# Firies

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"Firies" is also Australian slang for [firefighters](/source/Firefighter)

**Firies** (/faɪ.ɚi:z/ officially **Fieries**; Irish: *Na Foidhrí*)[1] is a village in [County Kerry](/source/County_Kerry), Ireland in the [historical barony](/source/Barony_(Ireland)) of [Magunihy](/source/Magunihy). It is situated midway between the hub towns of Killarney (14.5 km), Tralee (16 km), Castleisland (16 km) and Killorglin (13 km).[2] It is on the [R561](/source/R561_road_(Ireland)) road between [Farranfore](/source/Farranfore) and [Castlemaine](/source/Castlemaine,_County_Kerry). The population at the [2022 census](/source/2022_census_of_Ireland) was 573.[3] There are two principal rivers, the [Maine](/source/River_Maine_(County_Kerry)) and its chief tributary, the Brown Flesk.

## History

Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes a number of [ring fort](/source/Ring_fort), [enclosure](/source/Enclosure_(archaeology)) and [holy well](/source/Holy_well) sites in the [townlands](/source/Townland) of Firies and Killahane.[4]

In Firies townland, on a rock outcrop approximately 850 meters south of the village, are the remains of a rectangular tower known as Firies (or Fieries) Castle. The ground-floor appears to be occupied by a single chamber which was covered by a rounded vault which is almost entirely fallen. Only part of the walling above ground-floor level survives.[5] This [tower house](/source/Tower_house) was built by the O'Connors. It is in the [townland](/source/Townland) of Firies, in the parish of Firies, in the barony of [Magunihy](/source/Magunihy). It was built in the thirteenth century and it was knocked in the sixteenth century. The small castle has been in ruin for over two hundred years. A number of woods flourished for miles around it. It is from these woods that Firies got its name.[6]

Saint Gertrude's Catholic Church, in Killahane townland, was built c. 1860.[7]

## Education

In 1991, Firies National School moved to a new location beside the church. It is a rural school with, as of 2024, 19 teachers and 8 special needs assistants.[8] As of January 2024, there were over 270 pupils enrolled.[9] The school is involved in the Green Schools Initiative, Discovery Science and the Aistear Programmes.[8]

## Notable people

See also: Category:People from Firies

- [Eamonn Casey](/source/Eamonn_Casey) (1927–2017), Catholic prelate who was bishop of Galway and Kilmacduagh from 1976 to 1992, was born in Firies.[10]
- [Donal Daly](/source/Donal_Daly), former Gaelic footballer.[11]
- [Jack Sherwood](/source/Jack_Sherwood_(Gaelic_footballer)), former Gaelic footballer.[12]

## See also

- [Ballyhar](/source/Ballyhar)

## References

1. ["Fieries"](http://logainm.ie/1412433.aspx). *[Placenames Database of Ireland](/source/Placenames_Database_of_Ireland)*. Retrieved 30 April 2012.

1. ["Fieries"](http://www.kerrycoco.ie/en/allservices/planning/planspolicies/localareaplans/traleekillarneyhubsettlementslocalareaplan/thefile,670,en.pdf). Kerry County Council. Retrieved 30 April 2012.

1. ["Sapmap Area: Settlements Firies"](https://visual.cso.ie/?body=entity/ima/cop/2022&boundary=C04160V04929&guid=de63acbe-81d7-4a1c-a781-c444cfbc3411). *Census 2022*. [Central Statistics Office](/source/Central_Statistics_Office_(Ireland)). Retrieved 16 June 2024.

1. *Record of Monuments and Places - County Kerry*. Dublin: National Monuments and Historic Properties Service. 1998.

1. ["Archaeological Survey Database"](http://www.archaeology.ie/). National Monuments Service. Retrieved 31 October 2014.

1. ["Fieries Castle"](https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4742069/4732477/4818100). *Dúchas.ie - The Schools' Collection*

1. ["Saint Gertrude's Catholic Church, Killahane, Fieries, Kerry"](https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/21304801/saint-gertrudes-catholic-church-killahane-fieries-kerry). *buildingsofireland.ie*. National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 4 April 2024.

1. ["About us"](https://www.firiesnationalschool.ie/index.php/about-us). *firiesnationalschool.ie*. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

1. ["Directory Page - Firies Mxd N S"](https://www.gov.ie/en/directory/page/fwl90z-4i53qp-/). Department of Education. 22 January 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

1. ["Obituary: Eamonn Casey"](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/obituary-eamonn-casey-1.3008779). *Irish Times*. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2024.

1. ["Building begins on Kerry Food Hub"](https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/news/building-begins-on-kerry-food-hub/30610962.html). *The Kerryman*. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 5 April 2024. Firies native and former Kerry footballer Donal Daly

1. ["Firies star Jack Sherwood on 'the best year ever with the club'"](https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/sport/gaa/firies-star-jack-sherwood-on-the-best-year-ever-with-the-club/42145036.html). *The Kerryman*. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2024.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Firies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firies) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firies?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.