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"BALLYHEIGUE or BALLYHEIGH, a parish, in the barony of CLANMAURICE, county of KERRY, and province of MUNSTER 10 miles (N. N. W.) from Tralee; containing 3,766 inhabitants. This parish is situated on a bay of the same name on the western coast, and includes within its limits the promontory of Kerry Head; it comprises 8,100 statute acres.
The coast, for the greater part, is a long, low, and sandy strand, and very dangerous to vessels embayed near it. The bay of Ballyheigue or Kerry Head which latter is situated in lat. 52° 24´ 40" (N.), and lon. 9° 54´ (W.); it affords no shelter for vessels, and has been frequently mistaken for the Shannon, in consequence of the latitude of Loop Head being innacurately set down in the charts. A coast-guard station is placed here, forming one of the five which comprise the district of Listowel; and there is also a chalybeate spa. The scenery along the coast is bold and in some places strikingly grand; the bay is frequented during the summer months for seabathing; and in the neighbourhood is a remarkably good spa."
[From A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland by Samuel Lewis (1837)]
Note: The Civil Parish of Ballyheigue ceased to be used for census purposes in the mid nineteenth century when District Electoral Divisions (DEDs) were introduced.
Ballyheigue comprises the DEDs of Ballyheigue and Kerryhead.
Ballyheigue DED Ballinclemesig, Ballyheige, Ballyronan, Booleenshere, Buncurrig, Caherulla, Castleshannon, Cloghanebane, Cloghaneleesh, Dirtane, Doonamontane, Dromgower, Glenlea, Heirhill, Knockane, Tiershanaghan, Toanreagh townlands.
Kerryhead DED Ballylongane, Dreenagh, Dromatoor, Glandahalin East and West, Glenderry, Maulin, Tiduff townlands
The Church of Ireland took over the site of the old parish church. A new church was built in 1814, and replaced by another at Togherbane in 1910. Ballyheigue was united to Tralee in 1923.
In the Roman Catholic church Ballyheigue was part of Causeway parish along with Killury and Rattoo until 1857, when it was re-established as a seperate parish. The church was built in 1827.
The Church of Ireland parish registers are lost
The Roman Catholic registers for Causeway start in 1782 for Baptisms and 1809
for Marriages (Many pages illegible).
Ballyheigue parish registers start in 1857.
From 1863 Ballyheigue was part of the Listowel Registration District. See the Registration Districts page.