Ballyjamesduff
Ballyjamesduff (Irish: Baile Shéamais Dhuibh) is a small town and former market centre in the barony of Castlerahan, County Cavan, in the Republic of Ireland.[1]Situated in the east of the county along the R194 regional road, approximately 8.5 miles southeast of Cavan town, it had a population of 2,661 at the 2016 census.[2][3] The town is best known for its cultural association with the Irish songwriter and entertainer Percy French (1854–1920), who referenced it in his popular ballad "Come Back, Paddy Reilly to Ballyjamesduff," inspired by local lore, and whose statue stands in the town square as a tribute.[4] Historically a district parish and post town in Ulster province, Ballyjamesduff developed as a rural service hub amid the surrounding agricultural landscape of Ireland's Hidden Heartlands, with no major industries dominating its economy beyond local commerce and farming.[5][1]