Cloughmills
Encyclopedia
Cloughmills or Cloghmills (icon ) 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
.
word cloch (meaning "stone") and the English
word mill (referring to the linen
mill around which the village grew). An older spelling was Clochmills.
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.
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.
key transport corridor. However, it has limited public transport connections.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, 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...
. Ballymoney
Ballymoney
Ballymoney is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,021 people in the 2001 Census. It is currently served by Ballymoney Borough Council....
is 15km to the north-west and Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
is 16km to the south. It had a population of 1,240 people in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
Name
The name Cloughmills/Cloghmills is a combination of the IrishIrish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
word cloch (meaning "stone") and the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
word mill (referring to the linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
mill around which the village grew). An older spelling was Clochmills.
Features
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. 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. Cloughmills is also home to one of Northern Ireland's leading department stores, Logans of Cloughmills.History
The industrial heritage of the village can be seen from the old linenLinen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
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.
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.
The Troubles
- On 12 Ferbruary 1977 off duty Royal Ulster ConstabularyRoyal Ulster ConstabularyThe Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) member was Samuel McKane was killed by the Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) outside his home in Cloughmills.
- On 14 March 1978, Provisional Irish Republican ArmyProvisional Irish Republican ArmyThe Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) masked gunmen planted two explosive devices at the Cloughmills Cooperative Society and Spar supermarket complex. The gunmen fired two shots in the air and escaped by car. The homemade explosive devices exploded causing minor structural damage and starting a fire which destroyed the interior.
Transport
Cloughmills has good road links to Ballymoney and Ballymena and is located a short distance east of the A26A26 road (Northern Ireland)
The A26 is a road in Northern Ireland. It travels in a North-South direction from Coleraine, County Londonderry to Banbridge, County Down.The road is a primary route between Coleraine and its junction with the M1, and a secondary route between Lurgan and Banbridge...
key transport corridor. However, it has limited public transport connections.
Education
- Cloughmills Primary School
- St Brigid's Primary School
Religion
- Killagan Church of IrelandChurch of IrelandThe Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
Parish Church is just outside the village. - Cloughmills Free PresbyterianFree Presbyterian Church of UlsterThe Free Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian denomination founded by the Rev. Ian Paisley in 1951. Most of its members live in Northern Ireland...
Church. - Cloughmills Reformed Presbyterian Church.
- Ballyweaney PresbyterianPresbyterianismPresbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
Church. - Church of the Sacred Heart.(Roman Catholic)
Notable people
Notable people from Cloughmills include:- Stumpy McCloskey – a singer and violin player. McCloskey played in many traditional music festivals throughout Ireland.
- Samuel Robinson – Emigrated to America in 1888 and became a successful multi-million dollar businessman. Robinson settled in Philadelphia and founded the American Stores Company (more commonly known as the acronym ACME). He built the Robinson Memorial Hospital in Ballymoney in 1933 in memory of his late parents.
Demographics
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:- 24.1% were aged under 16 years and 16.2% were aged 60 and over
- 49.4% of the population were male and 50.7% were female
- 36.6% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 61.9% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 3.6% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed