| Belvelly Béal an Bhealaigh |
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| — Village — | |
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| Coordinates: 51°53′N 8°18′W / 51.883°N 8.3°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Munster |
| County | County Cork |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | |
Belvelly (Irish: Béal an Bhealaigh[1]) is a small village on the northern end of the Great Island of Cork Harbour, about four miles north of the town of Cobh, County Cork, Ireland.
Belvelly is situated at the shortest crossing point between the Great Island and the neighbouring Fota Island, which is in turn connected to the mainland near Carrigtwohill.
The little village has two historic buildings, Belvelly Castle and the nearby Belvelly Martello Tower. The castle was built by the Hodnett family around the 15th century at a strategic location and much to the annoyance of the more powerful de Barry family, who later seized the castle, which served as their seat until they built the nearby Fota House
There was a schoolhouse at Belvelly until the mid-20th century, and this was later converted into a dwelling house. The Martello tower at Belvelly has also been converted to a family home, but its 13-foot-thick (4.0 m) walls and its status as a historical monument meant that most light has to come from the roof area.
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