The high crosses
Two granite high crosses that predate the Normans stand in the graveyard of St John’s Church, among a number of medieval grave slabs. The taller, the north cross, rises 3.4 metres in three pieces – head, shaft and pyramidal base – and was knocked down and re-erected in 1689 by a local man, Ambrose Walls. The south cross is smaller, about two metres, cut from a single block of granite and now mostly broken away. Both are probably 10th or 11th century. It is a working graveyard, so be quiet and respectful while you look. If you stop for one thing, stop for these.
The town itself (Irish: An Baile Mór, ‘the big town’, in full Baile Mór na nIústasach) sits on the River Liffey where the R411 meets the R413, with a stone bridge carrying the road over the river and a population of 689 at the 2022 census. It keeps a village pace.
Border history
Ballymore was a manor and castle of the Archbishops of Dublin in the 12th century. Henry III granted it an eight-day fair in 1244; Thomas FitzOliver FitzEustace was made constable in 1373, and it’s his family that gave the town its second name. A parliament even sat here in 1389. No trace of the castle survives.
Its position on the edge of the Pale made it a target: the O’Tooles and O’Byrnes raided down from the Wicklow hills, and on 23 May 1798 United Irish rebels attacked the British garrison here in one of the rebellion’s opening clashes – but the garrison held and drove them off.
The mills
Milling at Ballymore goes back to the 12th century. On the manor lands at Ardenode stood a tuck mill – a fulling mill for finishing cloth – dated to 1276–7. By the 19th century the Gallagher family’s cotton mill dominated the town; at its peak around 1815 it worked roughly 700 people across 150 machines. The remains of a mill still stand beside the river. The buildings are not open to visitors, so look from the marked path and do not go in or down to the river’s edge.
Down the hill from the Catholic church runs Weaver’s Row, a terrace of single-storey workers’ cottages, now a protected structure and a plain reminder of the mill town this once was.
Arts, writers and film
The writer Seumas O’Kelly (1881–1918) drew on this landscape of canals and mill communities; his short story The Weaver’s Grave was illustrated by Jack B. Yeats. The Ballymore Eustace Art Studio, run by artist Fiona Barrett at Lime Kiln House, has offered painting and mixed-media workshops; check its website for what is on and how to book.
Walking, cycling and the lakes
Kildare County Council lists a 5 km moderate loop along the river, taking about an hour and a half. Use the trail gate near Ballymore Mill. The route includes woodland and boardwalks, and the council advises against bringing a pushchair. Keep to the marked path, away from the mill buildings and the river’s edge.
Ballymore Eustace also sits at the gateway to the Blessington Lakes (Poulaphouca Reservoir) and the Bog of Allen. The reservoir was created in the 1940s when the ESB dammed the Liffey at Poulaphouca for hydro-electric power and Dublin’s water supply, and the lakeshore has trails for walking and cycling. Facilities and seasonal opening vary, so check before you go. To the south, marked trails cross the Bog of Allen through the peatlands.
Where to eat and practical notes
The Ballymore Inn is a long-running gastropub in the village and the reason many people detour here. Check its opening times before you plan a meal around it.
Getting there – Check the current TFI Local Link and Dublin Bus timetables for services between Ballymore Eustace, Naas and Dublin before you travel.
Opening – The high crosses in the graveyard are outdoors and the council trail is a public walk, but follow the signs and keep clear of private buildings. Check the council page above for any trail notices.
Further afield
A short drive opens up a lot. Russborough House, with the Beit collection, is nearby, as are the Palladian grandeur of Castletown House in Celbridge and the hilltop ruins at Carbury. Make Ballymore Eustace a slow day: lunch in the village, ten minutes at St John’s crosses, and the riverside walk – that’s the town at its best.