Archaeological sites in the immediate area include evidence of a number of
ringforts, a
souterrain and a
lime kiln in Ballincolla
townland. Also nearby are the remains of 13th century and 16th century
O'Donovan castles at Castle Eyre (Listarkin townland) and Raheen Castle (Raheen townland). The Irish name means "rotten strand". The adjoining
townland name Clontaff is likewise explained as "battle meadow", The English name "Union Hall" was originally that of a
big house built and named after the
Act of Union 1800 by William Somerville Limrick (or Limerick), a
lieutenant colonel in the
Madras Army of the
East India Company. The house, later named Unionhall House, was
burnt out by the
Irish Republican Army in the
Irish War of Independence. In July–August 1922, as part of the
Irish Free State offensive of the
Civil War, national army troops landed at the quay in Union Hall in order to outflank the local Republican forces. In January 2012, the
Tit Bonhomme fishing vessel sank near
Glandore Harbour, and the people of Union Hall spent several weeks searching for the Irish and Egyptian sailors who died. They were presented with a
People of the Year Award in September 2012. The village served as the setting for the titular fictional location of
Bodkin in the 2024 Netflix TV series of the same name. ==Amenities and tourism==