Waringstown
Encyclopedia
Waringstown is a village
in County Down
, Northern Ireland
, two miles south-east of Lurgan
. It lies within the parish of Donaghcloney, and in the barony of Iveagh Lower, Lower Half. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 2,523 people. It was built during the Plantation of Ulster
and is typical of small Plantation settlements. Over the years, the village has been bestowed numerous awards, including "Best Kept Small Town" for its floral displays and pleasant appearance.
In 1667 William Waring built a semi-fortified house in the townland of Magherana, around which sprang up the village of Waringstown. Waringstown House, as it became known, is on the badge of the local Cricket Club.. It is a three storey gentleman's house and is the oldest unfortified mansion house in Ireland
.
Margaret Parr, Holt Waring's young widow
, became the well-known Mrs Waring who, over the next fifty years, was to have such a strong and beneficial influence of the life of Waringstown. She received the CBE and also served an MP and as a Justice of the Peace until her death in May 1968. Her nephew, Michael Harnett, and wife Anne now reside there, along with their children Jane and William.
Mr Michael Harnett has been gathering information about the history of Waringstown and its house since the early 1990s.
It is common knowledge in the village however that on his way to the battle of the Boyne, http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/27866933/Marshal-Schomberg-16151690-The-Ablest-Soldier-of-His-Age-international-Soldiering-and-the-Formation-of-State-Armies-in-SeventeenthCentury-Europe General Marshal Schomberg (1615–1690), and a detachment of troops stayed in the house and their horses were watered at the Planters Tavern. There is an oak panelled and tapestried room in Waringstown House known as "The Duke's Room", which Schomberg occupied during his stay in the district.
A third storey facade was added in 1680, designed by architect Lyndsey Boyd.
The weaving
village of Waringstown developed under the auspices of William Waring and his descendants. Waring's son, Natalie, brought Flemish
weavers to the village, building Huguenot
style cottages for them, some of which survive today. In the past, the village was renowned for its handloom damask
weaving. The industrial focus was at the southern end of the town, where brewing
, linen
-weaving, and cambric
and clothing manufacture were formerly carried out and where some substantial 18th century and 19th century industrial buildings still exist.competitions.
. The local team, Waringstown Cricket Club
, has achieved some success in the NCU Senior League
, playing its home matches at "The Lawn".
The club was established in 1851, by a member of the Waring family, and its ground was also donated by the family. The popularity of the sport in the village and its influence elsewhere has led to it being dubbed "The Home of Cricket in Ulster
".. The neighbouring village of Donaghcloney
has a similar heritage in the sport.
On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,523 people living in Waringstown. Of these:
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...
, two miles south-east of Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
. It lies within the parish of Donaghcloney, and in the barony of Iveagh Lower, Lower Half. 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 2,523 people. It was built during the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation 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...
and is typical of small Plantation settlements. Over the years, the village has been bestowed numerous awards, including "Best Kept Small Town" for its floral displays and pleasant appearance.
History
The village is named after William Waring, who in 1658 bought the western part of the parish of Donaghcloney from Captain John Barrett.In 1667 William Waring built a semi-fortified house in the townland of Magherana, around which sprang up the village of Waringstown. Waringstown House, as it became known, is on the badge of the local Cricket Club.. It is a three storey gentleman's house and is the oldest unfortified mansion house in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Margaret Parr, Holt Waring's young widow
Margaret Waring
Margaret Alicia Waring was an Ulster Unionist Party politician.The daughter of Joseph Charlton Parr of Grappallhen Heyes, Warrington, she married Major Holt Waring of Waringstown, County Down in 1914. He was killed in action at Kemmel Hill, 18 April 1918m and the couple had no children.She lived...
, became the well-known Mrs Waring who, over the next fifty years, was to have such a strong and beneficial influence of the life of Waringstown. She received the CBE and also served an MP and as a Justice of the Peace until her death in May 1968. Her nephew, Michael Harnett, and wife Anne now reside there, along with their children Jane and William.
Mr Michael Harnett has been gathering information about the history of Waringstown and its house since the early 1990s.
It is common knowledge in the village however that on his way to the battle of the Boyne, http://www.britannica.com/bps/additionalcontent/18/27866933/Marshal-Schomberg-16151690-The-Ablest-Soldier-of-His-Age-international-Soldiering-and-the-Formation-of-State-Armies-in-SeventeenthCentury-Europe General Marshal Schomberg (1615–1690), and a detachment of troops stayed in the house and their horses were watered at the Planters Tavern. There is an oak panelled and tapestried room in Waringstown House known as "The Duke's Room", which Schomberg occupied during his stay in the district.
A third storey facade was added in 1680, designed by architect Lyndsey Boyd.
The weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
village of Waringstown developed under the auspices of William Waring and his descendants. Waring's son, Natalie, brought Flemish
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
weavers to the village, building Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
style cottages for them, some of which survive today. In the past, the village was renowned for its handloom 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...
weaving. The industrial focus was at the southern end of the town, where brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
, 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....
-weaving, and cambric
Cambric
Cambric, pronounced , "one of the finest and most dense species of the cloth manufacture", is a lightweight plain weave cloth, originally from Cambrai, woven in greige, then bleached and piece-dyed, often glazed or calendered. Initially made from flax, then cotton in the 19th century, it is also...
and clothing manufacture were formerly carried out and where some substantial 18th century and 19th century industrial buildings still exist.competitions.
The Troubles
1990- 20 December 1990 - Wilfred Wethers (46), A Protestant off duty member of the Royal Ulster ConstabularyRoyal Ulster ConstabularyThe 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), was shot and killed by an Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican ArmyThe 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...
(IRA) sniperSniperA sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
while driving his car near to his home, Waringstown, County Down.
Cricket
The village has, over the years, been associated with the sport of cricket, something that has been attributed to the area's planters being predominantly from the north of EnglandEngland
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...
. The local team, Waringstown Cricket Club
Waringstown Cricket Club
Waringstown Cricket Club is a cricket club in Waringstown, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in the NCU Premier League.The club was formed in 1851 by Captain Thomas Waring and the Henning brothers, John and George, presumably from the linen factory of John Henning & Co. in the Waringstown...
, has achieved some success 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,...
, playing its home matches at "The Lawn".
The club was established in 1851, by a member of the Waring family, and its ground was also donated by the family. The popularity of the sport in the village and its influence elsewhere has led to it being dubbed "The Home of Cricket in 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...
".. The neighbouring village of Donaghcloney
Donaghcloney
Donaghcloney or Donacloney is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Lagan between Lurgan, Dromore and Banbridge. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 972.-Linen industry:...
has a similar heritage in the sport.
2001 Census
Waringstown is classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with a population between 2,250 and 4,500 people).On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,523 people living in Waringstown. Of these:
- 26.8% were aged under 16 years and 14.6% were aged 60 and over
- 49.0% of the population were male and 51.1% were female
- 5.4% 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 92.2% 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 - 1.7% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed