Toome
Toome (sometimes called Toomebridge) is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the northeast corner of Lough Neagh. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 722 people.
Toome had long been a bottleneck to traffic on the main Belfast to Derry road route. Construction of a by-pass began in May 2002 and was completed in March 2004, improving journey times and relieving congestion in the village.
Economy
The largest industry in Toome is eel fishing, supplying the European market. The eels come from the Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic Ocean to Lough Neagh to mate. Within the last century mining for diatomite has developed as extensive deposits of diatomite are found in the Toome area. This mineral was used as an absorbent for gelignite and for toothpaste.
2001 Census
Toome 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 722 people living in Toome. Of these:
- 27.2% were aged under 16 years and 10.9% were aged 60 and over
- 48.8% of the population were male and 51.3% were female
- 96.3% were from a Catholic background and 2.9% were from a Protestant background
- 6.2% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service