Strabane
Encyclopedia
Strabane historically spelt Straban,
is a town
in west County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council
.
Strabane has a population of around 20,000 and is the second-largest town in Tyrone, after Omagh
. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle
and is roughly equidistant from Omagh, Derry
and Letterkenny
. The Foyle marks the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
. On the other side of the river (across Lifford Bridge
) is the smaller town of Lifford
, which is the county town
of County Donegal
. The River Mourne flows through the centre of the town, and meets the River Finn
to form the Foyle. Strabane suffered huge economic damage in 1987 when much of the centre of the town was flooded.
Strabane is twinned with Zeulenroda in the state of Thuringia
, Germany
.
rate in the Industrial World, during the height of the troubles. It is one of the most economically deprived towns in the United Kingdom.
In August 2005, a Channel 4
television programme presented by property experts Kirstie Allsopp
and Phil Spencer
, named Strabane as the eighth-worst place to live in the United Kingdom
, largely because of the high unemployment rate. Strabane had been moved out of the top 20 in the 2007 edition.
Strabane was scarred by the Troubles
, from the early 1970s and continuing throughout much of the 1990s, with bombings commonplace and Irish Republican
paramilitary
groups, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army
, attacking the town's British army
and Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) bases regularly. Strabane was once the most bombed town in Europe per size and was the most bombed town in Northern Ireland. Many civilians and members of the security forces were killed or injured over the course of the Troubles.
Many British Army regiments from England
, Scotland
and Wales
served in Strabane at various times during the Troubles, but there is no longer a permanent Army presence in the town.
Both the Ballycolman and Head of the Town areas suffered greatly from deprivation, unemployment and the troubles, with riots, shootings and bomb incidents in the area common, as well as confrontations between British forces and the local population, especially throughout the 1970s and 80s. Recent times, however, have brought an upturn for the area with development agencies and community organisations setting up new centres of activity for adults and young people. Work schemes have also been effective to some extent in alleviating the areas unemployment.
The Irish National Liberation Army
(INLA) carried out many high-profile armed robberies at locations such as banks and supermarkets in the town 2001, until some time after a BBC Northern Ireland
documentary highlighted the events in December 2004, although another robbery involving hostage taking occurred in October 2006. One such robbery at the Ulster Bank
in Strabane's Abercorn Square netted £500,000 for the organisation.
Strabane has recently become involved in the Ulster Project International
, sending Catholic
and Protestant teenagers to the United States
for prejudice-reduction work.
Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway
(L&ER) reached Strabane in 1847, Omagh
in 1852 and Enniskillen
in 1854. The Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
took over the L&ER in 1883.
The Finn Valley Railway (FV) opened from Strabane to Stranorlar
in 1863. The FV was originally Irish gauge but in 1892 it merged with the narrow gauge
West Donegal Railway (WD) to form the Donegal Railway and was reduced to the same narrow gauge for through running. The Donegal Railway opened its own line to Derry in 1900. In 1906 the GNR and Northern Counties Committee
jointly took over the Donegal Railway, making it the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee
. The gauge Strabane and Letterkenny Railway opened in 1909 and was worked by the Joint Committee. The narrow gauge lines made Strabane one of the most important railway connections for County Donegal.
The partition of Ireland
in 1922 turned the boundary with County Donegal into an international frontier. This changed trade patterns to the railways' detriment and placed border posts on the Joint Committee's FV and S&L lines and on the GNR line to Derry. Stops for customs
inspections greatly delayed trains and disrupted timekeeping. Over the next few years customs agreements between the two states enabled GNR trains between Strabane and Derry to pass through the Free State without inspection unless they were scheduled to serve local stations on the west bank of the Foyle, and for goods on all railways to be carried between different parts of the Free State to pass through Northern Ireland under customs bond
.
The Joint Committee's Strabane — Derry line was closed in 1954, followed by the remainder of the narrow gauge system in 1960. In 1958 the Ulster Transport Authority
took over the remaining GNR lines on the Northern Ireland side of the border. In accordance with The Benson Report submitted to the Northern Ireland Government in 1963, the UTA closed the former GNR line through Strabane to Derry in 1965.
