Banbridge
Encyclopedia
Banbridge is a town
in County Down
, Northern Ireland
. It lies on the River Bann
and the A1 road
. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coach
ing stop on the road from Belfast
to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen
manufacturing. Its population was 14,744 people in the 2001 Census
though is said to have raised in population by a fifth since then, suggesting a population of around 18,000. The town is the headquarters for Banbridge District Council.
The town's main street is very unusual, and rises to a steep hill before levelling out. In 1834 an underpass was made, apparently because horse
s with heavy loads would faint before reaching the top of the hill. It was built by William Dargan
and is officially named 'Downshire Bridge', though it is often called 'The Cut'.
", is a relatively young town. The town grew up around the site where the main road from Belfast
to Dublin crossed the River Bann
over an Old Bridge which was situated where the present bridge now stands.
The town owes its success to flax
and the linen
industry, becoming by 1772 the principal linen producing district in Ireland with a total of 26 bleachgreens along the Bann. This industry has now greatly diminished in prominence, but Banbridge still has two of the major producers in Ulster Weavers Ltd, and Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd., the last remaining Irish linen
damask
weaver.
Since 2004, Banbridge has staged an annual busking
competition and music festival called Buskfest. Performers have travelled from as far as Australia to participate in the competition and the evening concert has included a number of world-famous artists.
Recently, Banbridge has been twinned with Ruelle in France
.
s, whose names mostly come from the Irish language
. Banbridge sprang up in a townland called Ballyvally. Over time, the surrounding townlands have been built upon and they have lent their names to many streets, roads and housing estates. The following is a list of townlands within Banbridge's urban area, alongside their likely etymologies
:
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
between Belfast
and Newry
. The nearest railway station is on Northern Ireland Railways
' Belfast–Newry railway line, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Banbridge.
Banbridge had its own railway station from 1859 until 1956. The Banbridge, Newry, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway opened on 23 March 1859. In contrast with its very long name, this was a short branch line between Banbridge and Scarva. This was followed by the opening of the Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Junction Railway between Knockmore Junction
and Banbridge on 13 July 1863, which gave Banbridge a more direct link via with . The Great Northern Railway
took over both companies in 1877 and opened a branch line from Banbridge to Ballyroney in 1880. In 1906 the GNR opened an extension from Ballyroney to Castlewellan
, where it connected with a new Belfast and County Down Railway
branch line to Newcastle, County Down
.
In 1953 the governments of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic jointly nationalised the GNR as the GNR Board. On 1 May 1955 the GNRB closed Banbridge's lines to Scarva and Castlewellan. Banbridge station closed on 29 April 1956, when the GNRB closed the line from Knockmore Junction.
Current sports clubs include:
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, 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 lies on the River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...
and the A1 road
A1 road (Northern Ireland)
The A1 is a major route in Northern Ireland. It runs from Belfast via Lisburn and Banbridge to the border with the Republic of Ireland south of Newry, from where the road continues to Dublin, becoming the N1 road and M1 motorway...
. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...
ing stop on the 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 Dublin and thrived from Irish linen
Irish linen
Irish linen is the brand name given to linen produced in Ireland. Linen is cloth woven from, or yarn spun from the flax fibre, which was grown in Ireland for many years before advanced agricultural methods and more suitable climate led to the concentration of quality flax cultivation in northern...
manufacturing. Its population was 14,744 people in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
though is said to have raised in population by a fifth since then, suggesting a population of around 18,000. The town is the headquarters for Banbridge District Council.
The town's main street is very unusual, and rises to a steep hill before levelling out. In 1834 an underpass was made, apparently because horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s with heavy loads would faint before reaching the top of the hill. It was built by William Dargan
William Dargan
William Dargan , an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways, came from Killeshin, County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1799, he constructed Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Dún Laoghaire in 1833. He constructed over of railway to important urban centres of Ireland...
and is officially named 'Downshire Bridge', though it is often called 'The Cut'.
History
Banbridge, home to the "Star of the County DownStar of the County Down
"Star of the County Down" is an old Irish ballad set near Banbridge in County Down, in Ireland. The words are by Cathal McGarvey, 1866-1927, from Ramelton, County Donegal...
", is a relatively young town. The town grew up around the site where the main 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 Dublin crossed the River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...
over an Old Bridge which was situated where the present bridge now stands.
The town owes its success to flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
and the linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
industry, becoming by 1772 the principal linen producing district in Ireland with a total of 26 bleachgreens along the Bann. This industry has now greatly diminished in prominence, but Banbridge still has two of the major producers in Ulster Weavers Ltd, and Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd., the last remaining Irish linen
Irish linen
Irish linen is the brand name given to linen produced in Ireland. Linen is cloth woven from, or yarn spun from the flax fibre, which was grown in Ireland for many years before advanced agricultural methods and more suitable climate led to the concentration of quality flax cultivation in northern...
damask
Damask
Damask is a reversible figured fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or synthetic fibers, with a pattern formed by weaving. Damasks are woven with one warp yarn and one weft yarn, usually with the pattern in warp-faced satin weave and the ground in weft-faced or sateen weave...
weaver.
Since 2004, Banbridge has staged an annual busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
competition and music festival called Buskfest. Performers have travelled from as far as Australia to participate in the competition and the evening concert has included a number of world-famous artists.
Recently, Banbridge has been twinned with Ruelle in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Townlands
Like the rest of Ireland, the Banbridge area has long been divided into townlandTownland
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...
s, whose names mostly come from the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. Banbridge sprang up in a townland called Ballyvally. Over time, the surrounding townlands have been built upon and they have lent their names to many streets, roads and housing estates. The following is a list of townlands within Banbridge's urban area, alongside their likely etymologies
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
:
- Ballydown (from Baile an Dúin meaning "townland of the stronghold")
- Ballymoney (from Baile Muine meaning "townland of the thicket")
- Ballyvally (from Baile an Bhealaigh meaning "townland of the routeway")
- Drumnagally (from Dromainn Ó gCeallaigh meaning "O'Kelly's ridge")
- Edenderry (from Éadan Doire meaning "hill-brow of the oak-wood")
- Tullyear (from Tulaigh Eirre meaning "hillock of the boundary")
Demographics
Banbridge is classified as a Medium Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 14,744 people living in Banbridge. Of these:- 24.4% were aged under 16 years and 16.1% were aged 60 and over
- 49.5% of the population were male and 50.5% were female
- 33.7% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 63.7% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 3.3% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Places of interest
- Near the town lie the ancient Lisnagade FortLisnagade FortLisnagade Fort is a large Celtic multivallate rath, three miles west of Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland, just off the Scarva road. Lisnagade Fort rath and annex are State Care Historic Monuments in the townland of Lisnagade, in Banbridge District....
, Legannany DolmenLegannany DolmenLegananny Dolmen is a megalithic dolmen or cromlech nine miles southeast of Banbridge and three miles north of Castlewellan, both in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the slopes of Slieve Croob near the village of Leitrim, in Drumgooland parish, nestled between the farmer's stone wall and a...
, and the Loughbrickland CrannogLoughbrickland CrannogLoughbrickland Crannóg is a Bronze Age man-made island known as a crannóg, four miles south west of Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated in the middle of the lough, 1 mile from the village of Loughbrickland. The crannóg in Loughbrickland is a Scheduled Historic Monument in the...
, constructed around the year 500 AD - Thomas Ferguson & Co LtdThomas Ferguson & Co LtdThomas Ferguson Irish Linen is the last remaining of the old established Irish linen Jacquard weavers in Ireland. Situated in Banbridge, Northern Ireland it has been weaving since 1854. The Company, bears the name of its founder, Thomas Ferguson , who was born at Clare, near the village of...
factory tours. See the last Irish linen damask weaving company at work. - Banbridge Market House was built about 1832 currently used as offices.
- The Coach, one of the largest clubs in Ireland,was famous for winning HEAT magazines Ugly Bar award 2007, although recently has been redeveloped in hope to regain popularity. Wednesday nights are becoming as popular as what Saturday nights once were.
- Blu nightclub on the outskirts of the town has grown as a popular nightspot, attached to The Bannville House Hotel is serves the public as a hotel, restaurant, bar, meeting venue, nightclub and function venue.
- Huntly House
People
- Professor Ernest WaltonErnest WaltonErnest Thomas Sinton Walton was an Irish physicist and Nobel laureate for his work with John Cockcroft with "atom-smashing" experiments done at Cambridge University in the early 1930s, and so became the first person in history to artificially split the atom, thus ushering the nuclear age...
, winner of the 1951 Nobel Prize for Physics (along with Sir John Douglas Cockcroft) attended school in Banbridge. - Captain Francis CrozierFrancis CrozierFrancis Rawdon Moira Crozier was born in Ireland at Banbridge, County Down and was a British naval officer who participated in six exploratory expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic...
, British naval officer and Arctic explorer, was born in Banbridge in 1796. A monument to him stands in the town square; four polar bears are carved on the base. - F. E. McWilliamF. E. McWilliamF.E. McWilliam , was a British surrealist sculptor, born in Banbridge, County Down. He worked in stone, wood and bronze chiefly.-Biography:...
, surrealist sculptor - John MitchelJohn MitchelJohn Mitchel was an Irish nationalist activist, solicitor and political journalist. Born in Camnish, near Dungiven, County Londonderry, Ireland he became a leading member of both Young Ireland and the Irish Confederation...
, Irish nationalist activist and political journalist - John Butler YeatsJohn Butler YeatsJohn Butler Yeats was an Irish artist and the father of William Butler Yeats, Lily Yeats, Lollie Yeats and Jack B. Yeats. He is probably best known for his portrait of the young William Butler Yeats which is one of a number of his portraits of Irishmen and women in the Yeats museum in the National...
, artist and father of four artistic children. Among them were William Butler YeatsWilliam Butler YeatsWilliam Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
and Jack Butler YeatsJack Butler YeatsJohn "Jack" Butler Yeats was an Irish artist. His early style was that of an illustrator; he only began to work regularly in oils in 1906. His early pictures are simple lyrical depictions of landscapes and figures, predominantly from the west of Ireland—especially of his boyhood home of...
. - Margaret BarryMargaret BarryMargaret Barry was a traditional Irish singer and banjo player.Born in Cork into a family of Travellers and street singers, she taught herself how to play the zither banjo and the fiddle at a young age. At the age of sixteen, after a family disagreement, Margaret left home and started performing...
"Maggie", Irish singer and banjo player, spent the last decade of her life in Banbridge. - Robbie DennisonRobbie DennisonRobert "Robbie" Dennison is a Northern Irish former professional footballer, who spent the majority of his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:...
, former Wolverhampton Wanderers FC winger and Northern Ireland football international. - Samuel FryarSamuel FryarSamuel Fryar was an Irish solicitor, councillor and politician from Northern Ireland.Samuel Fryar was born on 4 February 1863 at Banbridge, County Down in Ireland, to parents Samuel Fryar and his wife, Ann Jane née Gibson...
, politician from the 1930s. - Dermott LennonDermott LennonDermott Lennon is an Irish equestrian who competes in the sport of show jumping.As of the end of August 2010, he is climbing back up the Rolex World Rankings and has reached 71st - Ireland's no...
world show jumping champion hails from Ballinaskeagh just outside Banbridge - Jonathan TuffeyJonathan TuffeyJonathan "Jonny" Tuffey is a Northern Irish professional association football player who plays as a goalkeeper for Inverness Caledonian Thistle.- Club career :...
, Northern Ireland No 2 goalkeeper, currently playing for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Premier League. - Peter AlcornPeter AlcornPeter Alcorn is the drummer of the Scottish power metal band Alestorm, taking over after the sudden departure of their previous drummer. He is also the drummer for Irish Death metal band For Ruin.-Tours:...
, drummer for the pirate metal band AlestormAlestormAlestorm is a folk metal band from Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterized by a pirate theme, and as a result have been dubbed a "Pirate metal" band at a popular heavy metal related website....
Transport
Banbridge is on the A1 main roadA1 road (Northern Ireland)
The A1 is a major route in Northern Ireland. It runs from Belfast via Lisburn and Banbridge to the border with the Republic of Ireland south of Newry, from where the road continues to Dublin, becoming the N1 road and M1 motorway...
between 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...
and Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
. The nearest railway station is on Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
' Belfast–Newry railway line, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Banbridge.
