Altnagelvin
Encyclopedia
Altnagelvin is a townland
in County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. It is also the name of an electoral ward of Derry City Council
. Formerly a small village, it has been absorbed into the Waterside
neighbourhood, within the larger Derry Urban Area
. Situated within Altnagelvin is Altnagelvin Area Hospital
, a large hospital which serves the most of the county. The busy A6
road from Belfast
to Derry
passes through the townland.
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is also the name of an electoral ward of Derry City Council
Derry City Council
Derry City Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. The Council is is responsible for the city of Derry and the immediate environ, providing services to an estimated population of , making it the third largest district council in Northern Ireland by population.The...
. Formerly a small village, it has been absorbed into the Waterside
Waterside, Derry
The Waterside is an urban neighbourhood on the east side of the River Foyle opposite the Cityside of Derry, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Traditionally, the Waterside ends at the Caw roundabout near the Foyle Bridge...
neighbourhood, within the larger Derry Urban Area
Derry Urban Area
The Derry Urban Area is the urban area that includes and surrounds the city of Derry in Northern Ireland, and is part of the Derry City Council area. It had a population of 93,512 in the 2001 census...
. Situated within Altnagelvin is Altnagelvin Area Hospital
Altnagelvin Area Hospital
Altnagelvin Area Hospital is the main hospital for the North West of Northern Ireland. It provides services to the city of Derry as well as County Londonderry, but also some specialist and acute services for parts of neighbouring County Donegal, County Tyrone, County Antrim and County Fermanagh...
, a large hospital which serves the most of the county. The busy A6
A6 road (Northern Ireland)
The A6 road in Northern Ireland runs from the Belfast to Derry, via Antrim. Mostly single carriageway, there is a short dual carriageway section forming the Toome bypass. Towards Derry, there is also a short section of dual carriageway at Altnagelvin. This is one of Northern Ireland's most...
road from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
to Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
passes through the townland.
Demography
On Census Day 29 April 2001 the resident population of Altnagelvin ward was 4477. Of these:- 26.6% were under 16 years old and 11.0% were aged 60 and above
- 48.3% of the population were male and 51.7% were female
- 38.0% were from a Roman Catholic background and 59.7% were from a Protestant background
- 5.2% of those aged 16–74 were unemployed