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For other towns of this name, see Cookstown (disambiguation). Cookstown may refer to either of the following Cookstown, County Tyrone Northern Ireland Cookstown Ontario, Canada
Cookstown
Scots: Cookestoun
Irish: An Chorr Chríochach

Image:Cookstown crest.jpg
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Cookstown (Northern Ireland)
Cookstown

Cookstown shown within Northern Ireland
Population 10646 (2001 Census)
Irish grid reference H8178
 - Belfast 45 miles
District Cookstown
County County Tyrone
Constituent country Northern Ireland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town COOKSTOWN
Postcode district BT80
Dialling code 028
Police Northern Ireland
Fire Northern Ireland
Ambulance Northern Ireland
European Parliament Northern Ireland
UK Parliament Mid Ulster
NI Assembly Mid Ulster
Website: http://www.cookstown.gov.uk
List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Tyrone

Coordinates: 54°38′49″N 6°44′42″W / 54.647, -6.745

Cookstown (An Chorr Chríochach in Irish) is a town in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Scots ( The Scots leid) refers to Anglic varieties derived from early northern Middle English spoken in parts of Scotland and Northern Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 The Irish grid reference system is a system of geographic Grid references commonly used in Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes Cookstown District Council ( Irish: Comhairle Ceantair na Coirre Críochaí, Ulster Scots: Districk Cooncil o Cookestoun) is a district council Northern Ireland is one of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom. Constituent country is a phrase used often by official institutions in contexts in which a country makes up a part of a larger entity or grouping Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of This list of sovereign states, alphabetically arranged gives an overview of States around the world with information on the extent of their Sovereignty. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system UK Postal codes are known as postcodes. UK postcodes are Alphanumeric. The BT postcode area, also known as the Belfast postcode area covers Northern Ireland and was the last part of the United Kingdom to be coded The UK Telephone numbering plan, also known as the National Telephone Numbering Plan, is the system used for assigning Telephone numbers in the United There are a number of law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the Police service that covers Northern Ireland. The fire service in the United Kingdom operates under separate legislative and administrative arrangements in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS is the Statutory fire and rescue service for Northern Ireland, United Kingdom The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS is the Ambulance service that serves the whole of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is a Constituency of the European Parliament. This is a list of the 646 constituencies currently represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as at the 2005 general election Mid Ulster is a Parliamentary Constituency in the British House of Commons. The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved Mid Ulster is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. A Gazetteer of place names in the United Kingdom showing each place's County, Unitary authority or council area and its geographical coordinates List of places --> List of settlements in Northern Ireland &mdashdata from the 2001 Census This is a list of cities, Towns Villages and hamlets in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. A town is a type of settlement ranging from a few to several thousand (occasionally hundreds of thousands inhabitants although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of It is the fourth largest town in the county (next to Omagh, Strabane and Dungannon respectively) and has a population of 10,646 people (in the 2001 Census). Omagh (pronounced /'omæ/) is the County town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen Strabane (strəˈbæn Irish, An Srath Bán, Fair River Valley or White Strand is a Town in the west of County Tyrone and the north-west of Dungannon ( is a Town in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. It is the third largest town in the County (next to Omagh and Strabane A nationwide Census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 29 April 2001 It was founded in 1609 by Alan Cooke during the Plantation of Ulster. The Plantation of Ulster (Irish Plandáil Uladh) was a planned process of Colonisation which took place in the northern Irish province of Ulster It was one of the main centres of the linen industry. Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. A working linen mill can still be seen at Wellbrook Beetling Mill outside Cookstown.

Cookstown's main street, known as the One Mile Street, is the longest, widest and deepest in Ireland. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world [1]

Contents

Places of interest

The main street, looking north. Slieve Gallion is in the background
The main street, looking north. Slieve Gallion is in the background

Cookstown's main street hosts an open air market each Saturday.

The annual Cookstown 100 National Road Race is a motorbiking event attended by many motorbiking enthusiasts. It is the opening race of the road racing calander in Ireland and is usually held in April.

