Newtownards
Newtownards | |
---|---|
View of Newtownards from Scrabo Tower | |
Location within County Down | |
Population | 29,677 (2021 Census) |
• Belfast | 9 mi (14.5 km) |
District | |
County | |
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 |
UK Parliament | |
NI Assembly | |
Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1821 | 3,332 | — |
1831 | 4,442 | +33.3% |
1841 | 6,721 | +51.3% |
1851 | 9,566 | +42.3% |
1861 | 9,542 | −0.3% |
1871 | 9,562 | +0.2% |
1881 | 8,676 | −9.3% |
1891 | 9,197 | +6.0% |
1901 | 9,110 | −0.9% |
1911 | 9,587 | +5.2% |
1926 | 10,149 | +5.9% |
1937 | 19,546 | +92.6% |
1951 | 12,243 | −37.4% |
1961 | 13,083 | +6.9% |
1966 | 12,929 | −1.2% |
1971 | 15,484 | +19.8% |
1981 | 20,531 | +32.6% |
1991 | 24,301 | +18.4% |
2001 | 27,821 | +14.5% |
2011 | 28,050 | +0.8% |
2021 | 29,677 | +5.8% |
[4][5][6][7][8] |
Newtownards (/ˌnjuːtənˈɑːrdz/; Irish: Baile Nua na hArda[9]) is a 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. It is in the civil parish of Newtownards and the historic baronies of Ards Lower and Castlereagh Lower.[10] Newtownards is in the Ards and North Down Borough. The population was 29,677 in the 2021 Census.[4]
History
Irish settlement
In 540 AD,
The Normans conquered east Ulster in the 1170s, founding the Earldom of Ulster. Around 1226, they established a new town around Movilla, which became known as the "New Town of Blathewic", after the Irish territory of Uí Blathmhaic.[12] A Dominican priory was built in 1244 by Walter de Burgh[13] and was also dissolved in 1542.[14]
In 1572, both monasteries were burned by the
The Scottish town
In 1605 (prior to the official
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 1771.[18]
United Irishmen rebellion
North Down and the Ards were briefly held by United Irish insurgents in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. On the morning of 9 June, "Pike Sunday", United Irishmen, mainly from Bangor, Donaghadee, Greyabbey and Ballywalter, under the command of the Presbyterian licentiate (later American diplomat) David Bailie Warden, marched on the town. They were driven off with musket fire from the Market House, but the garrison, consisting of troops from the York Fencible Regiment of Foot subsequently withdrew, allowing the rebels to establish a French revolutionary-style Committee of Public Safety. The "Republic" in Newtownards did not survive the rout two days later of the main rebel force at Ballynahinch.[19]
The Great Famine
During the Great Famine, which resulted from the dependence of small tenants and cottiers on a blighted potato crop, the largest local landowner, Lord Londonderry, rejected rent reductions on grounds of "personal inconvenience". By 1847 the 800 inhabitants of the town were witness to "emaciated and half-famished souls" queuing at soup kitchens and overflowing the newly built workhouse. Despite Lord Londonderry's objection, with the upgrading of the road to Donaghadee several public works programs for famine relief were instigated. In general, conditions on the land, not as acutely subdivided as in western districts of Ireland, and the availability of weaving and other employments, saved the town from the worst.[20][21]
Victorian growth
The early 19th century saw the reclamation of the marshlands south of the town. At the same time, its growth was accelerated by integration into the Belfast and Lagan Valley industrial region and market. The
As the nineteenth century progressed the economy became increasingly tied to the growing city of Belfast and the town continued to prosper and by the 20th century had increasingly become a
The Troubles
During the Troubles, Newtownards was the scene of a car bomb attack on 5 July 1993, when Roma's Bar in Regent Street was targeted. The pub was destroyed, but has since been rebuilt. The attack was carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army with a 700 kg (1,500 lb) device.[24] There were no fatalities. Police said the 10-minute warning, telephoned to a local radio station, was "totally inadequate." The warning said the bomb contained 1,500 pounds of explosives.[25]
Recent times
On 1 November 2021, a bus in the town was hijacked and set on fire by two masked assailants allegedly protesting the Northern Ireland Protocol.[26]
Places of interest
Scrabo Tower
The town of Newtownards is overlooked by the 100-foot (30 m) high
The Scottish baronial-style tower 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 in Scrabo Country Park with its woodland walks and parkland through Killynether Wood.[29]
Movilla Abbey
The ancient ruins of Movilla Abbey, monastic settlement are situated within the grounds of Movilla Cemetery. Nothing visible remains today of Finnian's original Celtic Abbey, but the 15th Century Augustinian ruins still stand, and are worth seeing. They are a part of the St Patrick's Trail Tourist Route[30]
Somme Heritage Centre
The
Mount Stewart
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 has been proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[32]
Demography
2021 Census
On Census Day (21 March 2021) the usually resident population of Newtownards was 29,677.[4] Of these:
- 8.70% belong to or were brought up Catholic Christian and 70.97% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and other (non-Catholic) Christian (including Christian related)'.[33]
- 72.17% indicated that they had a British national identity,[34] 5.91% had an Irish national identity[35] and 39.29% had a Northern Irish national identity.[36] Respondents could indicate more than one national identity
2011 Census
On Census Day (27 March 2011) the usually resident population of Newtownards was 28,050 accounting for 1.55% of the NI total.[5] Of these:
- 98.67% were from the white (including Irish Traveller) ethnic group.
- 8.32% belong to or were brought up Catholic Christian and 79.35% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and other (non-Catholic) Christian (including Christian related)'.
- 76.37% indicated that they had a British national identity, 4.86% had an Irish national identity and 31.39% had a Northern Irish national identity. Respondents could indicate more than one national identity
Sport
- Rugby
Ards Rugby Football Club plays at Lansdowne Road, south of the town along the main Comber road.[37]
- Cricket
Ards and Donaghadee Cricket Club currently plays its home games take place at Londonderry Park, which is on Portaferry Road.[38]
- Football
There are two local football teams: Ards F.C., who play in the NIFL's Danske Bank Premiership, and Ards Rangers F.C., who play in the Northern Amateur Football League.[39]
- Ards motor racing Circuit
The Ards Circuit through Newtownards was a motorsport street circuit used for RAC Tourist Trophy sports car races from 1928 until 1936. At the time it was Northern Ireland's premier sporting event, regularly attracting crowds in excess of a quarter of a million people.[40]
On 5 September 1936, in appallingly wet conditions, local driver Jack Chambers lost control of his
Notable natives/residents
- Harry Cavan, senior VP of FIFA (1980–90), and president of the Irish Football Association from 1958 to 1994.[43]
- Sir Robert Colville (died 1697), politician and landowner, owned much property in and near Newtownards.[44]
- paralympic medalist, was born and raised in Newtownards. His family emigrated to Canada when he was 14.[45]
- Brisbane, Australia.[46]
- Celia de Fréine, dramatist and poet, was born in the town in 1948 before later moving to Dublin and Galway.[47]
- Eddie Irvine, racing driver and runner-up in the 1999 Formula One World Championship for Ferrari, was born and lived in Conlig, near Newtownards.[48]
- William Jackson (1737-1795), political journalist, secret contact between the United Irishmen and the French Republic.
- Martyn Irvine, former World Cycling Champion and two-time silver medalist, is from the town.[49]
- Steven Kane, racing driver
- Michael Legge, stand-up comedian, was born and raised in the town.[50]
- Alex Lightbody, former Northern Ireland, Irish and British open lawn bowls singles champion[51]
- Lions in the 1938 British Lions tour to South Africa.[52]
- Barry McClements, Commonwealth Games para swimming medallist[53]
- Rhys McClenaghan, Irish international gymnast, 2020 Tokyo Olympic pommel horse finalist, was born and lives in Newtownards.[54]
- Colin Nixon, former football player who managed Ards, is from Newtownards.[55]
- Ricky Warwick, best known as the frontman for the Scottish band The Almighty, is from the town.[56]
- Thomas Watters, British diplomat and scholar
See also
- Newtownards (civil parish)
- Market Houses in Northern Ireland
- List of civil parishes of County Down
- List of localities in Northern Ireland by population
References
- ^ "Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann". Logainm.ie. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "Home | Department of the Environment" (PDF). Doeni.gov.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 April 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "North-South Ministerial Council: 2002 Annual Report in Ulster Scots" (PDF). Northsouthministerialcouncil.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ a b c "Settlement 2015". NISRA. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Census 2011 Population Statistics for Newtownards Settlement". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). Retrieved 13 August 2019. This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.