Little trace remains of Strabane's railways except for one old railway building that survives in the town.
was built from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle
at Leck, to Strabane. It fell into disuse in 1962. In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission
awarded a £1.3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project was launched by President of Ireland
, Mary McAleese
, in Lifford and involves the restoration of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of canal and two locks to working order. Work was due to start on the Lough Foyle side of the canal in the summer of 2006. This work was begun but was done to a very poor standard to the extent that the water in the canal is now very dangerous. It was reported in the Strabane Weekly News that a dog went into the canal but fell ill and died as a consequence.
, 4 Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP), 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party
(SDLP), 1 Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP) and 2 Independent Nationalist
. The current council chairperson is Michaela Boyle (Sinn Féin). Mrs Boyle is the 2nd female Councillor to hold the position of chairperson. The Strabane District Council area covers an area of 861.6 km² and according to the 2001 Census, the council area had a total population of 38,250.
Since 1997 Strabane is part of the Westminster constituency of West Tyrone
, held since 2001 by Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty
. From 1983 to 1997 it was part of the Foyle
constituency, held during that time by the then-SDLP leader John Hume
.
team, Strabane Sigersons
, and the hurling
team, Strabane Seamrogaí, are ever expanding. Owen Roe O'Neills, Leckpatrick can also claim part of Strabane with the North part of the town following under their parish umbrella. The Sigerson Cup
, the all-Ireland colleges cup for Gaelic football, is named after a native of the town, Dr George Sigerson
.
Strabane Cricket Club
and Fox Lodge Cricket Club
are members of the North West Senior League
.
Strabane also boasts several local football teams that play in various leagues. Strabane F.C. of the Northern Ireland Intermediate League
, Mourne Harps, playing the Central Bookmakers Saturday Morning League and Sion Swifts whose two teams play in the CBSML and the North West Junior League all represent the local population.
Strabane also has an excellent par 69 parkland golf course.
The club celebrated their centenary year in 2009.
Strabane Golf Course http://www.strabanegolfclub.co.uk is an 18 hole parkland course set in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, 1 mile south of the town. Designed by Des Hackett, the course is a par 69 measuring 5,543 metres off the Medal tees (White). The signature hole of the course is the par 4 9th, "The River", as the river Mourne runs along the full length of the hole.
Strabane also has a large number of road runners. The local 10k race which is run in July is well supported by local athletes as well as those from farther afield.
Strabane also has a soccer team called Strabane Athletic.
groups including the Craobh Mhic an Chrosáin branch of Conradh na Gaeilge
and Gaelphobal, an umbrella group for Irish language organisations, are also active in the Strabane District.
Gaelscoil
. The Barret School of Irish Dancing has produced some of Ireland's best Irish dancers, and the local theatre group, The Puddle Alley Players, has won several awards over the years in amateur dramatic competitions.
In 2007, the Alley Arts and Conference Centre opened to the general public, offering a 270-seat theatre, art gallery, tourist information centre and cafe-bar. The Alley has won numerous awards since opening, including Northern Ireland Building of the Year 2008, Allianz Arts and Business Award 2009 and The Green Apple Award 2008. The venue has also hosted the All Ireland Confined Drama Finals (2008) and is the current home of the North West Music Festival, The Stage Write Schools Drama Festival, Sounds Like Summer Music Festival, Strabane Drama Festival and the Johnny Crampsie Music Festival.
Strabane boasts two brass bands: Strabane Concert Brass, five times national champions, and St Joseph's Brass Band, current NIBA Grade 2 Champions. Accordion bands have also been a feature of the culture in Strabane's past, with the Mourne Accordion Band and Tom P Mullan Accordion Band. These were succeeded by the Oliver Plunket Band which survived until 2005. The town is currently represented by the Tom P Mullan Memorial Accordion Band, which was formed in 2006.
Strabane also has a flute band, The Strabane Memorial Flute Band, which attends Irish republican parades and similar events throughout Ireland, Scotland
and the USA.
