Ballyfarnon
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Ballyfarnan Béal Átha Fearnáin
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Approaching from the northwest on the R284
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 Ballyfarnan
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| Coordinates: 54°04′21″N 8°12′17″W / 54.0725°N 8.2047°WCoordinates: 54°04′21″N 8°12′17″W / 54.0725°N 8.2047°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Roscommon |
| Elevation | 59 m (194 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 182 |
| Irish Grid Reference | G863138 |
Ballyfarnon (historically Bellafernan, from Irish: Béal Átha Fearnáin, meaning "ford-mouth of the alders") is a village in northern County Roscommon, Ireland. Built on the River Feorish at the foot of Arigna Mountain, it lies between Loughs Skean and Meelagh with Lough Arrow, Lough Allen, Lough Bo and Lough-na-Sool nearby. It lies on the Sligo/Cavan R284 regional road on the border with County Sligo.
The first Church at Kilronan, Keadue, County Roscommon, was built in the 8th century by St. Ronan and his daughter St. Lasair. It was replaced in 1339 by one built by Fergal O'Duigenan which was burned down in 1340 and replaced three years later by the Church, one gable of which stands today. Sheltered by that gable is the vault of the McDermott Roes, in which Turlough O'Carolan was interred in 1738.
This gable is a memorial to the Gaelic Literary tradition from the 13th -18th century as represented by the O'Duigenans, hereditary erenachs of Kilronan (lay abbots who held church land from generation to generation), and chroniclers (as well as bards and ollavs-hereditary poets) to the MacDermots, Princes of Moylurg, down to Turlough O'Carolan, sometimes styled "The Last of the Bards". The O'Duigenans maintained a School of History on this site. The origin of the bards is lost in the mists of pre-historic Ireland.
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