Banbridge

Coordinates: 54°20′35″N 6°15′36″W / 54.343°N 6.26°W / 54.343; -6.26

Banbridge
Scots: Bannbrig[1]
Irish: Droichead na Banna
'The Cut' in Banbridge
Banbridge  Banbridge shown within Northern Ireland
Population	14,744 (2001 Census)
District	Banbridge
County	County Down
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BANBRIDGE
Postcode district	BT32
Dialling code	028
Police	Northern Ireland
Fire	Northern Ireland
Ambulance	Northern Ireland
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
NI Assembly	Upper Bann
List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Down

Banbridge ( /bænˈbrɪdʒ/ ban-BRIJ)^[2] is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Bann and the A1 road. It was named after a bridge built over the Bann in 1712. The town grew as a coaching stop on the road from Belfast to Dublin and thrived from Irish linen manufacturing. Its population was 14,744 people in the 2001 Census though is said to have raised in population by a fifth since then,^[3] suggesting a population of around 18,000.^[4] The town is the headquarters for Banbridge District Council.

The town's main street is very unusual, and rises to a steep hill before levelling out. In 1834 an underpass was made, apparently because horses with heavy loads would faint before reaching the top of the hill. It was built by William Dargan and is officially named 'Downshire Bridge', though it is often called 'The Cut'.

History

This section requires expansion.

Banbridge, home to the "Star of the County Down", is a relatively young town. The town grew up around the site where the main road from Belfast to Dublin crossed the River Bann over an Old Bridge which was situated where the present bridge now stands.

The town owes its success to flax and the linen industry, becoming by 1772 the principal linen producing district in Ireland with a total of 26 bleachgreens along the Bann. This industry has now greatly diminished in prominence, but Banbridge still has two of the major producers in Ulster Weavers Ltd, and Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd., the last remaining Irish linen damask weaver.

'The Cut' from above

Housing estates in western Banbridge

Housing estates in southern Banbridge

The monument to Francis Crozier

Since 2004, Banbridge has staged an annual busking competition and music festival called Buskfest. Performers have travelled from as far as Australia to participate in the competition and the evening concert has included a number of world-famous artists.

Recently, Banbridge has been twinned with Ruelle in France.

Townlands

Like the rest of Ireland, the Banbridge area has long been divided into townlands, whose names mostly come from the Irish language. Banbridge sprang up in a townland called Ballyvally. Over time, the surrounding townlands have been built upon and they have lent their names to many streets, roads and housing estates. The following is a list of townlands within Banbridge's urban area, alongside their likely etymologies:^[5][6]

• Ballydown (from Baile an Dúin meaning "townland of the stronghold")
• Ballymoney (from Baile Muine meaning "townland of the thicket")
• Ballyvally (from Baile an Bhealaigh meaning "townland of the routeway")
• Drumnagally (from Dromainn Ó gCeallaigh meaning "O'Kelly's ridge")
• Edenderry (from Éadan Doire meaning "hill-brow of the oak-wood")
• Tullyear (from Tulaigh Eirre meaning "hillock of the boundary")

Demographics

Banbridge is classified as a Medium Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 14,744 people living in Banbridge. Of these:

• 24.4% were aged under 16 years and 16.1% were aged 60 and over
• 49.5% of the population were male and 50.5% were female
• 33.7% were from a Catholic background and 63.7% were from a Protestant background
• 3.3% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

Places of interest

• Near the town lie the ancient Lisnagade Fort, Legannany Dolmen, and the Loughbrickland Crannog, constructed around the year 500 AD
• Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd factory tours. See the last Irish linen damask weaving company at work.
• Banbridge Market House was built about 1832 currently used as offices.
• The Coach, one of the largest clubs in Ireland,was famous for winning HEAT magazines Ugly Bar award 2007, although recently has been redeveloped in hope to regain popularity. Wednesday nights are becoming as popular as what Saturday nights once were.
• Inbox nightclub on the outskirts of the town has grown as a popular nightspot, attached to The Bannville House Hotel is serves the public as a hotel, restaurant, bar, meeting venue, nightclub and function venue.
• Huntly House

People

• Professor Ernest Walton, winner of the 1951 Nobel Prize for Physics (along with Sir John Douglas Cockcroft) attended school in Banbridge.
• Captain Francis Crozier, British naval officer and Arctic explorer, was born in Banbridge in 1796. A monument to him stands in the town square; four polar bears are carved on the base.
• F. E. McWilliam, surrealist sculptor
• John Mitchel, Irish nationalist activist and political journalist
• John Butler Yeats, artist and father of four artistic children. Among them were William Butler Yeats and Jack Butler Yeats.
• Margaret Barry "Maggie", Irish singer and banjo player, spent the last decade of her life in Banbridge.
• Robbie Dennison, former Wolverhampton Wanderers FC winger and Northern Ireland football international.
• Samuel Fryar, politician from the 1930s.
• Dermott Lennon world show jumping champion hails from Ballinaskeagh just outside Banbridge
• Jonathan Tuffey, Northern Ireland No 2 goalkeeper, currently playing for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Premier League.
• Peter Alcorn, drummer for the pirate metal band Alestorm
• Anna Hassan, educator and Dame of the British Empire.

Transport

Banbridge is on the A1 main road between Belfast and Newry. The nearest railway station is Scarva on Northern Ireland Railways' Belfast–Newry railway line, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Banbridge.

Banbridge had its own railway station from 1859 until 1956. The Banbridge, Newry, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway opened Banbridge (BJR) railway station on 23 March 1859.^[7][8] In contrast with its very long name, this was a short branch line between Banbridge and Scarva.^[7][8] This was followed by the opening of the Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Junction Railway between Knockmore Junction and Banbridge on 13 July 1863,^[8] which gave Banbridge a more direct link via Lisburn with Belfast Great Victoria Street. Banbridge (BJR) railway station was closed in favour of the new Banbridge (BLBR) railway station.

The Great Northern Railway took over both companies in 1877^[9] and opened a branch line from Banbridge to Ballyroney in 1880.^[8] In 1906 the GNR opened an extension from Ballyroney to Castlewellan, where it connected with a new Belfast and County Down Railway branch line to Newcastle, County Down.^[8]

In 1953 the governments of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic jointly nationalised the GNR as the GNR Board.^[10] On 1 May 1955 the GNRB closed Banbridge's lines to Scarva and Castlewellan.^[11] Banbridge (BLBR) railway station closed on 29 April 1956, when the GNRB closed the line from Knockmore Junction.^[11]

Education

Primary

• Abercorn Primary School : Opened 1932, about 400 pupils 54°20′42″N 6°16′26″W / 54.345°N 6.274°W / 54.345; -6.274^[12]
• Ballydown Primary School : Opened 2004 54°21′14″N 6°14′35″W / 54.354°N 6.243°W / 54.354; -6.243^[13]
• Bridge Primary School
• Bronte Primary School
• Edenderry Primary School
• Milltown Primary School
• St. Mary's Primary School

Post-primary

• Banbridge Academy (mixed grammar)
• Banbridge High School
• St Patrick's College
• New-Bridge Integrated College

Sport

• One of the Banbridge sporting highlights probably was the 1920 - Ireland v. Scotland International Hockey Match played at Banbridge.
• The Banbridge Hockey Club wins in 1985 as the second team from Ireland, after Cookstown HC in 1981, the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy.

Current sports clubs include:

• Banbridge Town F.C.
• Banbridge Hockey Club
• Banbridge RFC
• Banbridge Ladies Hockey Club
• Banbridge Athletics Club
• Banbridge Cycling Club
• Banbridge Golf Club
• Clann na Banna G.A.A Club
• Banbridge Rangers Football Club

Pop culture

• "The Star of the County Down" is a well known song associated with Banbridge.
• In the film The Day After Tomorrow (2004), a fictitious Sky News broadcast shows a depiction of Banbridge in the midst of an apocalyptic blizzard.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Banbridge

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Banbridge.

• List of towns in Northern Ireland
• List of villages in Northern Ireland
• Market Houses in Northern Ireland

References

Sources

• Baker, Michael H.C. (1972). Irish Railways since 1916. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 7110 0282 7. 
• Hajducki, S. Maxwell (1974). A Railway Atlas of Ireland. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5167-2. 

External links

• Banbridge District Council

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