Strabane plays host to a very popular and successful St Patricks Day Parade each year. This years parade saw over 40 different groups take part and over 5,000 people on the streets to spectate.
One of Strabane's most notable features are five 20 ft (6.1 m) steel structures on the banks of the river: two dancers and a fiddle player on the Lifford side, a flute player on the Strabane side and a drummer in the middle. Designed by Maurice Harron, they were placed close the site of the former British Army base at the Tyrone-Donegal border. The sculptures were originally named Let The Dance Begin but have since become known affectionately as The Tinneys.
The city is mentioned prominently in a darkly humorous Irish song called "The Hiring Fair", in which the singer is persuaded to apprentice with a nefarious character called "Brady of Strabane".
, Omagh
and Donegal
. As of 2005, Strabane Grammar School
had a 100% achievement rate of grades A-C at GCSE level and a 67% rate of three or more grades A-C at A level. A state-of-the-art secondary school will be opening in 2009. The school will be joined by Strabane High School, to make a single larger second level school.
Education over the age of sixteen is provided by The North West Institute of Further and Higher Education. This institution offers a wide range of vocational and adult education courses and offers access courses for the University of Ulster
at Magee
.
Holy Cross College
was opened in 2008. It is a state-of-the-art building. It holds over 1500 pupils and 90 teachers. The building was supposed to be built for September 2006 but delayed due to funding.
fished this stretch of the river during a recent visit. The town is home to one of Ireland's largest golf courses.
The National Trust
owns a Strabane house in which John Dunlap
learnt the printing trade. Dunlap went on to print the United States Declaration of Independence
. The house has been visited by several famous people, including former US President Bill Clinton
. It is located at the end of the Main Street.
Dergalt, the ancestral home of Woodrow Wilson
, 28th President of the United States
, is near Strabane. On May 8, 2008 it was severely damaged by a fire.
is a town
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 west County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, 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 contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council
Strabane District Council
Strabane District Council is a Local Council in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. The headquarters of the Council is in the town of Strabane. Apart from Strabane the other smaller towns in the area include Plumbridge, Newtownstewart, Donemana, Sion Mills and Castlederg...
.
Strabane has a population of around 20,000 and is the second-largest town in Tyrone, after Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
. It lies on the east bank of the River Foyle
River Foyle
The River Foyle is a river in west Ulster in the northwest of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne at the towns of Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, and Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. From here it flows to the City of Derry, where it...
and is roughly equidistant from Omagh, 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"...
and Letterkenny
Letterkenny
Letterkenny , with a population of 17,568, is the largest town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The town is located on the River Swilly...
. The Foyle marks the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. On the other side of the river (across Lifford Bridge
Lifford Bridge
Lifford Bridge is a cross-border bridge on the N15 - A38 road, spanning the River Foyle which marks the border between Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and Lifford in County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland....
) is the smaller town of Lifford
Lifford
Lifford is the county town of County Donegal, Ireland. It is the administrative capital of the county and the seat of Donegal County Council, although the town of Letterkenny is often mistaken for fulfilling this role...
, which is the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
. The River Mourne flows through the centre of the town, and meets the River Finn
River Finn
The River Finn is a river that flows through County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland and County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. It rises in Lough Finn in County Donegal and flows east through a deep mountain valley to Ballybofey and Stranorlar and on to the confluence with the River Mourne at Lifford...
to form the Foyle. Strabane suffered huge economic damage in 1987 when much of the centre of the town was flooded.
Strabane is twinned with Zeulenroda in the state of Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Recent history
Strabane once had the dubious distinction of the highest unemploymentUnemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
rate in the Industrial World, during the height of the troubles. It is one of the most economically deprived towns in the United Kingdom.
In August 2005, a Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television programme presented by property experts Kirstie Allsopp
Kirstie Allsopp
Kirstie Mary Allsopp is a British TV presenter known for the Channel 4 property programmes: Location, Location, Location; Relocation, Relocation; Location Revisited; The Property Chain; Kirstie's Homemade Home and Kirstie's Handmade Britain...
and Phil Spencer
Phil Spencer
Phil Spencer is an English media personality, journalist and businessman, who appears with Kirstie Allsopp in a variety of home-buying programs on Channel 4 including Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation...
