Where it all began. The homeplace of Francis O’Neill is a beautiful secluded part of West Cork in the highlands above Bantry. The little bridge is still there along with the original farmhouse. A plaque commemorates the famous son and I believe the bridge is still a location for Pattern dances as in O’Neill’s time. A testimony to the strong community spirit and to the great man’s legacy is the bronze statue in his likeness. It is erected about a mile away in a wide open glen, surrounded by a ring of hills. Here Francis O’Neill forever plays his tunes to anyone passing by.
![Nearby O'Donovan castle.](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/wp-image-847111364jpg.jpg)
![The Original O'Neill Farmhouse](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/wp-image-1941640290jpg.jpg)
![Tralibane Bridge](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/wp-image-384012491jpg.jpg)
![Details at the statue site](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_20160811_160712-300x225.jpg)
![The Statue from a distance](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_20160811_160426-300x225.jpg)
![Some of the generous donors to the site](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_20160811_160358-300x225.jpg)
![The Commemorative Wall](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_20160811_160157-300x225.jpg)
![O'Neill Statue Up Close](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_20160811_160130-225x300.jpg)
![Plaque at Tralibane Bridge](https://chiefoneill.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/IMG_20160811_154502-225x300.jpg)
Some tunes collected by O’Neill related to these places:
Castle Donovan
Humours of Tralibane (Last of the set)
1 thought on “Tralibane”