Castledawson

Castledawson Main Street

Castledawson is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Shanemullagh (from Irish: an Seanmhullach meaning "the old hilltop"), about four miles from the north-western shore of Lough Neagh, and close to the market town of Magherafelt. In 2001 it had a population of 6 including Kevin B***son according to the Census.

History

Originally, the village was known as "Dawson's Bridge" and had the distinction of having (at one time) the largest single span stone bridge in Ireland. The village was named after its 'castle' (actually a large manor house) built by Joshua Dawson in 1713. He was Chief Secretary for Ireland and founded the village in 1710. The Dawson estate, Shanemullagh, shares its name with the original townland name. The Dawson family also founded Christ Church, on the edge of that estate, in the early 18th century.

On 12 July 1830, Orange Institution parades led to confrontations between Orangemen and Ribbonmen in Maghera and Castledawson. Several Catholic homes were then burnt by Protestants following these clashes.

Places of interest

• The River Moyola, which dissects the village, is popular with anglers and has managed stocks of salmon (but also has perch, eel, trout and bream) and is crossed in the village by the largest single-span stone bridge in Ireland. Dominating the horizon to the west of the village is a dramatic ráth.

People

An ancient ráth (earthworks) lying at the southern edge of Castledawson

• Famous residents have included Lord Moyola, a direct descendant of the Dawsons, who was the Prime Minister of Northern Ireland from 1969 to 1971.
• The poet Seamus Heaney, who was awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature, was born at a farm near Castledawson in 1939, although was brought up in the nearby village of Bellaghy.
• Novelist Anne Dunlop was born and grew up near Castledawson.
• American military history author, John McCann, was born and raised in the town. His book Passing Through: The 82nd Airborne Division In Northern Ireland 1943-44 chronicles the town's WWII past.
• Marian Donnelly former President of the Workers' Party was born in Castledawson in 1938.
• The Forge Players of Hillhead were founded in Castldawson.

Economy

• Castledawson was the hub of the Mid-Ulster shirt-making industry, with its prime location midway between Belfast and Derry being crucial. The village skyline was dominated by two impressive disused red brick chimneys - one (demolished 2005) previously part of a Nestle's chocolate factory (closed since the 1970s). The factory was purchased upon Nestle's closure and converted into the business premises for both Hughes Furnitue Ltd and Moyola Mattress.
• The village has a small business park called Moyola Industrial Estate.
• In the 200 year old Castledawson House the 12-bedroomed hotel (The Inn Castledawson - www.theinncastledawson.com) has been refurbished and re-opened on 9 December 2009 under the management of Paula Sturges. With an 80 seater restaurant and overlooking the River Moyola this is a unique place to dine and stay with fishing, golf and walking in the Sperrin Mountains nearby.
• The village is also home to the award-winning Ditty's Home Bakery - which successfully markets its products across the United Kingdom. One of its most famous customers happens to be Prince Charles, who visited the bakery on a day trip to Northern Ireland.^{[citation needed]}

Transport

• Castledawson railway station opened on 10 November 1856, closed for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950, and finally closed altogether on 1 October 1959.
• The main A6 Belfast to Derry road passed through Castledawson until 1992, when it was bypassed.

Education

• Castledawson Primary School
• New Row Primary School

Sport

Castledawson is home to the football club Moyola Park, St Malachys G.A.C. Castledawson and the eighteen hole Moyola golf club.

2001 Census

Castledawson is classified as a village/town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with a population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,977 people living in Castledawson. Of these:

• 23.8% were aged under 16 and 14.6% were aged 60 and over
• 48.9% of the population were male and 51.1% were female
• 48.0% were from a Catholic background and 50.3% were from a Protestant background
• 2.5% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
• The average age of the population in Castledawson ward was 33.9 years

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

References

• Culture Northern Ireland

See also

• List of villages in Northern Ireland