Newtownhamilton
Encyclopedia
Newtownhamilton is a small village
in County Armagh
, Northern Ireland
. It is within the townland
of Tullyvallan and the barony of Upper Fews. It is part of the Newry and Mourne District Council
area. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 648 people.
The village is built around a narrow Main Street and it hosts a weekly cattle market.
the area of Newtownhamilton was known as Tullyvallan. This is derived either from the Irish
Tulaigh Mhalainn, or Tulach Uí Mheallain.
The Irish language version of Newtownhamilton is an Baile Úr, literally translating as "the new town" (An=The, Baile=Town, Úr=New). Occasionally, the town is referred to by the full Irish language title, Baile Úr Uí Urmoltaigh ("the new town of Hamilton"). The local district council is Newry & Mourne District Council who recently have erected town-end welcome signs in Irish and in English. Interestingly the bilingual version of the sign (which reads Fáilte go dtí An Baile Úr / Welcome to Newtownhamilton) has been erected at the town end points on Newry Road and Dundalk Road, both in the perceived nationalist
areas of Newtownhamilton, while the other town end sign is in English only and has been erected on Armagh Road, a perceived unionist
area of the village. It is not known if this is official council policy.
who founded Hamiltonsbawn
in 1619. The parish was created in 1773 out of the neighbouring parish of Creggan. Some local people refer to the town as 'Newtown'.
led 200 IRA
men in an attack on the Royal Irish Constabulary
barracks in Newtownhamilton, forcing the police to surrender and then burning the building and seizing the arms contained within.
, which includes a list of incidents in Newtownhamilton during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
Whilst the army
presence is being reduced it was announced in 2006 that the local police station would be upgraded to full-time status.
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 Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, 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 within 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...
of Tullyvallan and the barony of Upper Fews. It is part of the Newry and Mourne District Council
Newry and Mourne District Council
Newry and Mourne District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. It includes much of the south of County Armagh and the south of County Down and has a population of approximately 93,400. Council headquarters are in Newry, the largest settlement and only city in the area; it has a...
area. 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....
it had a population of 648 people.
The village is built around a narrow Main Street and it hosts a weekly cattle market.
Name
Before the Plantation of UlsterPlantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
the area of Newtownhamilton was known as Tullyvallan. This is derived either from the Irish
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...
Tulaigh Mhalainn, or Tulach Uí Mheallain.
The Irish language version of Newtownhamilton is an Baile Úr, literally translating as "the new town" (An=The, Baile=Town, Úr=New). Occasionally, the town is referred to by the full Irish language title, Baile Úr Uí Urmoltaigh ("the new town of Hamilton"). The local district council is Newry & Mourne District Council who recently have erected town-end welcome signs in Irish and in English. Interestingly the bilingual version of the sign (which reads Fáilte go dtí An Baile Úr / Welcome to Newtownhamilton) has been erected at the town end points on Newry Road and Dundalk Road, both in the perceived nationalist
Irish nationalism
Irish nationalism manifests itself in political and social movements and in sentiment inspired by a love for Irish culture, language and history, and as a sense of pride in Ireland and in the Irish people...
areas of Newtownhamilton, while the other town end sign is in English only and has been erected on Armagh Road, a perceived unionist
Unionism in Ireland
Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...
area of the village. It is not known if this is official council policy.
History
The village takes its name from Alexander Hamilton, a descendant of the John Hamilton from ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
who founded Hamiltonsbawn
Hamiltonsbawn
Hamiltonsbawn or Hamilton's Bawn is a small village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, five miles east of Armagh. It lies within the Parish of Mullabrack and the Armagh City and District Council area.- History :...
in 1619. The parish was created in 1773 out of the neighbouring parish of Creggan. Some local people refer to the town as 'Newtown'.
1920s
In May 1920, Frank AikenFrank Aiken
Frank Aiken was a commander of the Irish Republican Army and later an Irish politician. A founding-member of Fianna Fáil, Aiken was first elected to Dáil Éireann in 1923 and at each subsequent election until 1973...
led 200 IRA
Irish Republican Army
The Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
men in an attack on the Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
barracks in Newtownhamilton, forcing the police to surrender and then burning the building and seizing the arms contained within.
The Troubles
For more information see The Troubles in NewtownhamiltonThe Troubles in Newtownhamilton
The Troubles in Newtownhamilton recounts incidents during, and the effects of, The Troubles in Newtownhamilton, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.Incidents in Newtownhamilton during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities:-1973:...
, which includes a list of incidents in Newtownhamilton during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
Whilst the army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
presence is being reduced it was announced in 2006 that the local police station would be upgraded to full-time status.
Education
- Newtownhamilton High School
- Newtownhamilton Primary School
- St. Michael's Primary School
- St. Oliver Plunkett's Primary SchoolSt. Oliver Plunkett's Primary SchoolSt. Oliver Plunkett's Primary School may refer to:*St. Oliver Plunkett's Primary School, Forkhill, Forkhill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland*St. Oliver Plunkett's Primary School, Kilmore, Kilmore, County Armagh, Northern Ireland...
(located at Carrickovaddy, about 3 km from Newtownhamilton)
2001 Census
Newtownhamilton is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 648 people living in Newtownhamilton. Of these:- 25.5% were aged under 16 years and 17.0% were aged 60 and over
- 47.1% of the population were male and 52.9% were female
- 71.8% 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 28.2% 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 - 7.2% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service