placenames.ie
Townland

Ballycastle

Baile an Chaisil

Ballinglen’s own account traces an arts foundation in the village from its 1992 beginnings to a purpose-built museum.

Recorded locationBallycastle54.28377° N · 9.37619° WInteractive map supplied by OpenStreetMap.
Recorded place location · Logainm.ie

The name

bailetownland, town, homesteadcaisealstone ring-fort

These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.

An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.

Recorded forms

  • Baile an Chaisil · Irish · main form · non-validated name
  • Ballycastle · English · main form

Place & story

People & connections

Margo Dolan and Peter Maxwell’s foundation

Margo Dolan and Peter Maxwell established the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in 1992. The organisation’s 2025 strategic plan describes their model of bringing Irish and international artists to north Mayo for residencies. First-time fellows contributed a work made in response to their stay to the permanent collection. The resulting collection therefore records successive artists’ encounters with the area, rather than a single survey of its landscape. [2]

A museum in the village

The Ballinglen Museum of Art was built in 2020 beside the foundation to house and exhibit the growing collection. The foundation identifies its location on Main Street in Ballycastle. Its programmes also include school classes, studio visits and printmaking sessions, connecting visiting artists with learning opportunities for the wider community. [2] [3] [4]

Geographic information

Place type
Townland
County
Mayo
Barony
Tirawley
Civil parish
Doonfeeny
Coordinates
54.28377, -9.37619
Mapped area
1.15 km²
Logainm ID
34209 ↗

People & family history

Census figures refer to the matched historical census area for each year. Boundaries and spellings can change over time.

Sources & further reading

  1. Logainm.ie — Ballycastle. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
  2. The Ballinglen Museum of Art: Strategic Management Plan 2025–2030, pages 3–6 · The Ballinglen Arts Foundation; foreword by Úna Forde
  3. About the Ballinglen Arts Foundation · The Ballinglen Arts Foundation
  4. Contact and location: Main Street, Ballycastle · The Ballinglen Arts Foundation
  5. Boundary geometry retains its source attribution and licence in the downloadable geographic record. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.