| Cloghmills | |
| Irish: Muileann na Cloiche[1] | |
Ballycregagh Road in Cloghmills |
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Cloghmills shown within Northern Ireland |
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| Population | 1,240 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| District | Ballymoney[2] |
| County | County Antrim |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BALLYMENA |
| Postcode district | BT44 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | North Antrim |
| NI Assembly | North Antrim |
| List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Antrim | |
Cloughmills or Cloghmills[3] ( /klɒxˈmɪlz/ klokh-milz) is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Ballymoney is 15km to the north-west and Ballymena is 16km to the south. It had a population of 1,240 people in the 2001 Census.
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The name Cloughmills/Cloghmills is a combination of the Irish word cloch (meaning "stone") and the English word mill (referring to the linen mill around which the village grew). An older spelling was Clochmills.[4]
Cloghmills is a local service centre for its surrounding rural hinterland with a good range of retail, commercial, community and educational facilities. Recreational facilities are, however, limited, relative to the size of the village. A substantial number of private sector dwellings have been built over the past decade, which reflect its growing residential function.[2] Three private housing developments have been built in the village within the past 10 years, substantially increasing the population to approximately 2000 individuals in 2008. The Cloughmills Community Action Team (CCAT), made up of local residents, is in the process of reviving a five year action plan to develop the village for the all who live there, and promote and develop local business initiatives.[5] Cloughmills is also home to one of Northern Ireland's leading department stores, Logans of Cloughmills.
The industrial heritage of the village can be seen from the old linen mill which is located at the bottom end of the main street beside the medical centre. The mill was fed by the Cloughwater (also known as the Cloughmills Water) river which flows through the southern end of the village. This river feeds into the River Maine.
In 1910, corn and flax scutching were the main industries and an Agricultural and Dairy Society and Co-operative Poultry and Egg Society had been established. The population was about 200.[6]
The former main employer of the village, Cooneen Textiles, a clothing firm, closed down in 1999 with the loss of 128 jobs. The premises changed hands and Cooneen was replaced by a haulage company called Reid Transport. In November 2007 Reid Transport ceased trading with loss of 200 jobs following serious financial difficulties. Indications are that a company called "African Clothing Company," may be taking up residence in the vacated premises, however this remains to be confirmed.
Cloughmills has good road links to Ballymoney and Ballymena and is located a short distance east of the A26 key transport corridor. However, it has limited public transport connections.[2]
Notable people from Cloughmills include:
Cloughmills is classified as a Village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e., with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,240 people living in Cloughmills. Of these[9]: