Toome
Encyclopedia
Toome or Toom is a small village
and townland
on the northwest corner of Lough Neagh
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 722.
, a Presbyterian radical, was a local of the parish in which the village of Toome is included: Duneane. He fought in the 1798 United Irishmen rebellion against British monarchical rule in Ireland but was captured. He was executed on Good Friday
, 1800 "near the bridge of Toome", which had been partially destroyed by rebels in 1798 to prevent the arrival of reinforcements from west of the River Bann
. His body was then dissected by the British and buried under the road that went from Belfast to Derry until the mid-19th century, when he was dug up and given a proper burial in an unmarked grave. A memorial in honour of McCorley now stands in Toome as you enter the village from County Londonderry
.
On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 722 people living in Toome. Of these:
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
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...
and 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...
on the northwest corner 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...
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...
. 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 722.
History
Roddy McCorleyRoddy McCorley
Roddy McCorley was a United Irishman and a participant in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.-Life:...
, a Presbyterian radical, was a local of the parish in which the village of Toome is included: Duneane. He fought in the 1798 United Irishmen rebellion against British monarchical rule in Ireland but was captured. He was executed on Good Friday
Good Friday
Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...
, 1800 "near the bridge of Toome", which had been partially destroyed by rebels in 1798 to prevent the arrival of reinforcements from west of 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...
. His body was then dissected by the British and buried under the road that went from Belfast to Derry until the mid-19th century, when he was dug up and given a proper burial in an unmarked grave. A memorial in honour of McCorley now stands in Toome as you enter the village from 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...
.
Economy
- The largest industry in Toome is eelEelEels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
fishing, supplying the European market. The eels come from the Sargasso SeaSargasso SeaThe Sargasso Sea is a region in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents. It is bounded on the west by the Gulf Stream; on the north, by the North Atlantic Current; on the east, by the Canary Current; and on the south, by the North Atlantic Equatorial Current. This...
in the Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to Lough Neagh to mate. The eel fisheries have been commemorated in a number of poems by 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...
. - Within the last century mining for diatomiteDiatomaceous earthDiatomaceous earth also known as diatomite or kieselgur/kieselguhr, is a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. It has a particle size ranging from less than 1 micrometre to more than 1 millimetre, but typically 10 to...
has developed as extensive deposits of diatomite are found in the Toome area. This mineral was used as an absorbent for geligniteGeligniteGelignite, also known as blasting gelatin or simply jelly, is an explosive material consisting of collodion-cotton dissolved in either nitroglycerine or nitroglycol and mixed with wood pulp and saltpetre .It was invented in 1875 by Alfred Nobel, who had earlier invented dynamite...
and for toothpasteToothpasteToothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush as an accessory to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it serves as an abrasive that aids in removing the dental plaque and food from the teeth, assists in suppressing...
.
People
- Motorcycle road racersRoad racingRoad racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
MichaelMichael LavertyMichael Laverty is a motorcycle racer from Toomebridge, Northern Ireland. He is the 2007 British Supersport Champion, and has raced regularly in British Superbikes, plus occasional races in the World Supersport series and in American AMA Superbike Racing...
, JohnJohn LavertyFor the US Navy Medal of Honour winner, see John LaffertyJohn Laverty is a Northern Irish motorcycle racer from Toomebridge, Northern Ireland . He was champion of the Cup class of the British Superbike Championship in 2008. His older brother Michael and younger brother Eugene are both also notable...
and EugeneEugene LavertyEugene Laverty is a professional motorcycle road racer, the brother of Michael and John. In 2008 he has competed in both the 250cc World Championship and the World Supersport series, he went on to be runner up in the World Supersport Championship in both 2009 and the 2010 seasons.In 2011 he moved...
Laverty are from Toome. - Willie John McBrideWillie John McBrideWilliam James McBride, MBE, better known as Willie John McBride is a former rugby union footballer who played as a lock for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. He played 63 Tests for Ireland including eleven as captain, and toured with the Lions five times — a record that gave him 17...
, world famous Rugby UnionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player, is a native of Toome but now lives in BallyclareBallyclareBallyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,770 people in the 2001 Census...
.
Transport
- Toome had long been a bottleneck to traffic on the main BelfastBelfastBelfast 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...
to DerryDerryDerry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
road route. Construction of a bypass began in May 2002 and was completed in March 2004, shortening journey times and relieving congestion in the village. - Toome railway station was opened on 10 November 1856, shut for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950 and shut altogether on 1 October 1959.
2001 Census
Toome is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 500 and 1,000 people).On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 722 people living in Toome. Of these:
- 27.2% were aged under 16 years and 10.9% were aged 60 and over
- 48.8% of the population were male and 51.3% were female
- 96.3% 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 2.9% 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 - 6.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
External links
- River Bann, Ireland - Toome visitor information
- Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland.