Poyntzpass
Encyclopedia
Poyntzpass is a village
on the border between County Armagh
and County Down
in Northern Ireland
. It is within the Armagh City and District Council
area. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1987 people.
The village covers the townland
s of Tullynacross, Brannock, Federnagh and Loughadian. It includes five places of Christian
worship; a Roman Catholic Church, a Church of Ireland
Church, a Presbyterian Church, a Baptist
Church, and an Independent Church; 3 public houses; and 2 primary (elementary) schools.
to Carlingford Lough
, following the course of a prehistoric glacial overflow channel from which it derives the second half of its name. The first half derives from Colonel Charles Poyntz.
The pass which gave name to the town is on a major route southwards and was named after Lieutenant Charles Poyntz from Gloucestershire
who defended it against Hugh O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone
in 1598.
From "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland" by Samuel Lewis, 1837:
A castle was once situated in Poyntzpass. Its remnants were visible until the middle of the 19th century, but there is now no trace of it other than in ‘Castle Corner’ the name by which a corner of William Street is sometimes known.
The Troubles
For more information see The Troubles in Poyntzpass
, which includes a list of incidents in Poyntzpass during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
, first recipient of the Victoria Cross
was born and grew up nearby.
The local Gaelic football
team is named the O'Hanlons after 17th century rapparee
, and Poyntzpass native, Redmond O'Hanlon
.
Irish international rugby players Simon
and Rory Best
are from the village.
-Dublin railway line, and has a Northern Ireland Railways
railway station. Poyntzpass railway station
was opened on 6 January 1862..
The Newry Canal
which flows through Poyntzpass follows the Armagh/Down border and was one of the first major canals to be constructed in Britain or Ireland. However, it never really fulfilled its promise to bring industry and prosperity and is long since derelict. Its summit level is one mile (1.6km) from the village at Acton Lake (Lough Shark).
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...
on the border between County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
and County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
in 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 within the Armagh City and District Council
Armagh City and District Council
Armagh City and District Council is a district council in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. It includes the city of Armagh, as well as the surrounding area and its population is about 54,000. City status was officially conferred in 1995...
area. In the 2001 census it had a population of 1987 people.
The village covers 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...
s of Tullynacross, Brannock, Federnagh and Loughadian. It includes five places of Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
worship; a Roman Catholic Church, a Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The 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...
Church, a Presbyterian Church, a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church, and an Independent Church; 3 public houses; and 2 primary (elementary) schools.
Demography
On Census Day 29 April 2001 the resident population of Poyntzpass ward was 2197. Of this population:- 24.0% were under 16 years old and 19.5% were aged 60 and above;
- 50.4% of the population were male and 49.6% were female; and
- 26.6% were from a Catholic Community Background and 71.9% were from a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' Community Background.
History
Historically, it is one of a few crossing points across a marsh stretching 25 miles (40.2 km) from Lough NeaghLough 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...
to Carlingford Lough
Carlingford Lough
Carlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet that forms part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down and on its southern shore is County Louth...
, following the course of a prehistoric glacial overflow channel from which it derives the second half of its name. The first half derives from Colonel Charles Poyntz.
The pass which gave name to the town is on a major route southwards and was named after Lieutenant Charles Poyntz from Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
who defended it against Hugh O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone
Hugh O'Neill, 3rd Earl of Tyrone
Aodh Mór Ó Néill, anglicised as Hugh The Great O'Neill , was the 2nd or 3rd Earl of Tyrone and was later created The Ó Néill...
in 1598.
From "Topographical Dictionary of Ireland" by Samuel Lewis, 1837:
"POYNTZPASS, or FENWICK'S PASS, a small town, partly in the parish of AGHADERG, barony of UPPER IVEAGH, county of DOWN, but chiefly in the parish of BALLYMORE barony of LOWER ORIOR, county of ARMAGH and province of ULSTER , 2¾ miles (S.W.) from Loughbrickland, to which it has a penny post; containing 660 inhabitants, of which number, 88 are in the county of Down. This place was formerly an encumbered pass through bogs and woods, from the county of Down into that of Armagh, and from the O'Hanlons' to the Magennises' country: it derives its present name from this important military position having been forced, after a desperate action, by Lieut. Poyntz, of the English armyEnglish ArmyThe English Army existed while England was an independent state and was at war with other states, but it was not until the Interregnum and the New Model Army that England acquired a peace time professional standing army...
, with a few troops, against a numerous body of Tyrone's soldiers, for which service he was rewarded with a grant of 500 acres [2 km²] in this barony: there are some remains of the castle which formerly commanded the pass. At Drumbanagher are vestiges of the entrenchment surrounding the principal strong hold of the Earl of TyroneEarl of TyroneThe Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.It was first created as part of the Tudor attempt to establish a uniform social structure in Ireland by converting the Gaelic kings and chiefs into hereditary nobles of the Kingdom of Ireland...
, during his wars with Queen ElizabethElizabeth I of EnglandElizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, called Tyrone's Ditches. Poyntz-Pass is now one of the most fertile and beautiful spots in this part of the country. To the south is Drumbanagher Castle, the handsome residence of Lieut.-Col. Maxwell Close, built in the ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
style, with a large portico in front; on an eminence above the town is Acton House, the elegant residence of C. R. Dobbs, Esq.; not far from which is Union Lodge, that of W. Fivey, Esq., in a beautiful demesne, bounded by the extensive waters of Lough Shark. That portion of the town which is in the county of Armagh was built about 1790, by Mr. Stewart, then proprietor, who procured for it a grant of a market and fairs; the former was never established, but the latter, held on the first Saturday in every month, are large and well attended, great numbers of cattle and sheep being sold. The town comprises 116 houses in one principal street, intersected by a shorter one. It contains the church for the district of ActonActon, County ArmaghActon is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, about a half mile north of Poyntzpass. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 78 people...
, a small neat edifice in the early EnglishEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
style, with a tower at the east front, built in 1789, and considerably enlarged and improved in 1829; a R. C. chapel, a school, and a constabulary police station."
A castle was once situated in Poyntzpass. Its remnants were visible until the middle of the 19th century, but there is now no trace of it other than in ‘Castle Corner’ the name by which a corner of William Street is sometimes known.
The TroublesThe TroublesThe Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
For more information see The Troubles in PoyntzpassThe Troubles in Poyntzpass
The Troubles in Poyntzpass recounts incidents during, and the effects of, The Troubles in Poyntzpass, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.Incidents in Poyntzpass during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities:-1998:...
, which includes a list of incidents in Poyntzpass during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
People
Charles Davis LucasCharles Davis Lucas
Charles Davis Lucas VC was an Irish born officer of the Royal Navy and the first recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
, first recipient of the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
was born and grew up nearby.
The local Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
team is named the O'Hanlons after 17th century rapparee
Rapparee
Rapparees were Irish guerrilla fighters who operated on the Jacobite side during the 1690s Williamite war in Ireland. Subsequently the name was also given to bandits and highwaymen in Ireland - many former guerrillas having turned to crime after the war was over...
, and Poyntzpass native, Redmond O'Hanlon
Redmond O'Hanlon (outlaw)
Redmond O'Hanlon was a 17th-century Irish tóraidhe or rapparee , and an important figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1641.- Early life :...
.
Irish international rugby players Simon
Simon Best
Simon Best is a former Irish rugby union footballer. He played for Ulster and was club captain in Ulster's 2005/06 Magners League winning season...
and Rory Best
Rory Best
Rory Best from Poyntzpass is an Irish rugby union footballer. He plays at the position of Hooker for Ulster and is registered for Banbridge RFC.-Club/Provincial:...
are from the village.
Transport
Poyntzpass straddles the main BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
-Dublin railway line, and has a Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
railway station. Poyntzpass railway station
Poyntzpass railway station
Poyntzpass railway station serves Poyntzpass in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The station was opened on 6 January 1862. It was closed by the Ulster Transport Authority in 1965, and reopened in 1984 by Northern Ireland Railways.- Service :...
was opened on 6 January 1862..
The Newry Canal
Newry Canal
The Newry Canal, located in Northern Ireland, was built to link the Tyrone coalfields to the Irish Sea at Carlingford Lough near Newry.-History:...
which flows through Poyntzpass follows the Armagh/Down border and was one of the first major canals to be constructed in Britain or Ireland. However, it never really fulfilled its promise to bring industry and prosperity and is long since derelict. Its summit level is one mile (1.6km) from the village at Acton Lake (Lough Shark).
Education
- Poyntzpass Primary School
- St. Joseph and St.James's Primary School
External links
- Poyntzpass Silver Band
- Redmond O'Hanlons Cumann Lúthchleas Gael
- 'From Ireland' © Jane Lyons, Dublin, Ireland
- Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland.
- The Meeting Place - Poyntzpass Community Centre.
See also
- List of villages in Northern Ireland
- List of towns in Northern Ireland