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Strathfoyle

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Strathfoyle is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, about five miles north east of Derry. Strathfoyle means Beside the Foyle. It was built in different phases between the late 1950s and the late 1960s, with many new recent additions to the village, including Westlake, Butler's Wharf and Old Fort. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,581 people. It is within the Derry Urban Area and the Derry City Council area. The village has a small retail outlet (A pharmacy, a supermarket, a fast food take-away and a variety shop), a chapel, a Church of Ireland, a library, youth club and a post office. Strathfoyle's community is fast becoming multi-cultural, with many Polish people moving to the area. Initially they were ill-received, but presently the Polish inhabitants of Strathfoyle are accepted. They even play football against the youth of Strathfoyle on Sundays. Strathfoyle is situated directly across the River Foyle from the middle class settlement of Culmore.

History

During World War Two, Strathfoyle was used as a base for Allied troops. Its location beside Londonderry Port was ideal for Navy vessels and the port was later used for the capture and destruction of German U-Boats after the Battle of the Atlantic. Remnants of the jetty used can be seen at Lisahally. Also, there are ruins of bunkers scattered throughout the surrounding area in what the locals call "The Quarry" This is the area that separates Strathfoyle from the railway line and the River Foyle. It is essentially an extensive stretch of forest area, not an actual quarry. Strathfoyle was more seriously developed after the war and in the 1950s it was established as a housing estate.

Places of Interest


Sport

Strathfoyle has been known to produce fine sportsmen and women, however there has always been strong criticism against the local council, as Strathfoyle remains a poorly facilitated area for youth development. There is, however, a Youth Club, which takes a soccer team to Galway each year to participate in the 'Galway World Cup'[1].In recent years, they have proven to be a force to be reckoned with, winning the competition in 2005 and finishing runners up in 2006. The local football team, Lisahally F.C. takes its name from the Londonderry Port, which is in close proximity of the village. Top of the Hill Celtic F.C. is also a popular choice of team to play for with people from Strathfoyle. Both communities share a close relationship with regard to sport. Strathfoyle was also the base for the now defunct gaelic football team, Enagh GAC. Since becoming defunct, many of Enagh's roster joined St. Mary's Slaughtmanus and it has since become a popular choice of team for gaelic footballers from the Strathfoyle area. The City of Derry Rugby Club is situated on the outskirts of Strathfoyle, however, rugby is not very popular within the village, with the working-class dominated society of the village tending to play soccer or gaelic football.

Culture

Strathfoyle has a rich culture of musicians and has contributed greatly to Derry's fast growing music scene. The past glories of Metal band Falon have inspired a number of ambitious young people to learn instruments and form bands with the hope of being recognised as a musical force. Hybrid Elemental, an Alternative Indie Rock band formed in late 2005 have been steadily building a fanbase, and are currently recording a demo and a music video, while Noel McDonald, one of Strathfoyle's favourite sons, is a well renowned guitarist.

Economy

Companies such as Du Pont, Coolkeeragh ESB[2] and Foyle Meats are situated nearby, and have been, for many years providing employment to the people of Derry. There is also a small retail outlet containing a pharmacy, supermarket, fast food take-away and variety store. The local Library introduces youth to the wonderful world of literature and is also equipped with a number of computers. Nearby, the Teacher Training Centre, is one of the main centres in Derry. Just outside Strathfoyle, in Maydown, there is an industrial park containing a Steel Factory. Lisahally, the Londonderry Port,is also a base of employment for many Derry citizens. The Lisahally Livestock Market, situated near the port, is the Derry City Council's main livestock market.

Education

St. Oliver Plunkett's Primary School, provides education for around 176 pupils in the area. The school was established in 1975 and is the main primary school in the Strathfoyle (including Maydown) area. The school promotes a Catholic ethos and is situated beside St.Oliver Plunkett Chapel. The majority of post primary school students in Strathfoyle attend schools such as Oakgrove Integrated College, St. Mary's High School, Limavady, or St. Columb's College. Oakgrove Integrated College is located near to the village and is a popular choice among students due to its proximity to the village.

Social

Molins Sports and Social Club is the main choice of social interaction in Strathfoyle. Situated, on the outskirts of Strathfoyle near DuPont, Molins is a focal point in Strathfoyle society. There is a bar, dance hall and pool hall and it hosts many local events and celebrations. It is the choice location for celebration among Lisahally F.C. players and fans alike. 'The Auld School' was a bar opened in Strathfoyle by the local parish. It was extremely popular with the inhabitants of Strathfoyle for quite some time. It was closed down after a vending license dispute.

Trivia

  • A popular form of greeting, shared by many in Strathfoyle, is 'siem' i.e. "Greetings and Salutations fine siem."
  • It is affectionately known to local people as 'Stra'

Notable residents

2001 Census

Strathfoyle is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,581 people living in Strathfoyle. Of these:

  • 32.6% were aged under 16 years and 12.1% were aged 60 and over
  • 48.1% of the population were male and 51.9% were female
  • 84.3% were from a Catholic background and 15.2% were from a Protestant background
  • 7.8% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

See also

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