Kircubbin, County Down
Encyclopedia
Kircubbin is a village
and townland
in County Down
, Northern Ireland
. It is on the shores of Strangford Lough
, between Newtownards
and Portaferry
. The population is roughly 2,000. The village harbour contains leisure craft, yachts, and a sailing club. The main street was redone in 2008 with some old houses knocked down and rebuilt as new buildings.
to the village. John de Courcy
, a Norman
knight who invaded Ulster
, brought Benedictine
s from Stoke Courcy
in Somerset
and Lonlay in France
, for whom he founded Black Abbey (St Andrews in Ards), near Inishargy in the 1180s.
. No-one was killed or injured in either of these attacks. In 1974, St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Nunsquarter, was badly damaged by a bomb which was planted at the side door of the chapel. One man, a local joiner, who was working in the church hall adjacent to the church, left the premises shortly before the bomb went off. And during 1988-1989, McKenna Community Centre on the outskirts of Kircubbin was bombed several times in the course of the troubles. The last attack on the centre, rumoured to have been carried out by Red Hand Commandos
resulted in it being completely destroyed. The centre since then has been rebuilt and is still in use today.
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...
and 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 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 is on the shores of Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough
Strangford Lough, sometimes Strangford Loch, is a large sea loch or inlet in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the Irish Sea by the Ards Peninsula. The name Strangford is derived ; describing the fast-flowing narrows at its mouth...
, between Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
and Portaferry
Portaferry
Portaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,467 people in the 2001 Census. It has an aquarium and is well-known for the annual Galway Hookers Regatta. It hosts...
. The population is roughly 2,000. The village harbour contains leisure craft, yachts, and a sailing club. The main street was redone in 2008 with some old houses knocked down and rebuilt as new buildings.
History
Kircubbin (then known as Cubinhillis) and nearby Inishargy are mentioned in early medieval records. This possible translation of the Irish name is the only evidence that connects the Irish Saint GobanSaint Gobain
Saint Gobain , also known as Goban, was an Irish Benedictine monk and spiritual student of Saint Fursey at Burgh Castle, Norfolk, England. Born in Ireland. Little else is known of Gobain except that he would have accompanied Fursey on his travel to France where they lived as hermits in the forest...
to the village. John de Courcy
John de Courcy
John de Courcy was a Anglo-Norman knight who arrived in Ireland in 1176. From then until his expulsion in 1204, he conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictines and the Cistercians and built strongholds at Dundrum Castle in County...
, a Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
knight who invaded Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, brought Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
s from Stoke Courcy
Stogursey
Stogursey is the name of a small village and civil parish in the Quantock Hills in Somerset, England. It is situated from Nether Stowey, and west of Bridgwater...
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
and Lonlay 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...
, for whom he founded Black Abbey (St Andrews in Ards), near Inishargy in the 1180s.
The Troubles
These are the two incidents which occurred during the TroublesThe 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...
. No-one was killed or injured in either of these attacks. In 1974, St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Nunsquarter, was badly damaged by a bomb which was planted at the side door of the chapel. One man, a local joiner, who was working in the church hall adjacent to the church, left the premises shortly before the bomb went off. And during 1988-1989, McKenna Community Centre on the outskirts of Kircubbin was bombed several times in the course of the troubles. The last attack on the centre, rumoured to have been carried out by Red Hand Commandos
Red Hand Commandos
The Red Hand Commando is a small loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland, which is closely linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force...
resulted in it being completely destroyed. The centre since then has been rebuilt and is still in use today.
2001 Census
Kircubbin 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 1,214 people living in Kircubbin. Of these:- 25.0% were aged under 16 years and 17.4% were aged 60 and over
- 48.9% of the population were male and the other 51.1% were female
- 66.8% 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 31.2% were Protestant
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service