- ^ "Census 2001 Usually Resident Population: KS01 (Settlements) - Table view". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). p. 5. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ "Histpop - The Online Historical Population Reports Website". Histpop.org. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ For post 1821 figures, 1813 estimate from Mason's Statistical Survey For a discussion on the accuracy of pre-famine census returns see JJ Lee "On the accuracy of the pre-famine Irish censuses Irish Population, Economy and Society edited by JM Goldstrom and LA Clarkson (1981) p.54, in and also New Developments in Irish Population History, 1700–1850 by Joel Mokyr and Cormac Ó Gráda in The Economic History Review, New Series, Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov 1984), pp. 473–88.
- ^ "Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann". Logainm.ie. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "Newtownards". IreAtlas Townlands Database. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ "Movilla Abbey". Irish Stones. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ "Newtownards, Co Down". Place Names NI.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 19 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 594.
- ^ a b Thompson, Mark (2 February 2009). "Newtownards Priory - one of the great Ulster-Scots churches". clydesburn.blogspot.com (blog). Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "Newtownards Priory". Ulster Scots Heritage Trail. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ISBN 978-0717189861.
- ^ Bardon, Jonathan (2012). The Plantation of Ulster. Dublin: Gill Books.
- ^ "The Market House". Newtownards Historical Series. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
- ISBN 9780856405587.
- ^ "Irish Famine: How Ulster was devastated by its impact". BBC News. 26 September 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
- ISBN 978187013246-6.
- ^ "Parades and Marches – Chronology 2: Historical Dates and Events". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 28 January 2010.
- ^ "2017 Mid-year Population Estimates for District Electoral Areas" (PDF). Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. p. 23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1993". Cain.ulst.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "IRA car bomb injures 17". Journaltimes.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "Newtownards: Bus hijacked by masked men and set on fire". BBC News. 1 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ISBN 978-1441117588. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
- ^ McCavery, pp. 140-141
- ^ "Scrabo Country Park - Historic Sites, Houses, Castles & Buildings in Newtownards, Newtownards - Discover Northern Ireland". discovernorthernireland.com. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- ^ "Saint Patrick's Trail". discovernorthernireland.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
- ^ "The Somme Association". Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Mount Stewart's world-class gardens". National Trust. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "Religion or religion brought up in". NISRA. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "National Identity (British)". NISRA. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "National Identity (Irish)". NISRA. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "National Identity (Northern Irish)". NISRA. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
- ^ "Ards rugby club to redevelop grounds with social enterprise fund loan". The Belfast Telegraph. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Ards and Donaghadee cricket clubs merge". The Newtownards Chronicle. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Ards Rangers". Northern Amateur Football League. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ Ireland, Culture Northern (23 December 2005). "The Tourist Trophy Races". Culture Northern Ireland. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
- ^ "Memorial revives Ards TT memories". BBC. 18 August 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
- ISBN 978-1843584391.
- ^ "Cavan, Harry (Henry Hartrick)". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Colville, Sir Robert". Dictionary of Irish Biography. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "About | WinningTrack". Jasondunkerley.wordpress.com. 30 December 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "Nick Earls". Prague Writers' Festival. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ISBN 978-1900578165.
- ^ "Eddie Irvine: Formula 1 is now embarrassing". The Belfast Telegraph. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Martyn Irvine retires from competitive cycling to take up new role". The Belfast Telegraph. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Legge gets helping hand with some alternative comic moments". The Belfast Telegraph. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Singles Winners". British Isles Bowls Council. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
- ^ "Lt Col. Robert Blair 'Paddy' Mayne DSO Freemason". Irish Masonic History and the Jewels of Irish Freemasonry. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "Co Down teenager Barry McClements chasing Paralympic glory after "never letting his disability hold him back"". Belfast Live. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games: NI secretary calls for ban on gymnasts to be lifted". BBC News. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Billy Weir: Colin Nixon's dismissal from Ards was a classless way to end the reign of an Irish League class act". The Belfast Telegraph. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Newtownards musician Ricky Warwick releases new single". News Letter. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
Further reading
- Hanna, J. and Quail, D. 2006. Old Newtownards. Stenlake Publishing Ltd. ISBN 9781840332902.