Ardboe High Cross and Abbey (Irish: Seanchrois Ard Bó agus Ministir Naomh Colmán), one of the best examples of a 9th/10th century High cross in Ireland is 10 miles from Cookstown. Ardboe High Cross ( Irish: Seanchrois Ard Bó) is one of the finest examples of the Irish High cross in Ulster, and is situated in Ardboe High Cross is the name of a number of locations in the United Kingdom England High Cross Cambridgeshire High Cross 22 panels illustrate stories from the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin

Other ancient sites nearby include Beaghmore stone circles and Tullyhogue Fort, the crowning place of the kings of Tyrone (Tir Eogain), the O'Neills. A stone circle is an ancient monument Such a monument is not always precisely circular and often forms an ellipse or a setting of four stones laid on an arc of a circle Tullyhogue Fort ( Gaelic Telach Oc – Hill of Youth or Mound of the Young Warriors is large mound on the outskirts of the village of Tullyhogue near Destroyed in 1602, the fort was salvaged to some degree in 1964, when the site was cleared and presented. Though none of the original buildings remains, the unusual layout (raised inner mounds, but no outer defensive ditch) is still clearly visible.

The Donaghrisk walled cemetery to the southwest of (and clearly visible from) the fort is the resting place of the O'Hagans, the chief justices of Tyrone (and as such, they presided over the crowning ceremonies of the O'Neills).

Lissan House lies on the outskirts of Cookstown. Lissan House is a historic house and tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. It is a huge structure of little architectural beauty but enormous historical significance and was, until the death of its last inhabitant, Hazel Radclyffe Dolling (daughter of the 13th Baronet of Lissan, Sir Robert George Alexander Staples), in 2006, the oldest domestic dwelling in Ireland continually inhabited by one family. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world From outside it rather resembles a large industrial building and was not helped by the insertion of steel framed plate glass windows in the early twentieth century. Flat glass, sheet glass, or plate glass is a type of Glass, initially produced in plane form commonly used for Windows glass doors transparent The entrance front is dominated by a gargantuan porte cochere built in about 1830 complete with coachman’s rooms. A porte-cochere ( French porte-cochère, literally "coach door" also called a carriage porch) is the architectural Inside, one is immediately stuck with the appearance of the bizarre and gargantuan oak staircase which rises from the stone flagged entrance hall the full height of the building. This was constructed by a local carpenter from the remnants of a rare seventeenth century staircase which collapsed (along with the floors between it) as a result of dry rot in the 1880’s and is quite unique, having flights springing at every conceivable angle (some of which go nowhere) and going to every conceivable nook of the house. The other most notable feature of the house is its grandly dignified octagonal ball room added by Sir Thomas Staples (Queen's Advocate in Ireland) in about 1830 with its fine if rather restrained neo-classical plasterwork, Dublin chimneypiece and carved door frames. Her Majesty's Advocate (or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Advocate) known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh is the chief legal officer of the Scottish The house currently lies empty, its contents in storage, but a Trust was established on the death of Mrs. Radclyffe Dolling to oversee the restoration of the house and its development into accommodation and conference facilities.

Killymoon Castle is about 1. Killymoon Castle is a castle situated about one mile (16 km south east of Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland on the north bank of the Ballinderry 5 kilometres (1 mile) south east of Cookstown. This imposing structure is Cookstown's finest piece of architectural heritage. It was built in just over a year at a cost of £80,000 and was Nash's first Irish Commission. It is two stories high and has two large towers to the East and West, one circular the other (slightly lower) octagonal. Parts of the original castle were retained and its former Chapel became Nash's library. Inside the dramatic entrance porte cochere can be found a stunning return staircase leading to the octagonal drawing room and oval dining room. A porte-cochere ( French porte-cochère, literally "coach door" also called a carriage porch) is the architectural The Stewarts sold the castle in 1852 and, after passing though the hands of some 6 owners, it was sold for the final time in 1922 to a local farmer for the princely sum of £100. The same family retains it to this day.

In 1868, Viscount Stuart (later the Fifth Earl of Castlestuart) married Augusta Richardson-Brady, heiress to the Oaklands estate on the outskirts of town. Immediately upon the marriage, Lord Stuart set about reconstructing Oaklands into the splendidly camp Tudor revival Drum Manor. This fine battlemented sandstone structure once had a tall tower to the East near the entrance front which was dominated by a gargantuan entrance portal surmounted by a large tracery window which contained some splendid Victorian armorial stained glass. Tracery is a series of intersecting ribs used in Gothic architecture, especially windows and in the Perpendicular Gothic style vaulting. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities A Roll of Arms (or armorial) is a collection of coats of arms which may be recorded in a variety of ways written ( blazon) painted drawn or carved Lord Stuart was also responsible for setting out the formal gardens and Demesne which survive to this day (in varying states on disarray). Drum Manor was, until 1980, the finest example of its type in the Cookstown District. In that year, Lord Stuart's grandson sold the estate to the Forestry Commission who set out the fine woodland habitat that exists there today. The Forestry Commission (established in 1919 is a Non-ministerial government department responsible for Forestry in Great Britain. However, in an attempt to avoid incurring Rates liability, the Commission tragically decided to demolish the Manor. Rates ( pron 'Ratɨʃ is a Portuguese parish and town located in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim. Today, Drum Manor Forest Park is one of Cookstown District's largest tourist attractions (complete with the highest-rated caravan site in the District) but the Manor lies forlorn, only its ground floor and tower surviving. Inside, where once there was a vivid collection of gothic carved wood, mosaic and stained glass, today exists a ghastly overgrown and totally incongruous faux-Japanese garden. Only the Manor's two pretty gate lodges remain intact to hint at the former grandeur of the estate.

Cookstown also boasts two very fine examples of nineteenth century ecclesiastical architecture. Ecclesiology (from Greek grc ἐκκλησίᾱ ekklēsiā, "congregation church" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study of the The first, St Luran's Church of Ireland Church on Church Street is thought to have been originally constructed in 1822 by John Nash and certainly plans for the church exist in his hand. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. John Nash may refer to John Forbes Nash (born 1928 American mathematician Nobel laureate subject of the book and film titled A Beautiful Mind However, even if Nash's church was completed, at most only the tower and first bay of this structure have survived Victorian extension by the rather dull architect Welland in 1859. Nash's plans show a castellated and battlemented church from which only the tower and spire bear any resemblance to the structure standing today. The interior is an entirely uninspiring and typical Victorian church structure with a chancel arch, hammer beam roof and large sanctuary with sparse but dignified decoration. The second church is J. J. McCarthy's majestic Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity which was constructed between 1855 and 1860 with a soaring tower and spire at the West End. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных It is one of McCarthy's earliest works in which the influence of AWN Pugin is still paramount and the later florid French Gothic of his latter years is nowhere to be seen. The church is constructed in the Early English style with a nave of 5 bays leading to a chancel arch and reduced chancel area beyond. English Gothic is the name of the Architectural style that flourished in England from about 1180 until about 1520 In Romanesque and Gothic Christian Abbey, Cathedral Basilica and church Architecture, the nave is the "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building Until the early 1980's this area was a riot of stenciled decoration, stained glass, mosaic, carved marble and Caen stone, but in 1980 the side altars, marble altar rails, spectacularly carved pulpit, original high altar and Telford Pipe Organ were all ruthlessly torn out and dumped outside the baptistery which was itself cleared of its font and shuttered off. Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic Limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen A pulpit (from Latin pulpitum "scaffold" "platform" "stage" is a small elevated platform where a member of the clergy stands Telford ( ˈtɛlfɚd is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, In Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry ( Latin baptisterium) is the separate centrally-planned structure surrounding the The remaining neo-Gothic stenciling work was painted over and the ceiling stenciled work painted over in pale blue whilst the marble and mosaic floors to the Chancel were carpeted over. The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement which began Only the gargantuan Caen Stone reredos survives (minus its central spire and High Altar) in a somewhat tatty condition behind one of the reclaimed Caen stone and Carrera Marble altars, the front of which bears a carved representation of the Assumption of the Virgin (presumably formerly in the Lady Chapel which would have been to the right of this space). Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic Limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen There are two common meanings of the word reredos. In general architecture the word can mean the back of an open hearth of a fireplace or a screen placed behind a table This article is about the theological concept For the works of art with this title see Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Art and Roman Catholic Marian art. A Lady chapel is a traditional English term for a Chapel inside a Cathedral or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The crowning feature of the church today is the magnificent and utterly titanic Eastern Window. This was designed and manufactured by Hardman of Birmingham (a firm employed and partly run by AWN Pugin) and has representations of the Canonized Bishops and Abbots of the Archdiocese of Armagh around a representation of the Virgin crowned in glory and below a tripartite window representing the constituents of the Holy Trinity. Hardman & Co, otherwise John Hardman Trading Co Ltd, founded 1838 began manufacturing Stained glass in 1844 and has continued to this day as one of the world's Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints The word abbot, meaning Father, is a title given to the head of a Monastery in various traditions including Christianity. In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. The City of Armagh ( is an ancient religious site of worship of both celtic paganism and Christianity and the oldest of the five cities in Northern Ireland, SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных The remaining stained glass is mainly by Mayer of Munich and dates to the end of the nineteenth century (representations can be found of the Holy Family, the revelation of the Sacred Heart, Saint Brigid and Saint Patrick) though there is a very fine Art Deco window showing the Annunciation in the style of Harry Clarke in the former Lady Chapel (now a seating area). The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and St In Christianity the Annunciation ( grc Ευαγγελισμός της Θεοτόκου, Evangelismós tēs Theotókou in Greek) is the revelation Harry Clarke ( March 17, 1889 –1931 was an Irish Stained glass artist and book illustrator A Lady chapel is a traditional English term for a Chapel inside a Cathedral or large church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Much of this glass has very recently been damaged and it is particularly distressing to see one of the lower panels of the spectacular Hardman window (unique in Ireland) with a large hole present.

