Ballylickey, as many other old Irish settlements, owes its existence to the river which flows through the town. Indeed, in the case of Ballylickey, the river's influence is shown in the translation of the old Gaelic name - Beal Atha Leice - "The ford mouth of the river". This denotes that the river could be easily crossed at this point and resultantly became an area where people congregated, traded and ultimately settled. The castle in Ballylickey, Reendesert Court, is just one of the many other O'Sullivan Castles in the area.

Today, Ballylickey is a quiet, mainly residential settlement, with a number of high quality tourist establishments, catering for a broad range of visitors. Quality accommodation, food and entertainment have become synonymous with the area, bringing tourists from far and near, back time and time again. In Ballylickey, the visitor has no shortage of places to stay. One can choose from an excellent selection of homely B&B's, welcoming guesthouses and top quality five star hotels. For the self-catering holidaymaker, there is an excellent hostel, an award winning Caravan & Camping Park and numerous quality house rental properties.

At the end of an active day and there is much to keep you active (hillwalking, golfing, watersports, angling etc…) and there are many establishments to unwind in. You can visit one of the local pubs and dine out - traditional style with pub grub or partake of haute cuisine in the local award winning restaurants. The choice is yours and the variety and quality are superb.

Clan Name

Ballylickey is part of the ancestral home of the O'Sullivans in Ireland and forms a stage of the Beara-Breifne Greenway which is based on the historic march of O'Sullivan Beara in 1603.

Greenways Festival 2003

Ballickey is talking part in the Greenways Festival in summer 2003 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the legendary 1603 march of O’Sullivan Beara from the Beara Peninsula to the Breifne area. Click here for info on the events.