Gilford
Encyclopedia
Gilford is a village
in County Down
, Northern Ireland
. The village sits on the River Bann
between the towns of Banbridge
, Tandragee and Portadown
. It covers the townlands of Loughans, Ballymacanallen and Drumaran. It had a population of 1,573 people in the 2001 Census
. Gilford is within the Banbridge (district) area.
, Captain John Magill acquired land in the parish of Tullylish
and founded Gilford, the name of the village being derived from "Magill’s ford". He afterwards became Sir John Magill and built Gill Hall in Dromore, County Down
. The Magill lands passed by marriage to the Meade family, who were made Barons Gillford in 1766 and later earls of Clanwilliam
.
In the 19th century, Gilford grew and its population swelled when a linen
mill was built. Many mill houses can still be found in the village. When the mill shut in 1986, the village waned. Recently though, the village has started to recover and new shops have opened.
At the edge of the village is Gilford Castle, a mansion
built in 1865.
For information about the Troubles
in Gilford, see The Troubles in Gilford
.
area.
plays in the NCU Senior League
.
Gilford Crusaders Football Club play in Division 2 of the Mid-Ulster Football League.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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...
. The village sits 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...
between the towns of Banbridge
Banbridge
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 coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing...
, Tandragee and Portadown
Portadown
Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast...
. It covers the townlands of Loughans, Ballymacanallen and Drumaran. It had a population of 1,573 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....
. Gilford is within the Banbridge (district) area.
History
Following the Irish Rebellion of 1641Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
, Captain John Magill acquired land in the parish of Tullylish
Tullylish
Tullylish is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits on the River Bann, along the main road between the towns of Banbridge and Portadown. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 105 people...
and founded Gilford, the name of the village being derived from "Magill’s ford". He afterwards became Sir John Magill and built Gill Hall in Dromore, County Down
Dromore, County Down
Dromore is a small market town in the Banbridge District of County Down, Northern Ireland. It is south-west of Belfast, on the A1 Belfast – Dublin road. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 4,968 people....
. The Magill lands passed by marriage to the Meade family, who were made Barons Gillford in 1766 and later earls of Clanwilliam
Earl of Clanwilliam
Earl of Clanwilliam is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1776 for John Meade, 1st Viscount Clanwilliam. The Meade family descends from John Meade, who represented Dublin University and County Tipperary in the Irish House of Commons and served as Attorney-General for Ireland...
.
In the 19th century, Gilford grew and its population swelled when a 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...
mill was built. Many mill houses can still be found in the village. When the mill shut in 1986, the village waned. Recently though, the village has started to recover and new shops have opened.
At the edge of the village is Gilford Castle, a mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
built in 1865.
For information about the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Gilford, see The Troubles in Gilford
The Troubles in Gilford
The Troubles in Gilford recounts incidents during, and the effects of, The Troubles in Gilford, County Down, Northern Ireland.Incidents in Gilford during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities:1975...
.
Education
There are two schools in the area: Gilford Primary School and St John's Primary School. The schools are within the Southern Education and Library BoardSouthern Education and Library Board
The Southern Education and Library Board is a board providing education and library services in the southern districts of Northern Ireland: namely the district councils of Armagh, Banbridge, Cookstown, Craigavon, Dungannon and South Tyrone, and Newry and Mourne...
area.
Sport
Millpark Cricket ClubMillpark Cricket Club
Millpark Cricket Club is a cricket club in Gilford, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in Section 1 of the NCU Senior League. The club, originally from Millpark, a village located between Gilford and Banbridge, moved to its present home, Banford Green, in 1969....
plays in the NCU Senior League
NCU Senior League
The Northern Cricket Union Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the NCU jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties Antrim, Armagh, Down and south Tyrone of Northern Ireland. The league was formed in 1897 and is currently divided into four sections, namely the Premier League,...
.
Gilford Crusaders Football Club play in Division 2 of the Mid-Ulster Football League.
People
- Niki FrancescaNiki FrancescaNiki Francesca is the lead singer of Anonymous, a punk rock band from Andorra. Francesca was born in the United Kingdom and moved to Andorra with his British mother and Andorran father as a young child. Anonymous represented Andorra in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, placing 12th in the...
(b.1988), lead singer of AnonymousAnonymous (band)Anonymous is a band from Andorra that in 2007 represented the country with the song "Salvem el món" in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 after winning the national selection. The song, however, failed to make it through past the semi-final stage....
, an Andorran punk rock band, is from Gilford; he and his family moved to AndorraAndorraAndorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
when he was a baby. - Charlie GalloglyCharlie GalloglyCharles "Charlie" Gallogly was a professional footballer who played as a fullback for Huddersfield Town, Watford and Bournemouth....
(1919-1993), born in Gilford, was a professionalProfessionalA professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
footballer in EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and won two international caps.
Demographics
Gilford is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,573 people living in Gilford. Of these:- 22.7% were aged under 16 and 14.6% were aged 60 and over
- 50.2% of the population were male and 49.8% were female
- 51.0% 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 47.0% 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 - 3.8% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service