Castlewellan
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 Castlewellan village, from the "Peace Maze" | |
  Location withinCounty Down | |
| Population | 2,782 (2011 census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CASTLEWELLAN |
| Postcode district | BT31 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
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Castlewellan (from Irish Caisleán Uidhilín 'Hugelin's Castle') is a small town inCounty Down, in the south-east ofNorthern Ireland close to theIrish Sea. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, 11 miles (18 km) southwest ofDownpatrick. It lies between theMourne Mountains andSlieve Croob. It had a population of 2,782 people in the2011 census.[1]
Castlewellan has a wide main street which runs through two main squares lined with chestnut trees. The town was designed by a French architect for theAnnesley family. The Annesley family did not always own the land as they bought it from the Maginess family, then owners of what is now Castlewellan Christian Conference Centre andCastlewellan Forest Park. Castlewellan is unique within Ireland due to its tree-lined squares both in the old town (upper square) and new town (lower square) as well as its very wide main street.[citation needed] The old market house in the upper square was built in 1764 and now houses the public library.[2]
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Evidence of ancient settlement in the area includes the Drumena Cashel - a small stone-built farmstead enclosure (orcashel) from theEarly Christian period. It is 2 miles (3 km) south west of Castlewellan off the A25 road toRathfriland.[3][4] Within the cashel walls is anIron Age undergroundsouterrain. Also nearby isLegannany Dolmen, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) to the north near the village ofLeitrim, on the slopes ofSlieve Croob.[5]Goward Dolmen is a megalithic monument 2 miles (3.2 km) from Hilltown on the road to Castlewellan. The huge granite capstone of this structure has slipped from its original horizontal position.[6]
12 July 1849 saw theDolly's Brae conflict. Up to 1400 armedOrangemen marched fromRathfriland toTollymore Park near Castlewellan,County Down. On their homeward journey, shots were fired and police were unable to control the situation. None of the Orangemen were harmed, but it was estimated that about 80 Catholics were killed and homes burnt.[7]
Castlewellan Castle, a Scottish baronial castle of 1856, Castlewellan Lake in what is now Castlewellan Forest Park. The castle is now used as a privately run Christian conference centre, and is not generally open to the public.[citation needed]
According to theSunday Times Insight Team, the entire village (the population then was given as 819) was bound over to keep the peace for a year in 1953 after disorder at anOrange walk.[8]
A number of incidents occurred in Castlewellan duringthe Troubles. For example, in January 1980, three members of theUlster Defence Regiment were killed in aProvisional Irish Republican Army land mine attack on their mobile patrol near Castlewellan. Those killed included James Cochrane (21, a Catholic), Robert Smyth (18, a Protestant), and Richard Wilson (21, a Protestant).[9]
Castlewellan has historically been anIrish Republican town.[citation needed] In 2016, a large Republican commemoration of the1916 Rising was held in the town.[10] A march, commemorating the1981 hunger strikes, was also held there in 2018.[11]
Throughout the course of the Troubles, the area had a significant paramilitary presence, mostly involvingProvisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) activity.[citation needed] In 2009, theReal Irish Republican Army claimed responsibility a car bomb which had been abandoned in the area.[12]
Castlewellan Forest Park and Castlewellan Lake are situated to the northwest of the village. The arboretum in the park was begun in 1740 and contains plants and trees from several different countries, including Spain, Mexico and Wales;[13] the 'Castlewellan Gold' form ofLeyland Cypress – originating from a single mutant tree in the arboretum and widely propagated from the 1970s – was selected by the park director, John Keown, being first namedCupressus macrocarpa Keownii, 1963.[14] The Peace Maze was constructed in the park between 2000 and 2001. Until 2007 it was the longest permanent hedge maze in the world.[15]
Schools serving the Castlewellan area include:[citation needed]
Castlewellan railway station was opened on 24 March 1906 by theGreat Northern Railway of Ireland, but closed on 2 May 1955.[19]
Trains used to connectNewcastle and Belfast via Lisburn.
The Celtic Fusion International Musical Arts Festival was held annually in the town for a number of years, starting in 2002.[20]
TheSoma Festival is an annual festival held in the town since 2013. It is a festival oflive music, family,well-being,food anddrink.[citation needed]
The localGaelic Athletic Association club,Castlewellan GAC, is based in the village.[citation needed] Other local sports clubs include theassociation football (soccer) club, Castlewellan Town FC.[21] Kilmegan Amateur Boxing Club is situated in the outskirts of the town and takes its name from the town's parish name.[citation needed]
Castlewellan lake plays host to theQueen's Regatta, and formerly hosted the annual Irish University Rowing Championships.[citation needed] Castlewellan Forest Park hosted the All British Open Field Archery Championships in May 2011.[citation needed]
Castlewellan is classified as an intermediate settlement by theNorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with a population between 2,500 and 4,999 people).[22]On the day of the2011 census (27 March 2011), the usually resident population of Castlewellan was 2,782, accounting for 0.15% of the NI total.[1] Of these:
In the 2001 census, Castlewellan was also classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)[23] (i.e. with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people).On that census day (29 April 2001), there were 2,392 people living in Castlewellan. Of these:
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