Castlederg
Castlederg
| |
|---|---|
 The Diamond, Castlederg | |
  Castlederg Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 2,935 (2008 estimate) |
| Irish grid reference | H262845 |
| • Belfast | 85 miles |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CASTLEDERG |
| Postcode district | BT81 |
| Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Castlederg (earlier Caslanadergy, from Irish Caisleán na Deirge, meaning 'castle on the Derg')[1] is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Derg and is near the border with County Donegal. It stands in the townlands of Castlesessagh and Churchtown,[2] in the historic barony of Omagh West and the civil parish of Urney.[3] The village has a ruined castle and two ancient tombs known as the Druid's Altar and Todd's Den. It had an estimated population of 2,935 people in 2008.
The village hosts some of the district's key events each year, including the Derg Vintage Rally, Dergfest musical festival, Derg Soapbox Derby and the traditional Apple Fair which sees the apple growers of County Armagh visit to sell their wares.
Traditionally, Castlederg was a traveller's stop along the ancient pilgrimage route to Station Island on Lough Derg. The town boasts ancient ruins and monastic settlements.
History
The Troubles
During the Troubles, 25 people were killed in and around Castlederg (including Killeter and Killen)[4] and there were many bombings in the village. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) killed 11 members of the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Ulster Constabulary, four fellow IRA members whom it accused of being informers, and three Ulster Protestant civilians.[4] Four IRA members were also killed when their bombs exploded prematurely. Ulster loyalist paramilitaries killed three Catholic civilians.[4] For more information, see The Troubles in Castlederg.
2010 temperature record
Castlederg recorded a Northern Ireland record low temperature of −18.7 °C (−1.7 °F) on the morning of 23 December 2010.[5]
Transport
The narrow-gauge Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway was built in 1883, to link the village with the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) at Victoria Bridge. Castlederg railway station opened on 4 July 1884, but was finally closed on 17 April 1933.[6]
Education
- Saint Francis Of Assisi Primary School, Drumnabey, Castlederg at archive.today (archived 1 February 2013)
- Saint Patrick's Primary School
- Edwards Primary School
- Castlederg High School
- Erganagh primary school
- Gaelscoil na Deirge
- Killen Primary School
Sport
Football
- Dergview F.C.
- St Patricks F.C.
- Killen Rangers F.C.
Gaelic games
Demography
19th century population
The population of the village increased during the 19th century:[2][7]
| Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 476 | 596 | 637 | 703 | 756 | 796 |
| Horses | 81 | 102 | 106 | 119 | 137 | 155 |
21st century population
Castlederg is classified as an intermediate settlement by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with a population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census Day 29 April 2001 the resident population of Castlederg ward was 2,074. Of this population:
- 23.0% were under 16 years old and 22.7% were aged 60 and above;
- 48.2% of the population were male and 51.8% were female; and
- 59.0% were from a Catholic community background and 40.5% were from a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' community background.
- 6.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
References
- ^ "Castlederg". Place Names NI. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Townlands of County Tyrone". IreAtlas Townland Database. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
- ^ a b c Malcolm Sutton's Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland (search for "Castlederg"). Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN).
- ^ "Northern ireland diary of highlights December 2010" Archived 11 January 2011 at WebCite. Met Office. Retrieved 14 August 2011
- ^ "Castlederg station" (PDF). Railscot – Irish Railways. Retrieved 16 September 2007.
- ^ "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
Sources
External links
