BALLYMOTE

ballymote, a market town of co. sligo, ireland, in the south parliamentary division, 14 m. s. of sligo by the midland great western railway. pop. (1901) 997. it is a centre for some agricultural trade and has carriage-building works. there are remains of a strong castle, built by the powerful earl of ulster, richard de burgh, in 1300, and the scene of hostilities in 1641 and 1652. ruins are also seen of a franciscan foundation attributed to the 13th century; it was a celebrated seat of learning and an extant memorial of the work of its monks is the _book of ballymote_ (_c._ 1391) in the possession of the royal irish academy, a miscellaneous collection in prose and verse of historical, genealogical and romantic writings. there are also, near the town, ruins of a house of the knights of st john (1303).