Politics

In elections for the Westminster Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly it is part of the Mid Ulster constituency. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish: Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann, Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann Semmlie) is the devolved

The local authority, Cookstown District Council, was established in 1973, and includes part of County Londonderry, notably the villages of Moneymore, The Loup and Ballyronan. Cookstown District Council ( Irish: Comhairle Ceantair na Coirre Críochaí, Ulster Scots: Districk Cooncil o Cookestoun) is a district council Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Moneymore is also the name of a farming district near Milton New Zealand. The Loup ( An Lúb) is the name of a small village and the surrounding area in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, in the Roman Catholic parish of Ardtrea Ballyronan ( is a Village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on the shores of Lough Neagh.

History

Evidence of settlement in the Cookstown area dates back to around 3200 BC but the real history of the town only began in the Seventeenth Century.

The Plantation of Ulster

When James I acceded the English throne in 1603, he faced financial ruin. James I may refer to James I Count of La Marche (1319-1362 Count of Ponthieu James I of Aragon (1208–1276 Count of Barcelona England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Securing his succession had been an expensive business and his profligate lifestyle had led to the accruement of huge debts to his Scots and English subjects. In an attempt to salve his financial sores whilst at the same time removing the threat of Rebellion among his Irish subjects (especially in Ulster where the old Irish landlords led by the Earl of Tyrone had rebelled unsuccessfully against Elizabeth I), James decided to demise upon his debtors large tracts of land in the northern parts of Ireland. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster The Earl of Tyrone is an Irish Peerage title created several times Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world These lands had formally been in the possession of Rebellious Irish landlords who had fled the country after the failure of Tyrone's rebellion of 1607. The demise of land was usually made on condition that the lands be developed and made profitable. The wholesale plantation of Ulster began in earnest in 1609 when hundreds of English and (much more significantly) Scots "undertakers" were granted leases of land in Ulster. The Plantation of Ulster (Irish Plandáil Uladh) was a planned process of Colonisation which took place in the northern Irish province of Ulster Leasing is a process by which a firm can obtain the use of a certain fixed assets for which it must pay a series of contractual periodic tax deductable payments

The lands around the present site of Cookstown had formally been in the hands of the O'Mellan Clan and was broadly known as "Mellanagh". This land was confiscated by James and held to be the property of the Established (Anglican) Church and was thus presented to the Anglican Archbishop of Armagh who was charged with overseeing the settlement of the area. Archbishop of Armagh was the senior prelate in the medieval Irish church In 1620, a small portion was leased by James Stewart (whose successors had a huge impact on the town a century later) and lands around the townland of Cor Criche were leased to an ecclesiastical lawyer, Dr. Cooke, who fulfilled his part of the lease by building 10 houses on the land (today covering the area known as Oldtown), which he stipulated were all to have front gardens (a tradition which until recently remained in place). In 1628, King Charles I of England granted a Patent to Cooke permitting the holding of a weekly market (which still exists to this day). Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. It was thus that "Cooke's Town" was originally founded.

The 1641 Rebellion

In 1641, the native Irish revolted against the Planters in a bloody rebellion. Cookstown, being in the heartland of Ulster insurgency, was abandoned to the rebels who immediately seized the important Iron works at Lios Áine (later Lissan) and the area became a hotbed of activity as pikes and weapons were forged for the rebel cause. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Lissan is a Parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1908 Lissan was one of the first estates in this area to be settled when it was left to Thomas Staples of Yate Court near Bristol in 1610. Bristol ( ˈbrɪstəl is a city, Unitary authority and ceremonial county in South West England, west of London His son Robert Staples constructed a great house on the estate around twenty years later and this structure (though disastrously extended ever since) still survives today. The first settlers of the Lissan Estate did not escape unharmed during the 1641 rebeillion. Lissan is a Parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1908 Sir Thomas' wife and their five children were captured and imprisoned at Moneymore Castle about 5 miles away and held there until Moneymore and the estate were liberated by Sir Thomas (who had been in Dublin when the Rebellion broke out) and the Royalist army in 1643. Moneymore is also the name of a farming district near Milton New Zealand. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. When the armies of Charles I reached Cookstown in 1643, they routed the rebels and razed the remains of the town to the ground.

The Eighteenth Century-The influence of the Stewart family

It seemed as though the development of a town in the area had been put to a very sudden and final halt. Over the proceeding years, the lands around Cookstown were progressively bought up by William Stewart, grandson of James, until in 1671 all of Dr Cooke's lands were in the hands of the Stewarts and they had created the Castle and Demesne of Killymoon. Settlement however remained sparse to say the least and by 1734, only 2 inhabited houses remained at Oldtown. William Stewart and later his son James set out daring plans for the town soon after this. Inspired by the Wide Street Commission's work in Dublin, they planned a new town to be built along a tree lined boulevard 135 feet wide which would connect the Killymoon Demesne with Oldtown, a distance of over a mile and a quarter. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Boulevard ( French, from Bolwerk &ndash bolwark meaning bastion has several generally accepted meanings This elegant street was laid out by the mid 1740's and has remained at the centre of Cookstown's development ever since covering Killymoon Street, Church Street, Chapel Street, Loy Street, William Street, James Street and finally Oldtown Street and being the longest main street in Ireland. All traces of Cooke's town were obliterated at this point.

Throughout the remainder of the eighteenth century, Cookstown prospered quietly as a market town where linens, seeds and other agricultural produce were marketed at its famous market. In 1802, Col William Stewart (James Stewart's unmarried son) approached the famous London architect, John Nash and requested that he visit the area to rebuild the Castle of Killymoon which had been burnt in 1801. John Nash may refer to John Forbes Nash (born 1928 American mathematician Nobel laureate subject of the book and film titled A Beautiful Mind A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. This imposing structure is Cookstown's finest piece of architectural heritage. It was built in just over a year at a cost of £80,000 and was Nash's first Irish Commission. It is two stories high and has two large towers to the East and West, one circular the other (slightly lower) octagonal. Parts of the original castle were retained and its former Chapel became Nash's library. Inside the dramatic entrance porte cochere can be found a stunning return staircase leading to the octagonal drawing room and oval dining room. A porte-cochere ( French porte-cochère, literally "coach door" also called a carriage porch) is the architectural The Stewarts sold the castle in 1852 and, after passing though the hands of some 6 owners, it was sold for the final time in 1922 to a local farmer for £100. The same family retains it to this day.

In addition to Killymoon, there is evidence to suggest that Nash also designed the original St Luran's Parish Church on Church Street in 1822 and certainly plans for the church exist in his hand. A parish church, in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a Parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches However, even if Nash's church was completed, at most only the tower and first bay of this structure have survived Victorian extension by the rather dull architect Welland in 1859. Welland may refer to River Welland in the east of England Welland Worcestershire, a village in England Welland River Nash's plans show a castellated and battlemented church from which only the tower and spire bear any resemblance to the structure standing today. The interior is an entirely uninspiring and typical Victorian church structure with a chancel arch, hammer beam roof and large sanctuary with sparse but dignified decoration. "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building Hammerbeam roof, in Architecture, the name given to a Gothic open Timber Roof, of which the finest example is that over Westminster Sanctuary has multiple meanings A sanctuary is the consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar

It is also suggested that Nash designed the Dower house of Killymoon on Chapel Street (now divided into two houses) and it is certain that he designed the Rectory at Lissan (a wonderfully frilly exercise in toy Gothick) for the Rev John Molesworth Staples in 1807. A dower house is usually a moderately large House on an estate which is occupied by the Widow of the late owner Depending on denomination, local custom and the status of the minister the Building inhabited (or formerly inhabited by the leader of a local Christian church can Lissan is a Parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The Roman Catholic church was built in 1908

The Nineteenth Century

However, as with most provincial towns in Ireland, Cookstown's greatest development came with the industrial revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the With the establishment of Gunning's Linen Weaving Mill, the expansion of the Wellbrook linen finishing estate, the establishment of Adair's weaving mill at Greenvale and the final arrival of the railways, Cookstown's population quadrupled between 1820 and 1840. Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. The railways allowed the fast transport to and from the town of agricultural produce and the town's expansion seemed unstoppable. Two railways established termini at Cookstown - the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in their dignified dressed stone station designed by Charles Lanyon (now much altered as a Chinese restaurant on Molesworth Street) and the Great Northern Railway in their pretty picture book brick station next door (now Cookstown High School's Hockey Club). Roma Termini (in Italian, Stazione Termini or Stazione di Roma Termini) is the main train station of Rome. London Midland for the new (2007 railway company The London Midland and Scottish Railway ( LMS) was a British Railway company Sir Charles Lanyon (1813 to 1889 was an English architect of the 19th century Both transported goods and livestock for sale to Cookstown's market which flourished as never before.

With the exception of Killymoon Castle, all of Cookstown's best architecture dates from this period and the town still resembles almost exactly the town developed at this time. Killymoon Castle is a castle situated about one mile (16 km south east of Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland on the north bank of the Ballinderry Probably foremost among the buildings of this period is J. J. McCarthy's Church of the Holy Trinity on Chapel Street. SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных This magisterial structure was constructed between 1855 and 1860 with a soaring tower and spire at the West End. It is one of McCarthy's earliest works in which the influence of Pugin is still paramount and the later florid French Gothic of his latter years is nowhere to be seen. Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( 1 March 1812 – 14 September 1852) was an English Architect, designer and theorist of design now The church is constructed in the Early English style with a nave of 5 bays leading to a chancel arch and reduced chancel area beyond. "Chancel" is an architectural term for the space around the Altar at the Liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building

Other fine buildings of this period include the muscular Scots-Baronial former Courthouse (currently derelict) on Chapel Street; the dignified Classical First Presbyterian Church (Loy Hill) and Italianate Molesworth Presbyterian Church ( Molesworth Street); the pretty provincial Romanesque Methodist Church (Church Street); the Hibernian Bank on James Street (destroyed by terrorist activity) and the pair of railway termini aforementioned on Molesworth Street. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity In the course of the history of Classical architecture, an Italianate style of architecture was a distinct nineteenth-century phase in which Italian sixteenth-century Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity

The Twentieth Century

With the linen and later the hat-making and brick manufacturing industries, Cookstown continued to prosper in the early twentieth century and its population continued to expand. Little architecture of any note dates from this period as the grandiose Victorian structures of the previous generation continued to fulfill their purpose admirably. The Great War had a devastating effect on the local community at a cost of life commemorated in the prominent Cenotaph (loosely based on Lutyens' Whitehall Cenotaph) at the centre of the town. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A cenotaph is a tomb or a Monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere Whitehall is a road in Westminster in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards traditional A cenotaph is a tomb or a Monument erected in honour of a person or group of persons whose remains are elsewhere This is Cookstown’s sole piece of public sculpture. As industry developed, a Technical College was established on Loy Hill in an imposing Queen Anne style red brick structure. Institute of technology, and polytechnic, are designations employed in a wide range of learning institutions awarding different types of degrees and operating often at variable The Queen Anne Style is a style of architecture, furniture and decoration that reached its greatest popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century manifesting itself in This was opened by Mrs. Adair, whose husband owned the Greenvale Mill, in 1936 and the building currently lies derelict awaiting development. All of Cookstown's main educational institutions date from this period, Cookstown High School seizing the Victorian mansion and former residence of the Gunning family at Coolnafranky and the Catholic Church constructing its convent schools and St Mary's Boy's School (now demolished), all on Loy Hill.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, Cookstown became the centre of much regimental activity. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Killymoon was requisitioned by the American Army and a large internment camp was established on the recently reclaimed land at Burn Road. Expropriation refers to Confiscation of Private property with the stated purpose of establishing social equality. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial The town suffered no enemy damage during the war and the industries of the town prospered.

This however proved to be the last belle époque of the industrial town of Cookstown. The Belle Époque (bɛːl e'pɔk French for "Beautiful Era" was a period in European history that began during the late 19th century and lasted until While the linen industry survived to some degree in Ulster until well into the 1960s, increased fabric imports from the Far East rang the death knell for the industry across Northern Ireland. Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster The Far East is a term often used by people in the Western world to refer to the countries of East Asia. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Cookstown attempted to put on a brave face, constructing its distinctively moderne town hall in 1953 (now demolished) and opening the Daintyfit clothes factory on Burn Road as well as establishing an internationally renowned Agricultural College at Loughry, but the prosperity of the town was now severely in doubt. Gunning's mill closed in 1956 and was swiftly followed by Adair's Mill and the Wellbrook estate. The railways ceased to operate from the town in 1963 and while the market continued to be held on Saturday, its agricultural significance to the wider Ulster community never recovered and the sale of livestock finally completely ceased in 2004. One ray of light for employment came in 1970 with the opening of the Blue Circle Cement factory at Derryloran. This provided much in the way of employment for the local population, but the factory has polluted the town ever since. The sole building of architectural note from this period was Liam McCormack's Chapel, the cube-shaped body of which is tacked on to the high Victorian Gothic Convent of Mercy at Chapel Street at one of its corners. This most unusual patterned concrete and bronze façade was constructed in 1965 and contains (now greatly damaged) important stained glass by the Dublin artist Patrick Pye. Dublin (ˈdʌblɨn/ /ˈdʊblɨn or /ˈdʊbəlɪn/, bˠalʲə aːha klʲiəh or cliə(ɸ is both the largest city and capital of Ireland. Patrick Pye (b 1929 Winchester, England) is a sculptor, painter and Stained glass artist resident in County Dublin ===The Troubles

People are getting used to a new beginning and don't want to be preached to anymore by a minority of load mouthed bigots.

