Ballyconnell

Ballyconnell Béal Átha Conaill
Town
Ballyconnell Main Street.
Ballyconnell Location in Ireland
Coordinates: 54°07′00″N 7°35′00″W / 54.11667°N 7.58333°W / 54.11667; -7.58333Coordinates: 54°07′00″N 7°35′00″W / 54.11667°N 7.58333°W / 54.11667; -7.58333
Country	Ireland
Province	Ulster
County	County Cavan
Elevation	55 m (180 ft)
Population (2011)
• Urban	1,061
Time zone	WET (UTC+0)
• Summer (DST)	IST (WEST) (UTC-1)
Irish Grid Reference	H361168

Ballyconnell (Irish: Béal Átha Conaill, meaning "Entrance to the Ford of Conall") is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated on the N87 national secondary road at the junction of four townlands Annagh, Cullyleenan, Doon and Derryginny in the parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw. The town has an altitude of 55 metres above sea level. The mean daily January temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius and the mean daily July temperature is 15 degrees Celsius. The average annual rainfall is 1,000 mm. The average annual hours of sunshine are 1,250. Ballyconnell won the Irish Tidy Towns Competition in 1971 and was also winner in 1975.

It lies astride the Shannon–Erne Waterway which was opened in 1993, formerly known as the Woodford Canal which was finally completed in 1860. Prior to being canalised it was known as the River Grainne. The town sits at the foot of Slieve Rushen mountain and is a mile from the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The population of Ballyconnell according to the most recent census undertaken in 2006 was 747 persons, an increase of 31% on the previous 2002 census.

The earliest surviving mention of the name Ballyconnell is an entry in the Annals of the Four Masters for the year 1323 A.D., which states "Rory Mac Mahon, son of the Lord of Oriel, Melaghlin O'Seagannain, and Mac Muldoon, were slain by Cathal O'Rourke at Bel-atha-Chonaill". Before being named Ballyconnell it was named Áth na Mianna which means Ford of the Miners. It was also named Gwyllymsbrook between 1660 and 1702 by its then owner Thomas Gwyllym.