Maguiresbridge
Maguiresbridge is a small village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 774 people. It lies within the Fermanagh District Council area.
The town is named after the bridge (over the Colebrooke River) first built by the local Maguire family.
Demographics
Maguiresbridge 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 774 people living in Maguiresbridge.
Of these:
- 25.5% were aged under 16 years and 15.6% were aged 60 and over
- 50.4% of the population were male and 49.6% were female
- 40.4% were from a Catholic background and 57.6% were from a Protestant background
- 6.9% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
Infrastructure
At the turn of the last centuary, Maguiresbridge was served by four different railway systems which stretched throughout Northern Ireland, into Derry, into Co. Donegal and deep into southern Ireland. At that time, Maguiresbridge and Clones were two of the major junctions from Derry, Omagh, and Belfast into north Leinster, in particular, the major market towns of Athlone, Cavan, and Mullingar via the Inney junction. This back-bone rail infrastructure was administered by Midland Great Western Railway which also linked to other major centres namely, Sligo, Tullamore, via Clara, other destinations such as Dublin, Limerick, and other market centres of the south coast. Maguiresbridge was also the western terminus of the Clogher Valley Railway (a narrow gauge railway which closed in 1941).
There is a town bus service that runs daily, and a night bus service at weekends. Both services serve the town's suburbs.
Development
Maguiresbridge is developing rapidly and with the construction of four new housing developments in the area totaling over 350 new properties. The population is now estimated to be over 1,500 as opposed to the 770 total in 2001 census.
New shopping outlets have been contructed in Maguiresbridge to serve the growing population.
Amenities
Schools
- St. Mary's Roman Catholic Primary
- Maguiresbridge Controlled Primary
Churches
- Roman Catholic (St. Mary's Chapel)
- Church of Ireland
- Methodist Church
- Presbyterian Church in Ireland
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service