The Present

After the PIRA's initial ceasefire in 1996. The town began a plan to regenerate the town centre which had been blighted by the destruction of its Victorian buildings. The tree-lined boulevard thought up by James and William Stewart was restored and a scheme of regeneration saw the creation of green space, flowerbeds and restored shop frontage. Boulevard ( French, from Bolwerk &ndash bolwark meaning bastion has several generally accepted meanings With Ulster's industry now substantially defunct, the town began to attract instead financial investment from shopping and tourism. In 2000, the architecturally uninspiring Burnavon Arts and Cultural Centre opened on the site of the former Town Hall on the Burn Road and began to attract large scale cultural and artistic events to the town whilst a year later, a development scheme began which saw the former LMS Railway Terminus turned into a shopping centre. Today, Cookstown has been almost completely regenerated with plans for further regeneration work to be carried out throughout the town centre. Another large shopping centre on Molesworth Street was built in 2007, and is now being extensively extended. The old Gunning and Moore Weaving Mill at Broadfields has been transformed into a large retail park with outlets of Tesco, Marks and Spencer, Homebase and Next being the first of a planned many to set up here. Tesco plc is a British -based international grocery and general merchandising retail chain Marks & Spencer Group plc (also M&S, Marks and Sparks, and Marks) is a British Retailer with 843 stores in more than 30 Homebase is a British Home improvement store and Garden centre, with 320 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland NeXT Computer Inc (later NeXT Software Inc) was an American Computer company headquartered in Redwood City, California that The formally untapped tourist potential of Cookstown is now in full flight with local sites of historic interest (including the last surviving Linen Beetling Mill at Wellbrook, Drum Manor Forest Park and soon Lissan House) attracting many hundreds of visitors per year. Lissan House is a historic house and tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. The town's central location and many hotels (for a population of just over 11,000 it has no less than 4) has meant that it is a natural location for conferences and meetings involving delegates from across Northern Ireland. It was the natural choice of location for the Mid-Ulster Sports Academy (established in 2003) and the planned Police Service of Northern Ireland training academy (which is to be built at Loughry commencing in early 2009). The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the Police service that covers Northern Ireland. Many of the traditional local run businesses in the town have now seiced to exist due to various economic factors. Whilst the conveinience of the recent suppermarket developments is essential to the modernisation of the town, it is imposible to replace the local family run shops that were once the hub of community's up until the mid 1990's when many of them ceased to exist. The Cookstown District Council has, in recent years been determined to establish Cookstown as the so-called "Retail Capital" of Mid-Ulster and has begun a concerted re-branding and marketing of the town nationally. Cookstown District Council ( Irish: Comhairle Ceantair na Coirre Críochaí, Ulster Scots: Districk Cooncil o Cookestoun) is a district council The Council, which recently appointed a Town Manager as an experiment in town planning, has secured millions of UK pounds sterling and ensured that inward investment has been at its highest level since the establishment of the town in the seventeenth century, developing beyond recognition the tourism, retail and hospitality sectors in the area.

People

Sport

Miscellanea

Cookstown is famous for its sausages, known as the "Cookstown Sizzler", which were advertised on television by Rolf Harris and George Best. Rolf Harris CBE, AM (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian Musician, Singer, Composer, painter George Best (22 May 1946 &ndash 25 November 2005 was a Northern Irish professional football player best known for his years with Manchester United.

Fictionalised as "Ballyglass", it is the hometown of the hero of "Utterly Monkey", a novel by local writer Nick Laird (husband of novelist Zadie Smith). Nicholas 'Nick' Laird (Born 1975 Northern Ireland) is a Novelist and Poet who was born and grew up in Cookstown, County Tyrone Zadie Smith (born 25 October 1975 is an English Novelist. To date she has written three novels

The local paper, The Mid Ulster Mail, is the biggest selling local newspaper in the area.

In the film The Devil's Own, the character played by Brad Pitt claimed to be from Cookstown, which he described as being "on the shores of the Lough". "The Devil's Own" is also a nickname for the Connaught Rangers and of the Inns of Court Regiment The Devil's Own William Bradley "Brad" Pitt Pitt received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his role in the 1995 film Twelve Monkeys Cookstown is actually 16 kilometres (10 miles) from the shores of Lough Neagh, only slightly closer than Belfast. Lough Neagh (ˌlɒx ˈneɪ, ɫ̪ɔx ˈn̠ʲahax is a freshwater Lake in Northern Ireland. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. It is possible the character could have been thinking of the closest town to his father's shoreside farm, though this would have been unlikely given that there are many small villages such as Ardboe which are closer than Cookstown. Ardboe ( Irish: Ard Bó, the height of the cow is a small village in the north east of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.

Jimmy Kennedy, although born in Omagh, grew up in the Cookstown area and was educated at Cookstown Academy (the forerunner of Cookstown High School). He is well known for the many songs he wrote including, 'The Teddy Bears' Picnic', 'Red Sails in the Sunset', 'The Hokey Kokey' and 'South of the Border'. He won numerous awards during his lifetime, and his name was entered in the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in New York in 1997.

2001 Census

On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 10,646 people living in Cookstown. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Of these:

Education

References

  1. ^ Visiting Cookstown
  2. ^ NI Neighbourhood Information Service NISRA

External links

See also

This is a list page for Towns in Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is any settlement which has received a charter This is a list page for Villages in Northern Ireland. The NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA defines a town as having a population of 4500 or more
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