Newtownards
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| Newtownards | |
| Scots: Neuton | |
| Irish: Baile Nua na hArda | |
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  Newtownards shown within Northern Ireland |
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| Population | 27,821 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| District | Ards Borough |
| County | County Down |
| Constituent country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWTOWNARDS |
| Postcode district | BT22, BT23 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| European Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | Strangford |
| NI Assembly | Strangford |
| List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Down | |
Newtownards (Irish: Baile Nua na hArda), is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Ards Borough Council area. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in 11,502 households, placing it in the Large Town class. Approximately 85% of the population is from a Protestant and 9% from a Catholic background.[1]
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[edit] History
In 545 AD, St. Finian founded a monastery near to present-day Newtownards. He named it Movilla (Magh Bile, "the plain of the sacred tree," in Irish) which suggests that the land had previously been a sacred pagan site. This monastery was destroyed by the Vikings sometime after 824 AD and in the 12th century joined together with Bangor Abbey as an Augustinian Monastery. Later, the monastery was raided by Hugh O'Neill from Mid-Ulster, after which the urban settlement at Movilla disappeared and the area around it became known as Ballylisnevin, "the town land of the fort of the family of Nevin." The Normans, who arrived in Ireland after 1169, founded a town in the same place around 1226, named it Nove Ville de Blathewyc ("New Town of Blathewyc", the name of an earlier Irish territory) and established a Dominican priory. However, the town declined and by the 1400s the land was controlled by the O'Neill clan, and the town lay virtually abandoned.
In 1605, Hugh Montgomery was granted the lands and set about rebuilding what was by then known as Newtown, later expanded to Newtownards. Official records show the town was established in 1606. He built a residence in the ruins of the old priory, the tower of which remains. Scottish settlers arrived in large numbers during the Plantation of Ulster and the town grew quickly. Due to the shallow mud of Strangford Lough, Newtown never developed as a port, with goods instead transported from the nearby town of Donaghadee on the Irish Sea coast of the Ards Peninsula. Instead, it became a market town, with the Market House in Conway Square constructed in 1770. The market still operates today on a weekly basis.
On the morning of Pike Sunday, 10 June 1798, during the Irish Rebellion of 1798, a force of United Irishmen, mainly from Bangor, Donaghadee, Greyabbey and Ballywalter, attempted to occupy the town of Newtownards. They met with musket fire from the market house and were defeated. The early 1800s saw the reclamation of the marshlands south of the town. Newtownards acquired rail links to Belfast via Comber and Dundonald in 1850, and to Donaghadee in 1861. By the same year the town's population had risen to 9,500. As the economy became increasingly tied to Belfast, the town continued to prosper and by the 20th century had increasingly became a commuter town. Newtownards' population reached 13,100 in 1961 and doubled to 27,800 by the end of the century.
During the troubles, Newtownards was the scene of a car bomb attack on July 5, 1993, when Roma's Bar in Regent Street was targeted. The pub was completely destroyed, but has since been rebuilt. The attack, carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army was, at 700 kg (1,500 lb) the largest car bomb ever used in Northern Ireland. There were no fatalities.
[edit] Demographics
Newtownards is classified as a Large Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 18,000 and 75,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 27,821 people living in Newtownards. Of these:
- 22.2% were aged under 16 years and 15.9% were aged 60 and over
- 48.3% of the population were male and 51.7% were female
- 8.4% were from a Catholic background and 85.9% were from a Protestant background
- 3.6% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
[edit] Places of interest
The town of Newtownards is overlooked by the 100 foot high Scrabo Tower which sits atop a 534 foot volcanic plug. The tower is 41 metres high, and was erected as a memorial to Charles Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry, in recognition of his concern for the plight of his tenants during the great potato famine. It is open to the public and houses a historical and local environment exhibition. The basalt topped sandstone hill at Scrabo is one of the dominant features of North Down. The Tower now stands tall in Scrabo Country Park park with its woodland walks and parkland through Killynether Wood.
