Ardboe
Encyclopedia
Ardboe is a small village in the north east of County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. It is near the western shore of Lough Neagh
and lies within the Cookstown District Council
area. The village has recently been in the news due to extensive local objections to British military activity in the area,
Ardboe Development Association, which developed a small business park, and Ardboe Community Group are based in the village.
, in 1941, a RAF station was built in the townland
of Kinrush in Ardboe. Cluntoe Airfield was initially used by the Royal Air Force
, but quickly handed over as a training station for the United States Army Air Forces
, and by 1943, over 3,500 troops were stationed there. By 1946 the war was over and the Americans had left. The RAF kept the airfield ticking over and it was reopened in 1952 as a training station for pilots going to the Korean War
. By 1955 it closed for good. Many of the remains of the Cluntoe Airfield around Ardboe can still be seen.
, which includes a list of incidents in Ardboe during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
and has its own Tim Hortons
kiosk. The shop has won awards for best Rural Store in Northern Ireland and is involved in Cookstown District Councill's Fuel Poverty Scheme. The other two shops are The Diamond and Mc Convilles.
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is near the western shore of Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
and lies within the Cookstown District Council
Cookstown District Council
Cookstown District Council is a district council covering an area largely in County Tyrone and partly in County Londonderry. Council headquarters are in Cookstown. Small towns in the council area include Pomeroy, Moneymore, Coagh and Stewartstown and in the east the area is bounded by Lough Neagh...
area. The village has recently been in the news due to extensive local objections to British military activity in the area,
Ardboe Development Association, which developed a small business park, and Ardboe Community Group are based in the village.
History
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in 1941, a RAF station was built in the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Kinrush in Ardboe. Cluntoe Airfield was initially used by the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, but quickly handed over as a training station for the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
, and by 1943, over 3,500 troops were stationed there. By 1946 the war was over and the Americans had left. The RAF kept the airfield ticking over and it was reopened in 1952 as a training station for pilots going to the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. By 1955 it closed for good. Many of the remains of the Cluntoe Airfield around Ardboe can still be seen.
The Troubles
For more information see The Troubles in ArdboeThe Troubles in Ardboe
The Troubles in Ardboe recounts incidents during and the effects of the Troubles in Ardboe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.Incidents in Ardboe during the Troubles resulting fatalities:-1972:...
, which includes a list of incidents in Ardboe during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
Places of interest
- One of the finest examples of the Irish High crossHigh crossA high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
in UlsterUlsterUlster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, can be found in Ardboe and is located on a small hillock close to the shores of Ardboe Lough. Ardboe High CrossArdboe High CrossArdboe High Cross is a high cross and national monument located in Ardboe, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is believed to have been erected in either the ninth or the tenth century and forms the only remaining part of an early monastery on the site. At around 5.6 metres, Ardboe High Cross is...
(Irish: Seanchrois Ard Bó) which dates to the 9th/10th century, is all that now remains of a 6th century monastery, which was established by Saint Colman mac Aed. The Cross, made of sandstone, stands about eighteen feet high. Although slightly weathered and damaged - emigrants known as the O'Neill clan in the earlier part of this century often took with them a small chip of stone from the cross - Ardboe High Cross is a superb example of figure carving incorporating 22 panels of sculpture of biblical events.
- The adjoining graveyard was the site of a tree, known locally as the Ardboe Pin Tree, into which people had traditionally put coins or pins, believing it to cure them of ailments. The tree was blown down during the St Stephen's Day storms of 1998.
- The Battery Harbour, in the townland of Kinturk, with public access to Lough Neagh, is the base for Lough Neagh RescueLough Neagh RescueLough Neagh Rescue is a Lifeboat service based on Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. Lough Neagh Rescue provides a rescue service 24 hours a day, it is a voluntary service, but its members are dedicated and possess significant expertise...
.
- Coyle’s Cottage is a 300 year old restored fisherman’s cottage in the townland of Aneeterbeg. It is the home of the Muintirevlin Historical Society and Gort Moss Walking Club and hosts music nights and traditional music classes.
- Ardboe has a strong Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
tradition and there is local rivalry between the O'Dononvan Rossa's and the nearby St Malachy's in Moortown.
Commerce
Ardboe has 3 Shops within half a mile of each other. The main one (Forbes) is a subsidiary of SPARSPAR
Spar , trades from approximately 12400 stores in 34 countries worldwide and is the world's largest independent voluntary retail trading chain. Spar was founded in the Netherlands in 1932 by retailer Adriaan Van Well and now, through its affiliate organisations, operates through most European...
and has its own Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
kiosk. The shop has won awards for best Rural Store in Northern Ireland and is involved in Cookstown District Councill's Fuel Poverty Scheme. The other two shops are The Diamond and Mc Convilles.
Events
- The Auld Lammas Fair is a popular event held each August in Ardboe, attracting hundreds of people to the shores of Lough Neagh. Activities include traditional music performances.
Notable people
- Provisional Irish Republican ArmyIrish Republican ArmyThe Irish Republican Army was an Irish republican revolutionary military organisation. It was descended from the Irish Volunteers, an organisation established on 25 November 1913 that staged the Easter Rising in April 1916...
volunteer Matt DevlinMatt DevlinMatt Devlin was a Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who took part in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike and was later a leading member of Sinn Féin in County Westmeath.-Background:...
who took part in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike1981 Irish hunger strikeThe 1981 Irish hunger strike was the culmination of a five-year protest during The Troubles by Irish republican prisoners in Northern Ireland. The protest began as the blanket protest in 1976, when the British government withdrew Special Category Status for convicted paramilitary prisoners...
and was later a leading member of Sinn FéinSinn FéinSinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
in County WestmeathCounty Westmeath-Economy:Westmeath has a strong agricultural economy. Initially, development occurred around the major market centres of Mullingar, Moate, and Kinnegad. Athlone developed due to its military significance, and its strategic location on the main Dublin–Galway route across the River Shannon. Mullingar... - Tyrone Gaelic footballers Tommy McGuiganTommy McGuiganTommy McGuigan is a Tyrone Gaelic footballer, who made his Ulster Championship debut on May 20, 2007, against Fermanagh.-Personal life:His older brother is three-time All-Ireland-winning Tyrone star, Brian McGuigan, and his father Frank is considered one of the legends of Tyrone football...
, Brian McGuiganBrian McGuiganBrian McGuigan is an All Star-winning Tyrone Gaelic footballer. He won three All-Ireland medals in 2003 , 2005 and 2008....
and their father, Frank McGuiganFrank McGuiganFrank McGuigan is a former Tyrone Gaelic footballer and father of current Tyrone player, Brian McGuigan. Despite his playing career being cut short by a car crash, which broke his leg, he is considered a legend in Tyrone football, alongside players such as Frankie Donnelly and Peter Canavan.He is...
, are from the area. - Polly Devlin, author, journalist, broadcaster and film-maker.
- Diane McCormick, ceramics artist.
- Kyle ConeyKyle ConeyKyle Coney is an Irish Gaelic footballer from Northern Ireland. He won an All-Ireland Minor Football Championship medal with Tyrone in 2008, also winning Ulster Minor Championships with the county in 2007 and 2008...
, Tyrone minor Gaelic player - Screenwriter and member of the HorslipsHorslipsHorslips are an Irish Celtic rock band that compose, arrange and perform songs based on traditional Irish jigs and reels. The group are regarded as 'founding fathers of Celtic rock' for their fusion of traditional Irish music with rock music and went on to inspire many local and international acts....
, Barry DevlinBarry DevlinBarry Devlin is an Irish musician, screen writer and director.-Early life:Devlin is from Ardboe, Moortown, County Tyrone...
, brother of Polly Devlin and brother in law of Seamus HeaneySeamus HeaneySeamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
Communications
- Telephone Numbers in Ardboe either begin with 867 CoaghCoaghCoagh is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, situated five miles east of Cookstown. Part of the village also extends into County Londonderry. It had a population of 545 people in the 2001 Census...
or 877 StewartstownStewartstown, County TyroneStewartstown is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, close to Lough Neagh and about from Cookstown, from Coalisland and from Dungannon. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 608 people.-History:...
. Most numbers begin 867, 877 applies around the Carnan and Killycoply area
Sport
- Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
is the main sport of the area, with Ardboe O'Donnovan Rossa GAC (Ard Bó Uí Dhonabhain Rossa CLG) being the local Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
club.
See also
- Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Tyrone)
- List of villages in Northern Ireland
- List of towns in Northern Ireland