, named Strabane as the eighth-worst place to live in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, largely because of the high unemployment rate. Strabane had been moved out of the top 20 in the 2007 edition.
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...
, from the early 1970s and continuing throughout much of the 1990s, with bombings commonplace and Irish Republican
Irish Republicanism
Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
, attacking the town's British 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...
and Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) bases regularly. Strabane was once the most bombed town in Europe per size and was the most bombed town in Northern Ireland. Many civilians and members of the security forces were killed or injured over the course of the Troubles.
Many British Army regiments from England
England
England 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...
, Scotland
Scotland
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...
and Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
served in Strabane at various times during the Troubles, but there is no longer a permanent Army presence in the town.
Both the Ballycolman and Head of the Town areas suffered greatly from deprivation, unemployment and the troubles, with riots, shootings and bomb incidents in the area common, as well as confrontations between British forces and the local population, especially throughout the 1970s and 80s. Recent times, however, have brought an upturn for the area with development agencies and community organisations setting up new centres of activity for adults and young people. Work schemes have also been effective to some extent in alleviating the areas unemployment.
The Irish National Liberation Army
Irish National Liberation Army
The Irish National Liberation Army or INLA is an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group that was formed on 8 December 1974. Its goal is to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and create a socialist united Ireland....
(INLA) carried out many high-profile armed robberies at locations such as banks and supermarkets in the town 2001, until some time after a BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
documentary highlighted the events in December 2004, although another robbery involving hostage taking occurred in October 2006. One such robbery at the Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities, Ulster Bank Limited and Ulster Bank Ireland Limited...
in Strabane's Abercorn Square netted £500,000 for the organisation.
Strabane has recently become involved in the Ulster Project International
Ulster Project
The Ulster Project was started in 1975 by Rev. Kerry Waterstone, a Church of Ireland priest in Tullamore, County Offally, in order to provide a safe place in America for teenagers in Northern Ireland to discuss the climate of "The Troubles" that was facing them at home...
, sending Catholic
Catholic
The 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"...
and Protestant teenagers to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for prejudice-reduction work.
Railways
The Irish gaugeIrish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway
Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway
The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland.-Construction and opening:The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was incorporated in 1845. Construction began at Derry and followed the west bank of the River Foyle southwards to Strabane, which was reached in 1847...
(L&ER) reached Strabane in 1847, Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
in 1852 and Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
in 1854. The Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
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 the L&ER in 1883.
The Finn Valley Railway (FV) opened from Strabane to Stranorlar
Stranorlar
Stranorlar is a small town in the Finn Valley of County Donegal, in Ireland. Stranorlar and Ballybofey form the Twin Towns.-Transport:...
in 1863. The FV was originally Irish gauge but in 1892 it merged with the narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
West Donegal Railway (WD) to form the Donegal Railway and was reduced to the same narrow gauge for through running. The Donegal Railway opened its own line to Derry in 1900. In 1906 the GNR and Northern Counties Committee
Northern Counties Committee
The Northern Counties Committee was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines...
jointly took over the Donegal Railway, making it the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee
County Donegal Railways Joint Committee
The County Donegal Railways Joint Committee operated an extensive 3 foot gauge railway system serving county Donegal, Ireland,from 1906 until 1960...
. The gauge Strabane and Letterkenny Railway opened in 1909 and was worked by the Joint Committee. The narrow gauge lines made Strabane one of the most important railway connections for County Donegal.
The partition of Ireland
Partition of Ireland
The partition of Ireland was the division of the island of Ireland into two distinct territories, now Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland . Partition occurred when the British Parliament passed the Government of Ireland Act 1920...
in 1922 turned the boundary with County Donegal into an international frontier. This changed trade patterns to the railways' detriment and placed border posts on the Joint Committee's FV and S&L lines and on the GNR line to Derry. Stops for customs
Customs
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
inspections greatly delayed trains and disrupted timekeeping. Over the next few years customs agreements between the two states enabled GNR trains between Strabane and Derry to pass through the Free State without inspection unless they were scheduled to serve local stations on the west bank of the Foyle, and for goods on all railways to be carried between different parts of the Free State to pass through Northern Ireland under customs bond
Bonded warehouse
A Bonded warehouse is a building or other secured area in which dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. It may be managed by the state or by private enterprise. In the latter case a customs bond must be posted with the government...
