N 8.31139°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | Cork |
| Elevation | 30 m (100 ft) |
| Population | 993 |
| (includes the nearby village of Myrtleville) | |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (IST (WEST)) |
| Irish Grid Reference | W785582 |
Fountainstown (Irish: Baile Mhóntáin, historically anglicised as Ballymontane)[2] is a coastal village in County Cork, Ireland, situated approximately 23 km south of Cork city. A seaside village, it is separated by small promontory headland from the nearby village and beach at Myrtleville.
Places of interest
Fountainstown is a seaside village and its beach received Blue Flag status in 1991.[3] It overlooks Ringabella creek to the south.[4][5]
Close to the village centre is Fountainstown House, a stately home which was originally built in 1699[6] by the Roche family - a Norman family who may have acquired lands at Fountainstown in the 15th or 16th century.[5] The house has 12 bedrooms and was restored in 1995.[6]
Fountainstown's pitch and putt club, established in 1936,[7] is sometimes considered to be the home of the sport's first course,[8][9] and described by the European Pitch and Putt Association as the origin point of "modern day organised competitive Pitch and Putt".[10] The club was initially established by "Fountainstown Developments Limited", a company with most of the town's residents as shareholders.[11] This club, known locally as "Fountainstown Sports Club",[12] declined in the 1950s and 1960s, due to a "lack of interest and insufficient willing hands", before being revived in 1973.[7] New rounds of funding helped revitalise the club grounds in the 2020s.[13] Adjoining the pitch and putt fields are tennis courts, with the tennis club having been established at the same time as the pitch and putt one.[14] The Fountainstown Developments company has also organised sailing, swimming and fishing activities.[11] The clubhouse has been used for social activities including dancing and Catholic masses.[13]
The coast road between Fountainstown and nearby Myrtleville is used as a walk or promenade.[15] Near the start of this road, on the Fountainstown side, is Angelas Shop & Coffee Dock. The owner of this small shop, which has been in operation since the late 1980s,[16] received a Cork Person of the Year award in January 2023.[17] The shop's owner has also reportedly sponsored local road bowling tournaments.[18]
Transport
Fountainstown is served by a number of bus routes, with 12 services a day to Cork, each operating via Carrigaline and Douglas, and several services operating via Crosshaven.[19][20]
The nearest airport is Cork Airport.
References
- ^ "Census 2016 - SAPMAP Area - Settlements - Fountainstown". Census 2016. CSO. 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
- ^ "Baile Mhontáin - Fountainstown". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Fountainstown flag". Southern Star. 27 July 1991.
- ^ "Munster flies high with most Blue Flag beaches". irishexaminer.com. Irish Examiner. 23 May 2017. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ a b "About Fountainstown - Ringabella Creek". fountainstown.com. Fountainstown Community Association. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ a b Barker, Tommy (14 October 1994). "Our house beside the seaside...". Irish Examiner.
- ^ a b McMahon, Leo (27 December 1987). "50 years of pitch and putt". Southern Star.
- ^ "Pitch and Putt's Roots are Deep-set in Cork's History". Evening Echo. 27 December 1969 – via fountainstown.com.
- ^ "Pitch and Putt - Cork County Board". ppui.ie. Pitch and Putt Union Of Ireland. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Birthplace of Pitch and Putt Launches Website". fippa.org. Federation of International Pitch and Putt Associations. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ a b F, M (20 August 1975). "A surging sea of ideas at Fountainstown". Irish Examiner.
- ^ O'Neill, Pat (5 August 1986). "Golden year for Fountainstown club". Irish Examiner.
- ^ a b Maher, Tara (9 May 2023). "Breathing new life into Cork's 'Funky Town'". Evening Echo.
- ^ "Joy after the 52 years for Fountainstown". Irish Examiner. 10 March 1989.
- ^ "About Fountainstown - Walks". fountainstown.com. Fountainstown Community Association. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Award for two iconic Cork businesses". Evening Echo. 30 May 2022.
- ^ O'Riordan, Sean (27 January 2023). "Shop owners with combined 128 years in business named joint Cork Person of the Year winners". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ^ "Youths Bowling". Southern Star. 2 October 1993.
- ^ "Timetable - Route 220" (PDF). buseireann.ie. Bus Éireann. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Timetable - Route 220X" (PDF). buseireann.ie. Bus Éireann. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
See also
