Select Page
Buttevant Holiday Homes Cork

Buttevant Holiday Homes Cork

Buttevant is a medieval market town, incorporated by charter of Edward III, situated in North County Cork between the towns of Mallow and Charleville.

Buttevant Cork - image credit Charles Mount

This village takes its name from the motto of the de Barry family – “Boutez-en-evant”, meaning “Push Forward”. It was the de Barry family who built Buttevant Castle. Buttevant Franciscan Abbey was founded in 1254 by Donal de Barry, grandson of Philip de Barry, and dedicated to Thomas a Beckett. The ruined abbey, of which only the church still remains, contains a skeleton-filled two story crypt together with some well preserved sarcophagi.

Ballybeg Augustinian Friary near Buttevant is one of the area’s most important buildings in mediaeval times, mentioned in the “Pipe Role” of Cloyne, a 13th century Papal report. Philip de Barry, who is buried in the crypt, founded the Friary between 1229 and 1237. A slightly later church and 15th century tower occupy the site, which also boasts a columbarium, one of the best preserved in the British Isles, which housed over 350 pigeons.

The first ever steeplechase took place in Buttevant in the year 1752, from the Steeple of Buttevant Protestant Church to that of Doneraile, 7km away. The town was always involved with horses. The famous Cahirmee Horse Fair has been a lively annual event every summer for centuries.