Drumbo

For the musician who has gone by this name, see John French.

Drumbo (from Irish: Druim Bó, meaning "ridge of the cow")^[1] is a small village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Belfast city centre, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Lisburn and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Carryduff. The 2001 Census recorded the village's population as being 408.

The village is set on the edge of a ridge where the drumlin country of County Antrim starts to descend into the Lagan Valley. It is laid out around a junction of routes meeting at the front of the Presbyterian Church, which is a listed building. The current church building is beside the site of the medieval parish church, the foundations of which can be seen in the graveyard, as can the lower half of a ruined round tower, a scheduled ancient monument. The round tower was originally built here to take advantage of the panoramic views over the Lagan Valley. At the time of the tower's construction, these views would have been useful in spotting oncoming Viking raiders. The tower formed part of a monastery.

The present village has expanded to the south-east along the ridge away from the church and graveyard, with much of the built form developing in the late 20th century. The church buildings still occupy a prominent site in the middle of the settlement. Drumbo functions as a small service centre and facilities include Drumbo Presbyterian Church and Hall, a community hall and a playground and playing fields at Front Road.

References

1. ^ Placenames NI

• NI Neighbourhood Information System
• Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015
• Parish of Drumbo

External links

• Holy Trinity Church
• Drumbo Round Tower
• Drumbo Presbyterian Church