.
The Joint Committee's Strabane — Derry line was closed in 1954, followed by the remainder of the narrow gauge system in 1960. In 1958 the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...
took over the remaining GNR lines on the Northern Ireland side of the border. In accordance with The Benson Report submitted to the Northern Ireland Government in 1963, the UTA closed the former GNR line through Strabane to Derry in 1965.
Little trace remains of Strabane's railways except for one old railway building that survives in the town.
Canal
In 1792, the 4 miles (6.4 km) Strabane CanalStrabane Canal
Strabane Canal is a canal in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. In 1791 an Act was passed authorising the construction of a 6.4 km canal from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle at Leck, some 16 km upstream from Derry, to Strabane. It only had two locks, called 'Crampsies' and 'Devines'...
was built from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle
Lough Foyle
Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle , is the estuary of the River Foyle in Ulster. It starts where the Foyle leaves Derry. It separates the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.-Transport:...
at Leck, to Strabane. It fell into disuse in 1962. In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission
Strabane Lifford Development Commission
Strabane Lifford Development Commission is a cross-border body in Ireland, to develop cultural and economic development ties between Strabane in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and Lifford in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, just across the border marked by the River Foyle.In June 2006 the...
awarded a £1.3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project was launched by President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
, Mary McAleese
Mary McAleese
Mary Patricia McAleese served as the eighth President of Ireland from 1997 to 2011. She was the second female president and was first elected in 1997 succeeding Mary Robinson, making McAleese the world's first woman to succeed another as president. She was re-elected unopposed for a second term in...
, in Lifford and involves the restoration of 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of canal and two locks to working order. Work was due to start on the Lough Foyle side of the canal in the summer of 2006. This work was begun but was done to a very poor standard to the extent that the water in the canal is now very dangerous. It was reported in the Strabane Weekly News that a dog went into the canal but fell ill and died as a consequence.
Demographics
Strabane 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 on April 29, 2001 there were 13,456 people living in Strabane. By mid 2008 the town's population has grown to over 17,000. Of these:- 99.3% classed their ethnic groupEthnic groupAn ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
as white - 93.3% 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 6.1% 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 - 5.7% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed, of these 43.1% were long-term unemployed.
- 15.6% of people aged 16–59 were claiming incapacity benefit
- 27.6% were aged under 16 years and 13.7% were aged 60 and over
- 51.1% of the population were male and 48.9% were female.
Politics
At the local elections in May 2011, members of Strabane District Council were elected from the following political parties: 8 Sinn FéinSinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, 4 Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP), 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
(SDLP), 1 Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(UUP) and 2 Independent 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...
. The current council chairperson is Michaela Boyle (Sinn Féin). Mrs Boyle is the 2nd female Councillor to hold the position of chairperson. The Strabane District Council area covers an area of 861.6 km² and according to the 2001 Census, the council area had a total population of 38,250.
Since 1997 Strabane is part of the Westminster constituency of West Tyrone
West Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)
West Tyrone is a county constituency in Northern Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-Boundaries:...
, held since 2001 by Sinn Féin's Pat Doherty
Pat Doherty
Patrick "Pat" Doherty is an Irish republican politician and abstentionist Member of Parliament for West Tyrone. He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the same constituency since 25 June 1998...
. From 1983 to 1997 it was part of the Foyle
Foyle (UK Parliament constituency)
Foyle is a Parliamentary Constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was created in boundary changes in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from the old Londonderry constituency...
constituency, held during that time by the then-SDLP leader John Hume
John Hume
John Hume is a former Irish politician from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, and was co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize, with David Trimble....
.
Sport
The local Gaelic footballGaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team, Strabane Sigersons
Strabane Sigersons
Strabane Sigersons is a Gaelic Athletic Association club. The club is based in the town of Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.The club concentrates on Gaelic football activities while a club called Sigersons Ladies GFC provides for Ladies Gaelic football...
