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Rathfriland
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  Rathfriland Location withinCounty Down | |
| Population | 2,467 (2011 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWRY |
| Postcode district | BT34 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
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| NI Assembly | |
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Rathfriland (fromIrishRáth Fraoileann, meaning 'ringfort of Fraoile')[1] is a markettown inCounty Down,Northern Ireland. It is 8 miles (13 km) north-east ofNewry town centre.
In older documents written in English, the town's name was usually speltRathfylan orRathfrilan.[2] It was once the capital of theMagennis family, theGaelic lords ofIveagh. They builta castle there in the late 16th century.[3] The ruins (south gable 30 by 25 feet (9.1 m × 7.6 m)) may still be seen on the hill upon which Rathfriland sits. It was a square building of 3-4 storeys with a stone barrel vault on the ground floor to lessen the risk of fire. The castle was battered down during theIrish Confederate Wars and much of the remainder was carried off by William Hawkins of London, the first Protestant landowner there after the war. The stones were used to build the Town Inn (the building of which still stands on the corner of The Square and Newry Street) and other houses in the village.[3] In 1760 the Market House, which dominates the main square, was built for the linen market by Miss Theodosia McGill. An old map of 1776 prepared for the Meade Estate shows streets, lanes, tenements and gardens forming the early village.[citation needed]
A clock-facedwar memorial stands in the square on the southeastern side. To this day, the names Meade, Maginess and Hawkins live on in Rathfriland, most notably in Iveagh Primary School where the three surnames are the name of the 'sporting houses' or teams and are used on sports day.
Rathfriland lies inCounty Down, thebaronies ofIveagh Lower, Lower Half andIveagh Upper, Upper Half, the townlands of Rossconor and Lessize, the district electoral area of Knockiveagh, and the civil parishes ofDrumballyroney andDrumgath.
Primary schools in the area include Iveagh Primary School (a coeducational primary school that educates around 350 pupils aged from 3 to 11) and St Mary's Primary School.[citation needed]
Rathfriland High School is a local secondary school.
Rathfriland was served byBallyroney railway station, only a few miles away. Goods and passengers were transported from the station to the village. The formerGNR (I) line between Banbridge and Newcastle was shut down in 1955 by theUTA.[4]
Translink now operates daily services between Rathfriland and Banbridge, Newry and Newcastle.
Rathfriland Rangers F.C. playassociation football in theNIFL Premier Intermediate League.
Other sporting clubs include:
Rathfriland is classified as a village by theNorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).[5] On census day (2021) there were 2,490 people living in Rathfriland.[6] Of these:40% were from a Catholic background,29% were from a Presbyterian background,8% were from a Church of Ireland background,<1% Methodist,Other Christian religions9%,Other religions1%,No religion/Not stated13%[7]
The town has had its own newspaper (The Outlook) since 1940.
Notable people with local connections include:
This article contains quotations from this source, which is available under theOpen Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright.| International | |
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