Banbridge had its own railway station from 1859 until 1956. The Banbridge, Newry, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway opened on 23 March 1859. In contrast with its very long name, this was a short branch line between Banbridge and Scarva. This was followed by the opening of the Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Junction Railway between Knockmore Junction
Knockmore railway station
Knockmore railway station was a station on the Belfast–Newry railway line. The station served the suburb of Knockmore in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The Great Northern Railway opened Knockmore station as a halt in 1932. Northern Ireland Railways closed the station on March 25th...
and Banbridge on 13 July 1863, which gave Banbridge a more direct link via with . The Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
took over both companies in 1877 and opened a branch line from Banbridge to Ballyroney in 1880. In 1906 the GNR opened an extension from Ballyroney to Castlewellan
Castlewellan
Castlewellan is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, southwest of Downpatrick. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Slieve Croob. It had a population of 2,392 people in the 2001 Census....
, where it connected with a new Belfast and County Down Railway
Belfast and County Down Railway
The Belfast and County Down Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland linking Belfast with County Down. It was built in the 19th century and absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948...
branch line to Newcastle, County Down
Newcastle, County Down
Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...
.
In 1953 the governments of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic jointly nationalised the GNR as the GNR Board. On 1 May 1955 the GNRB closed Banbridge's lines to Scarva and Castlewellan. Banbridge station closed on 29 April 1956, when the GNRB closed the line from Knockmore Junction.
Primary
- Abercorn Primary School : Opened 1932, about 400 pupils 54.345°N 6.274°W
- Ballydown Primary School : Opened 2004 54.354°N 6.243°W
- Bridge Primary School
- Bronte Primary School
- Edenderry Primary School
- Milltown Primary School
- St. Mary's Primary School
Post-primary
- Banbridge AcademyBanbridge AcademyBanbridge Academy is a grammar school located in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. The school was founded in 1786.The current Principal is Mr Raymond Pollock OBE, who was previously a Vice Principal at Friends' School, Lisburn. Mr. Pollock was preceded by Mr. Charles Winston Breen , a graduate of...
(mixed grammar) - Banbridge High SchoolBanbridge High SchoolBanbridge High School is a secondary school located in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board area....
- St Patrick's College
- New-Bridge Integrated College
Sport
- One of the Banbridge sporting highlights probably was the 1920 - Ireland v. Scotland International Hockey Match played at Banbridge.
- The Banbridge Hockey ClubBanbridge Hockey ClubBanbridge Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The club currently plays in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League. The club was formed in 1897.-Grounds:...
wins in 1985 as the second team from IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, after Cookstown HC in 1981, the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy.
Current sports clubs include:
- Banbridge Town F.C.Banbridge Town F.C.Banbridge Town is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1947, hails from Banbridge, County Down and plays its home matches at Crystal Park. Club colours are red and black...
- Banbridge Hockey ClubBanbridge Hockey ClubBanbridge Hockey Club is a hockey club based in Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The club currently plays in the Premier League of the Ulster Senior League. The club was formed in 1897.-Grounds:...
- Banbridge RFCBanbridge RFCBanbridge RFC is a rugby union club based in Banbridge, County Down, in the province of Ulster. It currently plays in Division 2B of the Ulster Bank All Ireland League. In addition to the senior team, the club fields another four adult junior-standard teams, and youth U19, U17, U15 and U13 teams,...
- Banbridge Ladies Hockey Club
- Banbridge Cycling Club
- Banbridge Golf Club
- Clann na Banna G.A.A Club
- Banbridge Rangers Football Club
Pop culture
- "The Star of the County Down" is a well known song associated with Banbridge.
- In the film The Day After TomorrowThe Day After TomorrowThe Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
(2004), a fictitious Sky NewsSky NewsSky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
broadcast shows a depiction of Banbridge in the midst of an apocalyptic blizzard.
See also
- List of towns in Northern Ireland
- List of villages in Northern Ireland
- Market Houses in Northern IrelandMarket Houses in Northern IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Northern Ireland towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper...