Baltimore USA

It has been suggested that the word 'Baltimore' might be an anglicisation of the Irish baile an tí mhóir, meaning ‘town of the great house’. However, another  theory links it to ancient celtic religion and 'Baal Tine Mor' (the great fire of Baal). The exact connection between Baltimore, West Cork, and Baltimore, Maryland is likewise a matter of some conjecture. The American city took its name from Cecil Calvert, second Baron Baltimore who founded the colony of Maryland in 1634. Calvert had inherited his title from his father George who was created Baron Baltimore by King James I in 1625. The family estates were in County Longford, but there is no clear record of a place called Baltimore in that part of Ireland. Although there is equally no evidence that George Calvert ever visited West Cork, it is entirely possible that he chose the name 'Baltimore' simply because he liked the sound of it. And that perhaps is why the largest city in Maryland now bears the name of a West Cork fishing village! What is certain is that in recent times a firm friendship between the two Baltimores on opposite sides of the Atlantic has been forged by the regular visits of the schooner Pride of Baltimore.