The Somme Heritage Centre, which is situated a little north of the town, is The Somme Association's flagship project. Situated adjacent to the Clandeboye Estate outside Newtownards, the Centre is a unique visitor attraction of international significance showing the awful reality of the Great War and its effects on the community at home. The centre commemorates the involvement of the 36th (Ulster) and 16th (Irish) Divisions in the Battle of the Somme, the 10th (Irish) Division in Gallipoli, Salonika and Palestine and provides displays and information on the entire Irish contribution to the First World War. The centre promotes cross-community contact, mutual understanding, an appreciation of cultural diversity, and is a major visitor attraction. The centre is built on ground provided by Ards Borough Council in what is to be the Whitespots Country Park. It is linked to Helen's Tower on the Clandeboye Estate via the Ulster Way. Historically, the 36th (Ulster) Division trained over the Estate during the first few months of the war and German Prisoners of War were interned there. A replica of Helen's Tower was built on the Somme battlefield as Northern Ireland's national war memorial.
Also to the north of the town is the Ark Open Farm, specialising in rare and endangered species of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry, many of which are no longer seen in Ireland today. Facilities at the farm include a petting zoo, pony rides and restaurant.
On the east shore of Strangford Lough, a few miles outside Newtownards and near Greyabbey, stands Mount Stewart, an 18th century house and garden — the home of the Londonderry family. The house and its contents reflect the history of the Londonderrys who played a leading role in British social and political life. The ninety-eight acre garden at Mount Stewart have been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Largely created by Edith, Lady Londonderry, wife of the 7th Marquess, in the 1920s, it has an unrivalled collection of rare and unusual plants.
To the south of the town lies Newtownards Airport, home of the Ulster Flying Club — Northern Ireland's largest, non commercial training and flying organisations. This is where many future airline commercial pilots from Northern Ireland do their Private Pilot License training before going on to Oxford aviation to further the flying career as commercial airline pilots. The airport is used for an Air Display show every June. This is one of the largest in Northern Ireland,[citation needed] displays include the Red Arrows, TA and Royal Air Force.
[edit] Sport
[edit] Rugby
Ards Rugby Football Club play at Lansdowne Road, south of the town along the main Comber Road. They currently play in All Ireland Division Three, making them the highest placed local team. The club have produced many fine, world class players, former players include Blair Mayne, Phil Matthews and Nigel Carr, all former Ireland and British Lions players.
[edit] Cricket
Ards Cricket Club currently plays in Division 1 Section 4 of the NCU league structure. Their home games take place at Londonderry Park, which is on the Portaferry Road. With two teams now being promoted to Section 3, it is thought that this coming season is their best chance of promotion for a long time. However Ards does live in the shadow of its powerful neighbours North Down and Bangor, who are both NCU Ulster Bank Premier League teams.
[edit] Football
There are two local football teams; Ards F.C., who play in the Irish Football League, and Ards Rangers FC, who play in the Amateur League Division 1A. Ards FC was founded in 1902 and play their home matches at Clandeboye Park in Bangor, which they share with Bangor F.C., due to the sale of local ground Castlereagh Park on the Portaferry Road in Newtownards. Ards Rangers FC play their home matches at Drome Park which is directly beside the former Castlereagh Park.
[edit] Motorsport
From 1928 to 1936, the Tourist Trophy (TT) motorcar Races took place on a road circuit encompassing Newtownards, Comber and Dundonald in County Down. At the time it was Northern Ireland’s premier sporting event, regularly attracting crowds in excess of a quarter of a million people. The first driver to complete thirty laps of the circuit was the winner. On September 5, 1936, in wet conditions, one driver lost control of his car and crashed into the crowd, killing eight spectators. This tragedy brought an end to nine years of racing over the Ards road circuit.
[edit] People
Newtownards is the home town of SAS co-founder Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne. A Bronze statue of Blair Mayne stands outside the town hall.
Eddie Irvine, the former Formula 1 racing driver was born here and attended Regent House Grammar School. Also in sport, Motherwell and Northern Ireland defender Stephen Craigan is from the town, as are boxers Colin Moffett and John Lowey.[citation needed]
BBC one's Christine Bleakley is originally from Newtownards, and Radio 1 and Five presenter Colin Murray studied at Regent House Grammar School.[citation needed]
Rachael Stewart, winner of Young Star Search is also from Newtownards.[citation needed]
Author and popular novelist Nick Earls was born in the town in 1963, later moving to Brisbane, Australia.
[edit] Town Twinning
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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