, and the hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
team, Strabane Seamrogaí, are ever expanding. Owen Roe O'Neills, Leckpatrick can also claim part of Strabane with the North part of the town following under their parish umbrella. The Sigerson Cup
Sigerson Cup
The Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association...
, the all-Ireland colleges cup for Gaelic football, is named after a native of the town, Dr George Sigerson
George Sigerson
George Sigerson was an Irish physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th century in Ireland.-Doctor and Scientist:...
.
Strabane Cricket Club
Strabane Cricket Club
Strabane Cricket Club is a cricket club in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, playing in North West Senior League 1.The club was founded in 1883, and merged with Strabane Rovers in 1903.-Honours:*Irish Senior Cup: 1**1998*Ulster Cup: 1**2005...
and Fox Lodge Cricket Club
Fox Lodge Cricket Club
Fox Lodge Cricket Club is a cricket club in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, playing in North West Senior League 1....
are members of the North West Senior League
North West Senior League
The North West Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the North West Cricket Union jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties Londonderry, Fermanagh, and part of Tyrone in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. The league has eighteen members and is...
.
Strabane also boasts several local football teams that play in various leagues. Strabane F.C. of the Northern Ireland Intermediate League
Northern Ireland Intermediate League
The Northern Ireland Intermediate League is an amateur intermediate league based in the north-west region of Northern Ireland.- Clubs in membership :* Ardstraw* Churchill United* Draperstown Celtic* Dungiven Celtic* Magherafelt Sky Blues...
, Mourne Harps, playing the Central Bookmakers Saturday Morning League and Sion Swifts whose two teams play in the CBSML and the North West Junior League all represent the local population.
Strabane also has an excellent par 69 parkland golf course.
The club celebrated their centenary year in 2009.
Strabane Golf Course http://www.strabanegolfclub.co.uk is an 18 hole parkland course set in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, 1 mile south of the town. Designed by Des Hackett, the course is a par 69 measuring 5,543 metres off the Medal tees (White). The signature hole of the course is the par 4 9th, "The River", as the river Mourne runs along the full length of the hole.
Strabane also has a large number of road runners. The local 10k race which is run in July is well supported by local athletes as well as those from farther afield.
Strabane also has a soccer team called Strabane Athletic.
Irish language
Strabane has an Irish-medium nursery named Naíscoil an tSratha Báin, which was founded in 1994, and a Gaelscoil (primary school). Other Irish languageIrish 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...
groups including the Craobh Mhic an Chrosáin branch of Conradh na Gaeilge
Conradh na Gaeilge
Conradh na Gaeilge is a non-governmental organisation that promotes the Irish language in Ireland and abroad. The motto of the League is Sinn Féin, Sinn Féin amháin .-Origins:...
and Gaelphobal, an umbrella group for Irish language organisations, are also active in the Strabane District.
Music and arts
CRAIC (Cultural Revival Among Interested Communities) a cross-border, cross-community group provides music lessons to both adults and children on a voluntary basis in the local Irish languageIrish 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...
Gaelscoil
Gaelscoil
A gaelscoil is an Irish-medium primary school in Ireland, of a sort found outside the traditionally Irish-speaking regions, especially in urban areas....
. The Barret School of Irish Dancing has produced some of Ireland's best Irish dancers, and the local theatre group, The Puddle Alley Players, has won several awards over the years in amateur dramatic competitions.
In 2007, the Alley Arts and Conference Centre opened to the general public, offering a 270-seat theatre, art gallery, tourist information centre and cafe-bar. The Alley has won numerous awards since opening, including Northern Ireland Building of the Year 2008, Allianz Arts and Business Award 2009 and The Green Apple Award 2008. The venue has also hosted the All Ireland Confined Drama Finals (2008) and is the current home of the North West Music Festival, The Stage Write Schools Drama Festival, Sounds Like Summer Music Festival, Strabane Drama Festival and the Johnny Crampsie Music Festival.
