Kilrea
Encyclopedia
Kilrea is a village and townland
in County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. It is near the River Bann
, which marks the boundary between County Londonderry and County Antrim
. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 1,513 people.
Kilrea and the surrounding townlands were gifted to the Worshipful Company of Mercers
by James I
. Their headquarters in Ulster were at nearby Movanagher on the banks of the River Bann. Today Kilrea is a market town and commercial centre of the surrounding district. The village is centred around 'The Diamond' which includes the town's War Memorial erected in honour of Kilrea men killed in the Great War
. The village is featured in the Orange
song, Sprigs of Kilrea. It is also mentioned in the song Kitty the rose of Kilrea by The Irish Rover band.
. It is the focal point of the annual summer cross-community festival in the town.
For more details see the Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service
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...
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, 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 River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...
, which marks the boundary between County Londonderry and 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...
. 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....
it had a population of 1,513 people.
History
There is a tradition that St Patrick visited the area during the fifth century, a story repeated recently in the book 'The Fairy Thorn' produced by Kilrea local historians. During the Plantation of UlsterPlantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
Kilrea and the surrounding townlands were gifted to the Worshipful Company of Mercers
Worshipful Company of Mercers
The Worshipful Company of Mercers is the premier Livery Company of the City of London and ranks first in order of precedence. It is the first of the so-called "Great Twelve City Livery Companies". It was incorporated under a Royal Charter in 1394...
by James I
James I
James I may refer to:* King James I of Aragon * King James I of Sicily , also King James II of Aragon* James I, Count of La Marche , Count of Ponthieu...
. Their headquarters in Ulster were at nearby Movanagher on the banks of the River Bann. Today Kilrea is a market town and commercial centre of the surrounding district. The village is centred around 'The Diamond' which includes the town's War Memorial erected in honour of Kilrea men killed in the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The village is featured in the Orange
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
song, Sprigs of Kilrea. It is also mentioned in the song Kitty the rose of Kilrea by The Irish Rover band.
Festival of the Fairy Thorn
A feature of Kilrea is its 'Fairy Thorn' tree in the grounds of First Kilrea Presbyterian ChurchFirst Kilrea Presbyterian Church
First Kilrea Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian congregation in the village of Kilrea, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The church is part of the Presbytery of Coleraine and Limavady.- History :...
. It is the focal point of the annual summer cross-community festival in the town.
People
- Martin O'NeillMartin O'NeillMartin Hugh Michael O'Neill, OBE, is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.Until resigning the post on 9 August 2010, he was manager of Aston Villa. Starting his career in his native Northern Ireland, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham...
- Hannah Shields, second Irish woman to climb Mount EverestMount EverestMount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
. - John DallatJohn DallatJohn Dallat is an Irish politician.He attended Coleraine College of Further Education, the North West College of Further and Higher Education, the University of Ulster and University College, Galway before becoming a teacher of business studies.Dallat joined the Social Democratic and Labour Party...
, first nationalist mayor of the Borough of Coleraine - Monica McWilliamsMonica McWilliamsMonica McWilliams is a Northern Ireland academic and former politician. From 2005 to 2011 she served as the second Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission....
Sport
- Kilrea Angling Club
- Kilrea Camogie Club
- Kilrea Golf Club
- Kilrea Pádraig Pearses GACKilrea GACPádraig Pearse's GAC Kilrea is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Kilrea, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for both Gaelic football and Camogie...
- Kilrea United Football Club
- Manor Golf and Sports Club
Education
- Kilrea Primary SchoolKilrea Primary SchoolKilrea Primary School is a controlled primary school located in the village of Kilrea near Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is within the North Eastern Education and Library Board area. The student numbers range between 90-100...
- St Columba's Primary School
- St Paul's College
- Crossroads Primary School
Religion
- Boveedy Presbyterian Church
- First Kilrea Presbyterian ChurchFirst Kilrea Presbyterian ChurchFirst Kilrea Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian congregation in the village of Kilrea, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The church is part of the Presbytery of Coleraine and Limavady.- History :...
- Kilrea Baptist Church
- Second Kilrea Presbyterian Church
- St Anne's Roman Catholic Church
- St Patrick's Church of Ireland
- Drumagarner Roman Catholic Church
2001 Census
Kilrea 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 1,513 people living in Kilrea. Of these:- 27.0% were aged under 16 years and 16.7% were aged 60 and over
- 49.0% of the population were male and 51.0% were female
- 69.3% 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 29.8% 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 - 5.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
For more details see the Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service