The Shankill Road (from the Irish: Bóthar na Seanchille meaning "Old Church road") is the arterial road leading through a predominantly Protestant working-class area of Belfast, Northern Ireland, known as the Shankill. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of The road stretches westwards for approximately 2. 4 km (1. 5 miles) from central Belfast and is lined, to an extent, by shops. The residents live in the many streets which branch off the main road. The area is best known for its murals depicting Ulster loyalist sympathies. Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. The Shankill is also an electoral ward of West Belfast. Belfast ( is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of government in Northern Ireland.
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History
When downtown Belfast consisted of marshland and thick woods, the area now known as the Shankill was roamed by wolves and wild boar. In Geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of Wetland which is subject The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. The first Shankill residents lived at the bottom of what is now known as Glencairn: a small settlement of ancient people inhabited a ring fort, built where the Ballygomartin and Forth rivers meet.
A settlement around the point at which the Shankill Road becomes the Woodvale Road, at the junction with Cambrai Street, was known as Shankill from the Irish Seanchill meaning 'old church'. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. This was the site of the medieval parish church which served the area on the west bank of the River Lagan now covered by Belfast.
The area expanded greatly in the mid to late 19th century with the growth of the linen industry. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. Many of the streets in the Shankill area, such as Leopold Street, Cambrai Street and Brussels Street, were named after places and people connected with Belgium or Flanders, where the flax from which the linen was woven was grown. Cambrai (Dutch Kamerijk; old spelling Cambray) is a French town and commune, in the Nord département, The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The linen industry, along with others that had previously been successful in the area, declined in the mid-20th century leading to high unemployment levels, which remain at the present time. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work.
During The Troubles, the Greater Shankill and its residents were subjected to bombings and shootings by Irish republican paramilitary forces, the most notable of which is now known as the 'Shankill Bomb'. The Shankill Road bombing in Belfast, sometimes referred to as the Shankill bomb, was one of the most notorious incidents of The Troubles in Northern On the afternoon of Saturday, 23 October 1993, the a bomb exploded in Frizzells Fish Shop. Events 4004 BC - Creation of the world begins according to the calculations of Archbishop James Ussher 42 BC - Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) The IRA claimed they were targeting a Loyalist meeting above the fish shop when the bomb exploded as it was being planted; nine people were killed in addition to one of the bombers, Thomas Begley. Begley's accomplice Sean Kelly survived, and was imprisoned.
The Shankill was also notorious for the actions of various Loyalist forces, such as that led by Gusty Spence and the Shankill Butchers led by Lenny Murphy. Augustus Andrew "Gusty" Spence (born 28 June, 1933) is a former member of the Ulster Volunteer Force and a leading loyalist politician The " Shankill Butchers " were a group of UVF members who were involved in a large number of loyalist terrorist activities in Belfast, Northern Ireland Hugh Leonard Thompson Murphy, who commonly went by the name Lenny Murphy ( March 2, 1952 - November 16,
As the district is located between the Falls Road at one end and Ardoyne at the other, local residents (as well as their Catholic neighbours) found themselves as, generally unwilling, targets for crossfire as both sets of paramilitaries attacked each other and each other's communities. The following roads are called Falls Road: Falls Road (Baltimore Falls Road (Baltimore Light Rail station For the village in Scotland see Ardoyne Aberdeenshire. Ardoyne (from the Irish Ard Eoin meaning Owen's height is a predominantly
Today
The area is predominantly Protestant and unionist or loyalist in political orientation. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Unionism in Ireland, is a belief in the desirability of a full constitutional and institutional relationship between Ireland and Great Britain based on the terms and Ulster loyalism is a militant unionist ideology held mostly by Protestants in Northern Ireland. The Shankill is separated from the neighbouring Catholic, nationalist, Falls Road area by peace lines. Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and Falls Road also refers to the Rochester Lockport and Niagara Falls Railroad, the New York Central Railroad 's line to Niagara Falls New York. The Peace Lines are a series of Separation barriers ranging in length from a few hundred yards to over three miles (5 km separating Catholic Greater Shankill has a population of around 22,000. The two areas were focal points of the civil conflict known as The Troubles (1969 – 1998), and many lives have been lost in the sectarian violence. Sectarianism is Bigotry, Discrimination, Prejudice or Hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions Several loyalist paramilitary groups, such as the UDA and UVF have a presence in the Shankill. The Ulster Defence Association ( UDA) is a loyalist Paramilitary criminal organization in Northern Ireland, outlawed as a Terrorist The Ulster Volunteer Force (more commonly referred to as the UVF) is a Loyalist group in Northern Ireland. The road has been the focus of several power struggles within the loyalist paramilitaries. In 2003 one of these incidents resulted in UDA leader Johnny Adair being evicted from his lower Shankill home. Johnny Adair (b 27 October 1963, Belfast, Northern Ireland) was the leader of "C Company" of the Ulster Loyalist Paramilitary
Churches
The Shankill is home to several churches of different religious denominations. Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity Situated on the northern boundary is St. Matthew's Church of Ireland, which was rebuilt in 1872, taking its name from the original church which had sat in the grounds of the graveyard. The Church of Ireland (Eaglais na hÉireann is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The architecture of this church is called trefoil, which means it is built in the shape of a shamrock. Trefoil (from Latin trifolium, "three-leaved plant" French trèfle, German Dreiblatt and Dreiblattbogen) is a graphic form composed The shamrock, a symbol of Ireland and a registered trademark of the Republic of Ireland, is a three-leafed old white Clover, sometimes of The shamrock is the national emblem of Ireland and was supposedly used by St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland to explain the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Saint Patrick (Patricius Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Roman Britain -born Christian Missionary and is the Patron saint The patron saint of a particular group of people is a Saint who would protect and 'love' the group and its members SSC RF "Troitsk Institute of Innovative and Termonuclear Research" or TRINITY for shprt Троицкий Институт инновационных и термоядерных God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance
St. Matthew's graveyard has a tombstone in memory of a 14 year-old Royal Air Force member who was killed in the First World War. A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead with or without monuments such as Headstones It is usually located near and administered by a A headstone, tombstone or gravestone is a marker normally carved from stone, placed over or next to the site of a Burial World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
There is a book about the church which says that St. Matthew's is actually a copy of a church in Salonika, as the rounded "leaves" do not have the indentations of the leaves of the shamrock. Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλονίκη), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia The water in the stone outside the front door was thought to cure warts and, certainly up to the 1990s, was considered to cure colic if a new, open, safety pin was thrown in.
People from the Shankill
- Baroness Blood has lived on the Shankill for 30 years, working as a community officer. May Blood Baroness Blood MBE (born 26 May 1938) is a Labour member of the British House of Lords.
- Barrister and politician Robert McCartney. Robert Law McCartney QC (born 24 April 1936) often known as Bob is a Northern Ireland barrister and former leader of the UK Unionist
- Boxer Wayne McCullough. Wayne William McCullough (born 7 July 1970 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a professional boxer.
- Shankill Butchers member Lenny Murphy. The " Shankill Butchers " were a group of UVF members who were involved in a large number of loyalist terrorist activities in Belfast, Northern Ireland
- Gusty Spence, loyalist politician and former paramilitary. Augustus Andrew "Gusty" Spence (born 28 June, 1933) is a former member of the Ulster Volunteer Force and a leading loyalist politician
- Jimmy Warnock boxer from 1930's who beat world champion Benny Lynch twice. James "Jimmy" Warnock (1912 – 1987 was a Southpaw boxer from the Shankill Road, Belfast. Benny Lynch ( April 2, 1913 &ndash August 6, 1946) is considered by some to be one of the finest boxers below the Lightweight division
- Billy Warnock boxer from 1930's, brother of Jimmy
- David Sinfield World Line Dance Champion
Education
The schools that would serve the wider Shankill area would be Belfast Boys' Model School and Belfast Model School for Girls. James "Jimmy" Warnock (1912 – 1987 was a Southpaw boxer from the Shankill Road, Belfast. Both schools offer students the option of staying on at school to complete A-levels. However, an alternative to these schools is Castle High School which is situated not too far away on Fortwilliam Park off the Shore Road and already has a number of pupils from the Shankill area. This school is rapidly improving and has had major improvements over recent years. Full details can be found on the school website at www.castlehigh.ik.org
Prior to its closure, and before several changes of name, Cairnmartin Secondary School also served the greater Shankill area. Famous pupils include footballer Norman Whiteside and boxer Wayne McCullough. Norman Whiteside (born May 7 1965) in Rathcoole, Northern Ireland) is a former Northern Irish football player who represented Wayne William McCullough (born 7 July 1970 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a professional boxer.
Primary schools in the greater Shankill area included Forth River Primary School on the Ballygomartin. Forth River School was established in 1841. The original building was cramped and inspection reports over the years commented on the high standard of teaching despite the inadequacy of the building. During the 1980’s and 1990’s, closure and amalgamation were both suggested and vehemently opposed by everyone connected with the school. The announcement that a new £1. 4m state-of-the-art school was to be built for Forth River children was greeted with great joy and described as very important for the pupils, staff, parents, and the wider community. The new school is in Cairnmartin Road and was officially opened by HRH Duke of York in 2005. [1]
Sources
- Paul Hamilton, Up The Shankill, 1979, ISBN 0-85640-178-1
External links
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