Strabane boasts two brass bands: Strabane Concert Brass, five times national champions, and St Joseph's Brass Band, current NIBA Grade 2 Champions. Accordion bands have also been a feature of the culture in Strabane's past, with the Mourne Accordion Band and Tom P Mullan Accordion Band. These were succeeded by the Oliver Plunket Band which survived until 2005. The town is currently represented by the Tom P Mullan Memorial Accordion Band, which was formed in 2006.
Strabane also has a flute band, The Strabane Memorial Flute Band, which attends Irish republican parades and similar events throughout Ireland, Scotland
Scotland
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...
and the USA.
Strabane plays host to a very popular and successful St Patricks Day Parade each year. This years parade saw over 40 different groups take part and over 5,000 people on the streets to spectate.
One of Strabane's most notable features are five 20 ft (6.1 m) steel structures on the banks of the river: two dancers and a fiddle player on the Lifford side, a flute player on the Strabane side and a drummer in the middle. Designed by Maurice Harron, they were placed close the site of the former British Army base at the Tyrone-Donegal border. The sculptures were originally named Let The Dance Begin but have since become known affectionately as The Tinneys.
The city is mentioned prominently in a darkly humorous Irish song called "The Hiring Fair", in which the singer is persuaded to apprentice with a nefarious character called "Brady of Strabane".
Education
Education in Strabane is provided by a mixture of infant, primary and secondary schools. The central location of the town allows parents the choice of schools in DerryDerry
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"...
, Omagh
Omagh
Omagh is the county town of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen meet to form the Strule. The town, which is the largest in the county, had a population of 19,910 at the 2001 Census. Omagh also contains the headquarters of Omagh District Council and...
and Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
. As of 2005, Strabane Grammar School
Strabane Grammar School
Strabane Grammar School’’’ was a grammar school located just outside of Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was within the Western Education and Library Board area. The school was officially closed on 30 June 2011 to make way for Strabane Academy, along with Strabane High...
had a 100% achievement rate of grades A-C at GCSE level and a 67% rate of three or more grades A-C at A level. A state-of-the-art secondary school will be opening in 2009. The school will be joined by Strabane High School, to make a single larger second level school.
Education over the age of sixteen is provided by The North West Institute of Further and Higher Education. This institution offers a wide range of vocational and adult education courses and offers access courses for the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
at Magee
Magee College
Magee College is a campus of the University of Ulster located in Derry, Northern Ireland. It opened in 1865 as a Presbyterian Christian arts and theological college...
.
Holy Cross College
Holy Cross College
Holy Cross College may refer to:*Holy Cross College , Bangladesh*Holy Cross College , in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States*Holy Cross College , Western Province, Sri Lanka*Holy Cross College...
was opened in 2008. It is a state-of-the-art building. It holds over 1500 pupils and 90 teachers. The building was supposed to be built for September 2006 but delayed due to funding.
Places of interest
The wider area surrounding Strabane has many scenic forests and glens. Angling and fishing in the River Mourne is a popular tourist pursuit, particularly between Victoria Bridge and Strabane. Golfing legend Tiger WoodsTiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
fished this stretch of the river during a recent visit. The town is home to one of Ireland's largest golf courses.
The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
owns a Strabane house in which John Dunlap
John Dunlap
John Dunlap was the printer of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence and one of the most successful American printers of his era.-Biography:...
learnt the printing trade. Dunlap went on to print the United States Declaration of Independence
United States Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...
. The house has been visited by several famous people, including former US President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. It is located at the end of the Main Street.
Dergalt, the ancestral home of Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, 28th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, is near Strabane. On May 8, 2008 it was severely damaged by a fire.
Notable people
- Paul BradyPaul BradyPaul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
– singer songwriter - Flann O'BrienFlann O'BrienBrian O'Nolan was an Irish novelist, playwright and satirist regarded as a key figure in postmodern literature. Best known for novels such as At Swim-Two-Birds, The Third Policeman and An Béal Bocht and many satirical columns in The Irish Times Brian O'Nolan (5 October 1911 – 1 April 1966) was...
