Ballygawley, County Tyrone
{{Infobox UK place
BALLYGAWLEY IS THE BEST PLACE EVER, WOO, EVERYONE COOL LIVES THERE HAS THE BEST FOOTBALL TEAM EVER, THEY ARE THE BEST THEY ARE ALL SO FIT, I LOVE ERRIGAL YAAAAYY |official_name= Ballygawley |irish_name= Baile Uí Dhálaigh |scots_name= |local_name= |static_image_name=Ballygawley Co. Tyrone - geograph.org.uk - 62151.jpg |static_image_caption= |map_type= Northern Ireland |latitude= 54.4618 |longitude= -7.0280 |label_position= none |belfast_distance_mi= 52 |population = 642 |population_ref = (2001) |irish_grid_reference= H630574 |unitary_northern_ireland= Dungannon and
South Tyrone |country= Northern Ireland |post_town= DUNGANNON |postcode_area= BT |postcode_district= BT71 |dial_code= 028, +44 28 |constituency_westminster= Fermanagh and
South Tyrone |constituency_ni_assembly= Fermanagh and
South Tyrone |lieutenancy_northern_ireland= County Tyrone |website= |hide_services= yes
}} Ballygawley or Ballygawly (from Irish Baile Uí Dhálaigh, meaning 'Ó Dálaigh's townland')[1][2] is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about 13 miles southwest of Dungannon, near the meeting of the A5 Omagh–Monaghan and A4 Dungannon–Enniskillen roads.[3]
It is a compact village around the ‘L’ shaped Main Street and Church Street,formerly Meeting House Street, with a second cluster of development to the southwest. The main cluster inholds most of the village’s facilities; two primary schools, churches and a range of shops and services. The cluster of development to the southwest inholds a secondary school and housing.[3] Ballygawley had a population of 642 at the 2001 Census.
History
The Troubles
For more information see The Troubles in Ballygawley, which includes a list of incidents in Ballygawley during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities, as well as:
- Attack on Ballygawley barracks, 1985.
- Ballygawley bus bombing, 1988.
People
- Mickey Harte, the Gaelic football manager who led Tyrone to All Ireland glory in 2003,2005 and 2008, was born in Ballygawley in 1952 ([1]).
- Michaela McAreavey, daughter of Mickey Harte, who was murdered in 2011 whilst on honeymoon in Mauritius
- Ballygawley is located near the ancestral homestead of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States on his mother's side.
Development
Ballygawley is acquiring extensive development with the major upgrade to the A4 and the building of the new roundabout to accommodate the traffic congestion from the main Aughnacloy rd. With these road improvements many contractors have been submitting plans for extensive housing developments. The most exciting of all being the redevelopment of Main st leading onto Church Street, with plans for new bars and restaurants. There is speculation of the Stewart Arms hotel being reopened and other developments such as the health spa at 'Grangemount'. There are other developments such as the rebuilding of Loughrans Castle as a historical building to house historical items from the surrounding area. The Ballygawley River is a major tourist attraction supplying the finest of fresh water fishing in Ireland. The original hydo-electric station at the old Dungannon rd is being rebuilt to provide a large amount of the town's energy.
Events
Although having an Irish nationalist majority, Ballygawley is paraded through by the unionist loyal orders without any incident and last held the Orange Orders "Twelfth" celebrations in 2006,[4] and the Royal Black Institutions "Black Saturday" demonstration in 2011.[5]
Transport
- Ballygawley railway station (on the narrow gauge Clogher Valley Railway) opened on 2 May 1887 but was shut on 1 January 1942.[6]
Education
Sport
- Errigal Ciarán GAC is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.
Demographics
19th century population
The population of the village decreased during the 19th century:[7][8]
| Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 881 | 768 | 680 | 560 | 446 | 397 |
| Houses | 166 | 145 | 147 | 126 | 136 | 126 |
21st century population
Ballygawley is classified as a Small Village or Hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000 people). In the 2001 census (29 April 2001) there were 642 people living in Ballygawley. Of these:
- 26.7% were aged under 16 years and 19.3% were aged 60 and over
- 45.8% of the population were male and 54.2% were female
- 82.1% were from a Catholic background and 17.5% were from a Protestant background
- 4.0% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Ballygawley Townland
It is situated in the historic barony of Clogher and the civil parish of Errigal Keerogue and covers an area of 123 acres.[9]
The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:[10][11]
| Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 84 | 73 | 62 | 68 | 49 | 34 |
| Houses | 19 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
The townland contains one Scheduled Historic Monument: a Castle (grid ref: H6324 5749).[12]
See also
References
- ^ "Ballygawley". Place Names NI. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ A. D. Mills, 2003, A Dictionary of British Place-Names, Oxford University Press
- ^ a b "Ballygawley". Dungannon and South Tyrone Area Plan 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
- ^ BBC News
- ^ Ulster Gazette
- ^ "Ballygawley station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Townlands of County Tyrone". IreAtlas Townland Database. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ "Scheduled Historic Monuments (to 15 October 2012)" (PDF). NI Environment Agency. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
External links
