Listooder
Listooder
| |
|---|---|
 Looking down on Listooder | |
  Location within County Down | |
| Population | 31 (2011 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DOWNPATRICK |
| Postcode district | BT30 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Listooder is a hamlet and townland situated outside Crossgar towards Saintfield and Ballynahinch in County Down, Northern Ireland. Listooder derives its name from the Irish word 'Lios an tSúdaire' meaning "ring-fort".[1] It holds some new houses with a small working farm, missionary hall, Orange Lodge and non-subscribing Presbyterian church. There used to be a post office, pub and a shop here but closed several decades ago. There are nine houses in Listooder and 31 people living here according to the 2011 census with many more in the surrounding area.
Features
- A small river runs through Listooder which is a tributary of the Ballynahinch River, which leads into the Quoile River outside Downpatrick.
- Upon Listooder lies an old fort (hence lios) which sits on one of County Downs' highest drumlin hills. It was used as a look-out because of its vast 360° view across the Down Drumlins as far as the Mourne Mountains and down onto Listooder Hamlet which would have only held a farm then.
- Less than half a mile outside Listooder, on the border of the two townlands of Listooder and Clontaghnaglar,[2] in a field along Abbeyview Road sits a grave stone with a cross engraved on it surrounded by a stone wall with a sycamore and beech tree. Local legend has it that this is the grave of a Roman Catholic priest who was rolled down a nearby hill in a barrel of nails during the pagan times and was buried where the barrel stopped.
- On Abbeyview Road, there is also an old railway bridge that goes over the old Downpatrick-Belfast railway line that stopped functioning in 1959. During the world wars children got off here and stayed at nearby houses for safety.
People
- The leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice and former barrister, Jim Allister QC was born in Listooder where he lived until he was 9 years old.[3]
- The professional footballer George Best (one of Northern Ireland's most iconic figures), spent his summer holidays as a kid at his relatives' summer house in Listooder. He often played football in the above Jim Allister's yard.
Buildings
- Built in the 1787, the 12th oldest Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church is still in use by the congregation founded in 1713. The church hall is beside it.
- An Orange hall can be found in the hamlet. Listooder Orange hall Founded in 1871 still remains to have orange men present with it. The orange hall used to hold a loyalist flute band known as Listooder True Blues.[4]
- Listooder Missionary Hall Established in September 1964 in conjunction with Faith Mission when Fred Orr of Acre Gospel Mission in Brazil was invited by Faith Mission to bring a missionary report. The hall is still in function and holds fortnightly youth fellowship and prayer meetings.[5]
References
- ^ "Placenames Database of Ireland". Retrieved 10 February 2014.
{{cite web}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ Davies, Rosalind. "Kilmore Parish townlands". ancestry.com. rootsweb. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ Claire, McNeilly. "TUV's Jim Allister: I was aghast to see terrorists sitting in government ... being advised by other terrorists". Belfast Telegraph. Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ True Blues, Listooder. "Listooder Flute Band".
- ^ Youth Fellowship, Listooder. "Listooder Missionary Hall". Retrieved 10 February 2012.