– best known pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Brian O'Nolan, 20th century Irish satirist and humorist. He also wrote under the pseudonym Myles na gCopaleen - William Burke – 19th century serial killer, from Urney, a Strabane townland
- Guy Carleton, 1st Baron DorchesterGuy Carleton, 1st Baron DorchesterGuy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, KB , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Irish-British soldier and administrator...
, K.B., – Governor of the Province of Quebec & Governor General of British North America - Pearse McAuleyPearse McAuleyPearse McAuley is a former Provisional IRA Volunteer, who escaped from Brixton Prison in London on 7 July 1991 along with his cellmate Nessan Quinlivan, while awaiting trial on charges relating to a suspected IRA plot to assassinate a former brewery company chairman, Sir Charles Tidbury.McAuley...
– IRAProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
member jailed for the killing of Detective GardaGarda Síochána, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
Jerry McCabeJerry McCabeDetective Garda Jerry McCabe was a member of the Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. McCabe was murdered in Adare, County Limerick on 7 June 1996, by members of the paramilitary group, the Provisional IRA, during the attempted robbery of a post office van.-Early... - Declan CurryDeclan CurryDeclan Curry is an Irish journalist, presenter and businessman, currently employed by the BBC and best known as the former Business Correspondent for BBC Breakfast.-Early career:Curry studied chemistry at Imperial College, London...
– business correspondent on the BBC OneBBC OneBBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
Breakfast programme. - Gerard Ó Dochartaigh – Irish languageIrish languageIrish , 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...
activist for whom the local Gaelscoil (Irish Language school) is named. Died in 2003 - Brian DooherBrian DooherBrian Dooher is an Irish Gaelic footballer who was a member for Tyrone between 1995 and 2011.He has won three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals, five Ulster Senior Football Championship and two National League titles with the county...
and Stephen O'NeillStephen O'NeillStephen O'Neill is a Gaelic footballer from Strabane, Northern Ireland, who plays for the Tyrone Senior football team. He won three All-Ireland Senior Football Championship medals, two Under 21 medals, and a Minor medal...
– key members of the 2003, 2005 and 2008 All-Ireland winning Tyrone Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
teams. Dooher captained the victorious team in 2005 and 2008. O'Neill was the top-scorer of the 2005 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. - Hugo DuncanHugo DuncanHugo Duncan is a singer and BBC broadcaster born in Strabane, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland on 26 March 1950. His nickname is "The wee man from Strabane"....
– popular entertainer known as "the wee man from Strabane". "Uncle Hugo" and "Dandy Man Duncan." - John DunlapJohn DunlapJohn Dunlap was the printer of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence and one of the most successful American printers of his era.-Biography:...
– printer of the United States Declaration of Independence - Annie Scott Dill MaunderAnnie Scott Dill MaunderAnnie Scott Dill Maunder, née Russell was an Irish astronomer and mathematician.She was born in Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland to William Andrew Russell and Hessy Nesbitt Dill. Her father was the minister of the Presbyterian Church in Strabane until 1882.Annie received her secondary education at...
, née Russell – astronomer. - Dr George SigersonGeorge SigersonGeorge Sigerson was an Irish physician, scientist, writer, politician and poet. He was a leading light in the Irish Literary Revival of the late 19th century in Ireland.-Doctor and Scientist:...
– Gaelic activist and namesake of the Sigerson CupSigerson CupThe Sigerson Cup is the top division of Higher Education Gaelic football in Ireland, It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association... - Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, 28th President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
, was of Ulster-ScotsUlster-ScotsThe Ulster Scots are an ethnic group in Ireland, descended from Lowland Scots and English from the border of those two countries, many from the "Border Reivers" culture...
descent on both sides of his family. He was the grandson of a printer from Dergalt, near Strabane, whose former home is open to visitors. - Rory PattersonRory PattersonRory Christopher Patterson is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a forward for Linfield, on loan from Plymouth Argyle, and the Northern Ireland national team...
- Football striker currently playing for Plymouth Argyle F.C.Plymouth Argyle F.C.Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
in the English Football League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
.
See also
- List of towns in Northern Ireland
- List of villages in Northern Ireland