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Abandoned Building Letterkenny

Melty · 2009-10-08 12:58:05

Hi folks Is anyone able to tell me the name of the old building located in ballymacool that sits on the hill overlooking the park? It's been derelict for years but looks like it was once quite a grand residence...

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08-10-2009 1:58pm

#1

Melty

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Hi folks

Is anyone able to tell me the name of the old building located in ballymacool that sits on the hill overlooking the park? It's been derelict for years but looks like it was once quite a grand residence...

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#2 08-10-2009 2:31pm
GoldenGreen

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Melty wrote: »

Hi folks

Is anyone able to tell me the name of the old building located in ballymacool that sits on the hill overlooking the park? It's been derelict for years but looks like it was once quite a grand residence...

Sounds like Ballymacool House you are talking about:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballymacool_Park

And here

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/reading-room/history-heritage/big-houses-of-ireland/the-boyd-family-and-bally/index.xml

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#3 08-10-2009 2:39pm
Melty

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ah yes that's the one, cheers!

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#4 08-10-2009 4:45pm
Senna

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Sometimes refered to as the Kelly Mansion.

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#5 08-10-2009 5:08pm
Crotchety

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A feast of travellers were burned out of it a few hundred years ago. Has been haunted to this day.

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#6 08-10-2009 8:33pm
mamakevf

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Owned by the Kelly family until the 80's
The Kelly family still live locally and still own Kelly's Mills/ timber yard which as you know is close by, further into town, and Kellys coal yard out beside the Port bridge.
There is also the Mill in Ramelton out beside the salmon leap/weir,but ownership of that premises was a contentious issue in the past few years, which was originaly built by the Watt's (of Watt's distillery/irish whiskey fame).

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#7 08-10-2009 11:08pm
mk2

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Is there supposed to be a tunnel goin from that place under the swilly to rockhill,or was someone takin a hand at me:D

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#8 08-10-2009 11:20pm
Crotchety

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There's a tunnel stretching from under the house to Rockhill House. Two of Letterkenny's Finest Victorian Buildings.

Supposedly it goes under the Swilly so the Dempsey's could catch their fish back in the day.

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#9 09-10-2009 9:25am
Durnish

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the ancestral home of Patti Boyd/Harrison/Clapton.

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#10 09-10-2009 9:47am
muffler

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Durnish wrote: »

the ancestral home of Patti Boyd/Harrison/Clapton.

Eh?

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#11 09-10-2009 10:11am
mrmac

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The house used to belong to the Boyd Family, which would be ancestors of Patti Boyd.

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#12 09-10-2009 10:35am
muffler

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mrmac wrote: »

The house used to belong to the Boyd Family, which would be ancestors of Patti Boyd.

Ah! never knew that.

You learn something new every day

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#13 09-10-2009 12:40pm
North_West_Art

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On the subject of abandoned buildings in Letterkenny....anyone know what the story is with this house? Its been in this state for the last 20 years, its on College road on the left as you go towards Ballyraine. Apparently it couldnt be sold because its haunted.... theres also another one in Church Hill that couldnt be sold for the same reason...

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#14 10-10-2009 12:23am
mk2

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apparently it bellongs to a guy called charlie mc ginley from iona road if there is any truth in that..

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#15 10-10-2009 1:10am
Local-womanizer

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mk2 wrote: »

Is there supposed to be a tunnel goin from that place under the swilly to rockhill,or was someone takin a hand at me:D

Where does this said tunnel come out at Rockhill?!

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#16 10-10-2009 3:15pm
Crotchety

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Out at Rockhill House.

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#17 14-11-2009 9:23am
josey_whale

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Thanks to Cul a cnoic's for the links found here

There's a lovely old photo of ballymacool house on the national library's digital archive

http://digital.nli.ie/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/glassplates&CISOPTR=12945&CISOBOX=1&REC=1

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#18 15-11-2009 3:26am
donegalman1

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There was talk a few years ago that a consortium involving U2 were looking at developing Ballymacool House into a Luxury Hotel and Golf Course but I guess that would never happen now with the houses planned for the area.

When at school we were all told that it was Haunted and you could see Childlike ghosts playing outside it.

I believe that the guy who owns the Ramada's family had some connection with it, the Kellys

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#19 15-11-2009 11:16pm
pmg58

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Local-womanizer wrote: »

Where does this said tunnel come out at Rockhill?!

Its just a myth, no evidence of it has ever been found.

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#20 03-05-2010 9:33pm
suzerxxx

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is it true that mr kelly was buried on the land? in that wooded area in the middle of the houses by the speed bumps? a taxi driver told me once?

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#21 04-05-2010 5:44pm
ccoyle

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This a grave in the trees behind the houses . Just beside a very tall scots pine i think.

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#22 04-05-2010 6:10pm
suzerxxx

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yeh there is a big pine tree there ive seen.. im so obsessed now been reading about it al night :eek:

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#23 04-05-2010 8:33pm
Technique

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Right in front of the house, at the top of Ballymacool Park, there's a plaque giving a bit of history about the house.

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#24 04-05-2010 8:45pm
hootietootie

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My granda was a caretaker in there when I was younger, we were out a few times-spooky place.

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#25 05-05-2010 2:08pm
Badda Bing

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ccoyle wrote: »

This a grave in the trees behind the houses . Just beside a very tall scots pine i think.

The grave belongs to an adopted son of the Boyd's who died in infancy. I'm 90% sure here.

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#26 05-05-2010 2:24pm
suzerxxx

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yeh i read somewhere that there are a few members of the boyd family buried on the land but i havent seen anything about kelly?

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#27 05-05-2010 9:36pm
mamakevf

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Funny, I was just talking to one of the Kelly lads today,
If I had seen this thread beforehand i would have asked him about any graves in the grounds.:rolleyes:

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#28 07-05-2010 7:57pm
lkgalgoss

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The boyds had a special needs son who is buried on the grounds and there was an older couple buried there too. The graves are clearly visible on the grounds. The owner of the house patrick kelly actually died today. there was proof of the tunnel found years ago but it cant be used as when the ira were in possesion of the house it was blocked up

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#29 07-05-2010 9:24pm
muffler

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I want everyone to get back on topic here and for a change Im only saying this the once. I can see whats happening here and Im not impressed so there will be no further warnings given. It will be immediate bans for any more off topic posting.

Now this thread was started by someone looking for the name of the old building located in Ballymacool. If you want to discuss the name of the house then that will be acceptable. For anything else get a different discussion forum.

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#30 11-05-2010 4:41am
red herring

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I heard its haunted!:eek:

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#31 11-05-2010 5:36pm
Graces7

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muffler wrote: »

I want everyone to get back on topic here and for a change Im only saying this the once. I can see whats happening here and Im not impressed so there will be no further warnings given. It will be immediate bans for any more off topic posting.

Now this thread was started by someone looking for the name of the old building located in Ballymacool. If you want to discuss the name of the house then that will be acceptable. For anything else get a different discussion forum.

It was just getting interesting too!!

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