Banbridge

Banbridge in the early 1900s

Banbridge, home to the "Star of the County Down", is a relatively young town, first entering recorded history around 1691 during the aftermath of the struggle between William III and James II. An Outlawry Court was set up in the town to deal with the followers of James.[5] The town grew up around the site where the main road from Belfast to Dublin crossed the River Bann over an Old Bridge which was situated where the present bridge now stands.

The town owes its success to flax and the linen industry, becoming the principal linen producing district in Ireland by 1772 with a total of 26 bleachgreens along the Bann. By 1820 the town was the centre of the 'Linen Homelands' and its prominence grew when it became a staging post on the mail coach route between Dublin and Belfast. A gift of £500 from the Marquis of Downshire around this time helped to alleviate some problems with the steepness of the road and paid for significant improvements.[6] This industry has now greatly diminished in prominence, but Banbridge still has three of the major producers in Ulster; Weavers, Thomas Ferguson & Co, and John England Irish Linen.

'The Cut' from above

Housing estates in western Banbridge

The monument to Francis Crozier

Banbridge has staged an annual busking competition and music festival called Buskfest since 2004. Performers often travel long distances to participate. The competition closes with an evening concert composed of performances by world-famous artists.

Recently, Banbridge has been twinned with Ruelle in France.

Like the rest of Ireland, the Banbridge area has long been divided into townlands, whose names mostly come from the Irish language. Banbridge sprang up in a townland called Ballyvally. Over time, the surrounding townlands have been built upon and they have lent their names to many streets, roads and housing estates. The following is a list of townlands within Banbridge's urban area, alongside their likely etymologies:[10][11]

• Ballydown (from Baile an Dúin meaning "townland of the stronghold")
• Ballymoney (from Baile Muine meaning "townland of the thicket")
• Ballyvally (from Baile an Bhealaigh meaning "townland of the routeway")
• Drumnagally (from Dromainn Ó gCeallaigh meaning "O'Kelly's ridge")
• Edenderry (from Éadan Doire meaning "hill-brow of the oak-wood")
• Tullyear (from Tulaigh Eirre meaning "hillock of the boundary")

On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 16,637 people living in Banbridge (6,693 households), accounting for 0.92% of the NI total,[4] representing an increase of 12.8% on the Census 2001 population of 14,744.[12] Of these:

• 21.92% were aged under 16 years and 13.69% were aged 65 and over;
• 51.21% of the usually resident population were female and 48.79% were male;
• 59.17% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' religion and 34.38% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic Christian faith;
• 61.59% indicated that they had a British national identity, 31.48% had a Northern Irish national identity and 15.39% had an Irish national identity (respondents could indicate more than one national identity);
• 37 years was the average (median) age of the population;
• 6.83% had some knowledge of Irish (Gaelic) and 6.35% had some knowledge of Ulster-Scots.

• Near the town lie the ancient Lisnagade Fort, Legannany Dolmen, and the Loughbrickland Crannóg, constructed around the year 500 AD
• Thomas Ferguson & Co Ltd factory tours.

• Captain Francis Crozier, British naval officer and Arctic explorer, was born in Banbridge in 1796. A monument to him stands in the town square; four polar bears are carved on the base.
• Robbie Dennison, former Wolverhampton Wanderers FC winger and Northern Ireland football international.
• Samuel Fryar, politician from the 1930s.
• Dame Anna Hassan, educator, school principal.
• Dermott Lennon world show jumping champion hails from Ballinaskeagh just outside Banbridge.
• Samantha Lewthwaite, terrorism suspect.[13]
• F. E. McWilliam, surrealist sculptor.
• John Mitchel, Irish nationalist activist and political journalist.
• Cyril Scott, actor
• Joseph M. Scriven, writer of the poem which became the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".
• Jonathan Tuffey, Northern Ireland No 2 goalkeeper, currently playing for Glenavon in the Irish League.
• John Butler Yeats, artist and father of four artistic children. Among them were William Butler Yeats and Jack Butler Yeats.

Banbridge is on the A1 main road between Belfast and Newry. The nearest railway station is Scarva on Northern Ireland Railways' Belfast–Newry railway line, about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Banbridge.

Banbridge had its own railway station from 1859 until 1956. The Banbridge, Newry, Dublin and Belfast Junction Railway opened Banbridge (BJR) railway station on 23 March 1859.[14][15] In contrast with its very long name, this was a short branch line between Banbridge and Scarva.[14][15] This was followed by the opening of the Banbridge, Lisburn and Belfast Junction Railway between Knockmore Junction and Banbridge on 13 July 1863,[15] which gave Banbridge a more direct link via Lisburn with Belfast Great Victoria Street. Banbridge (BJR) railway station was closed in favour of the new Banbridge (BLBR) railway station.

The Great Northern Railway took over both companies in 1877[16] and opened a branch line from Banbridge to Ballyroney in 1880.[15] In 1906 the GNR opened an extension from Ballyroney to Castlewellan, where it connected with a new Belfast and County Down Railway branch line to Newcastle, County Down.[15]

In 1953 the governments of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic jointly nationalised the GNR as the GNR Board.[17] On 1 May 1955 the GNRB closed Banbridge's lines to Scarva and Castlewellan.[18] Banbridge (BLBR) railway station closed on 29 April 1956, when the GNRB closed the line from Knockmore Junction.[18]

• One of the Banbridge sporting highlights probably was the 1920 – Ireland v. Scotland International Hockey Match played at Banbridge.
• The Banbridge Hockey Club wins in 1985 as the second team from Ireland, after Cookstown HC in 1981, the EuroHockey Club Champions Trophy.

Current sports clubs include: Banbridge Bowling Club

• Banbridge Town F.C.
• Banbridge Hockey Club
• Banbridge Rugby Club
• Banbridge Rangers F.C.
• Banbridge A.F.C.
• Moneyslane F.C.
• Banbridge Ladies Hockey Club
• Banbridge Athletics Club
• Banbridge Cycling Club
• Banbridge Golf Club
• Clann na Banna G.A.A Club
• Banbridge Rangers Football Club
• Banbridge Weight Training Club
• Banbridge AFC
• Banbridge Amateur Swimming Club
• Banbridge Boxing Club
• Banbridge Netball Club

• "The Star of the County Down" is a well known song associated with Banbridge.
• In the film The Day After Tomorrow (2004), a fictitious Sky News broadcast shows a depiction of Banbridge in the midst of an apocalyptic blizzard.
• One of the Game of Thrones sets is in Linen Mills Studio, which was converted from a failed linen mill.[19]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Banbridge.

• List of towns and villages in Northern Ireland
• List of localities in Northern Ireland by population
• Market Houses in Northern Ireland

• Baker, Michael H.C. (1972). Irish Railways since 1916. London: Ian Allan. ISBN 978-0-7110-0282-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hajducki, S. Maxwell (1974). A Railway Atlas of Ireland. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-5167-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

• Banbridge District Council
• "Banbridge" . Encyclopædia Britannica. 3 (11th ed.). 1911.