Dromara

Dromara (in Irish: Droim mBearach, ie ridge of heifers) is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland, 10km to the south west of Ballynahinch on the Hillsborough Road, situated in the most southerly portion of the Belfast Metropolitan Area, with a small part of the village lying in the Lisburn Borough Council area. It lies on the northern slopes of Slieve Croob and the River Lagan flows through the centre of the village. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 597 people.

Dromara is a small mill village and although many of its buildings date from the early 19th century, the street pattern suggests that the settlement has a much earlier history. It used to have its own court and market house and a market place at the road junction in the centre of the village. St John’s Church is the oldest building in Dromara, and the site of the church has a history extending back to the early 14th century as ecclesia de Druimberra.

Facilities in the village include Dromara Primary School, two churches (St John’s Church of Ireland and Dromara Second Presbyterian Church), and their halls, shops, post office, Police Station, Doctor’s Surgery, telephone exchange, and a children’s playground. The village also has a small industrial base with a factory making protective clothing located on the Moybrick Road. Each summer the Dromara Vintage Club hold a vintage rally in the village.

In recent years, Dromara has had its share of infamous events:

On Wednesday, 27 March 1991, Susan Christie, then aged 22, killed Mrs Penelope McAllister in Drumkeeragh Forest by cutting her throat with a knife. Since July 1990 Christie had been carrying on an affair with Captain Duncan McAllister, an officer in the Army, who was the husband of Mrs Penelope McAllister. At all times during the affair Captain McAllister had made it clear to Christie that he would not leave his wife for her. Read more about the court hearing [1]

1 Places of interest
2 People
3 2001 Census
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Places of interest

Legananny Dolmen, a prehistoric three legged 'giants grave' is just outside the village.

[edit] People

Harry Ferguson, world famous inventor, was born near Dromara.
Aidan G McKay local greyhound breeder.

[edit] 2001 Census

Dromara is classified as a Small Village 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 597 people living in Dromara. Of these:

26.8% were aged under 16 years and 17.4% were aged 60 and over
49.6% of the population were male and 50.4% were female
21.9% were from a Catholic background and 76.3% were from a Protestant background
1.7% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service