Hillsborough, County Down

Hillsborough (Cromghlinn in Irish, Cromlyn in anglicized Gaelic) is a pretty and historical large Georgian village in County Down, Northern Ireland, situated 19 km (12 miles) from the city of Belfast. It had a population of 3,400 people in the 2001 Census. Hillsborough lies within the Lisburn City council area and is two miles from Sprucefield.

A prominent feature of the east and south approaches to Hillsborough is a 5-mile wall surrounding the lake and its adjoining forest.

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

[edit] History

The village takes its name from Sir Arthur Hill, who built Hillsborough Fort in 1650 to command the road from Dublin to Carrickfergus. The Hill family became the Earls of Hillsborough, then Marquises of Downshire. Their influence is seen elsewhere in Northern Ireland, having also lent their name to Hilltown and Hillhall.

A prominent memorial to the 3rd Marquis of Downshire (and closely resembling Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, London) stands to the south of the village and is visible throughout the surrounding area.

[edit] Places of interest

Hillsborough Castle a two storey Georgian mansion, was Government House from 1924 until 1973 and is the official residence of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (and other royal family members) when visiting the province and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Hillsborough Castle was the venue for the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985. Prime Minister Tony Blair has stayed at the castle on many occasions during negotiations related to the peace process.

There are many interesting walks and local pubs offering delicacies to enjoy; and is home to a public forest park and lake that form the picturesque setting for the original fort residence of Lord Hillsborough. Hillsborough village hosts an International Oyster Festival, generally every September, attracting thousands of visitors from many countries (as far away as Japan, Russia, the United States and Argentina) to partake in the competitions festivities; these include boat racing, parachuting, garden fêtes, oyster eating and Guinness drinking – all in the name of fun, revelry and charity.

The historic Parish Church dedicated to Saint Malachy is one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture. It was built by the 1st Marquis of Downshire between 1760 and 1774, in the hope that the church would become the cathedral of Down. In addition to its imposing setting, it boasts two 18th century organs, a peal of ten bells and a number of works by notable craftsmen of the era. Today it is a vibrant parish in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Down and Dromore.

[edit] People

Hillsborough is also (in somewhat exaggerated terms) said to be the birthplace of the United States - due to a disastrous meeting that took place between Benjamin Franklin and Lord Hillsborough (then the acting Secretary of State for the Colonies) in the early 1770s. They are reported to have hated each other at first sight and, on leaving 3 days into a week long visit, Franklin returned home to convince the dissident colonists he represented that there was no alternative but to initiate immediate revolution. The 'Declaration of Independence' in July 1776 followed shortly from Franklin's return.

Hillsborough was also the birthplace of the composer and conductor Hamilton Harty, whose father William Harty was organist in the Parish Church.

Hillsborough was also home to TV and radio presenter Gloria Hunniford for a number of years. Her late daughter Caron Keating spent much of her childhood in the village.

[edit] 2001 Census

Hillsborough is classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 3,400 people living in Hillsborough. Of these:

19.9% were aged under 16 years and 21.4% were aged 60 and over
47.9% of the population were male and 52.1% were female
5.0% were from a Catholic background and 91.7% were from a Protestant background
1.4% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For further details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service