Strabane - Citizendia

Population (2006 est. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth Poetic description This dinnseanchas poem named Ard Ruide (Ruide Headland poetically describes the kingdoms of Ireland Ulster ( Ulaidh ˈkwɪɟɪ ˈʌlˠu / ˈʌlˠi is one of the four provinces of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster Since the late 16th century the Island of Ireland has been divided into 32 counties ( Irish language contae or condae Northern Ireland is divided into 26 districts for local government purposes Strabane District Council is a Local Council in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. 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 West Tyrone is a County constituency in Northern Ireland, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Northern Ireland is a Constituency of the European Parliament. Subscriber trunk dialling ( STD, also known as subscriber toll dialling) is a term for the UK Telephone system allowing subscribers to dial trunk 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. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology )

15,000

Website: www.strabanedc.com

Strabane (IPA: /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 Northern Ireland. 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 The town straddles the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with the town of Lifford, County Donegal, to the west. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Lifford ( Leifear in Irish) is the County Town of Donegal, Ireland. County Donegal (ˌdʌnəˈgɔːl Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall. Strabane is the second largest town in the county. It stands roughly half-way between Omagh and Derry and roughly half-way between Omagh and Letterkenny and has a population of 15,000 people. Omagh (pronounced /'omæ/) is the County town of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, situated where the rivers Drumragh and Camowen It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council (Comhairle Ceantair an tSratha Báin). Strabane District Council is a Local Council in County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. The County Town of County Donegal, Lifford, lies on the other side of the River Foyle (across Lifford Bridge), which marks the border between the two counties. Lifford ( Leifear in Irish) is the County Town of Donegal, Ireland. The River Foyle ( is a River in west Ulster in the northwest of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne Lifford Bridge is a cross-border Bridge on the N15 - A38 road spanning the River Foyle which marks the border between Strabane in County Tyrone

The River Mourne flows through the centre of the town, and meets with the River Finn to form the River Foyle. The River Finn ( Irish: Abhainn na Finne) is a river in the north of the Republic of Ireland, that flows through County Donegal. The River Foyle ( is a River in west Ulster in the northwest of Ireland, which flows from the confluence of the rivers Finn and Mourne Strabane suffered huge economic damage in 1987 when much of the centre of the town was flooded.

Strabane is twinned with Zeulenroda in the District of Thuringia, Germany. Zeulenroda-Triebes is a German town in the district of Greiz ( Thuringia) The Free State of Thuringia (Freistaat Thüringen is located in central Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

1 Recent history
- 1.1 The Troubles
2 Transport
3 Demographics
4 Politics
5 Culture
6 Places of interest
7 People
8 References
9 External links
10 See also

Recent history

Strabane once had the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in It is one of the most economically deprived towns in the United Kingdom. ^[1] The average wage in Strabane is just £233 per week, compared with £320 in Northern Ireland and £349 in the UK.

In August 2005, a Channel 4 television programme presented by property experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer, named Strabane as the third worst place to live in the United Kingdom, largely because of the high unemployment rate. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Kirstie Mary Allsopp (born 31 August 1971) is a British TV presenter best known for the Channel 4 property programmes Phil Spencer (born 11 December 1969) is a British Television presenter who appears with Kirstie Allsopp in a variety of home-buying programs The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[2] Strabane has however moved out of the top 20 for the 2007 edition. ^[3]

The Strabane transmitting station, located in Legfordrum and highly visible on approach to the town, was opened in 1963 to extend the range of UTV transmissions. The Strabane transmitting station is a Broadcasting and Telecommunications facility located at Legfordrum and situated very close to the town of Strabane For other uses of the UTV acronym see UTV (disambiguation UTV (formerly Ulster Television) is a Television channel based The town was also noted on the old UTV logo that featured a rough representation of major towns in Northern Ireland. For other uses of the UTV acronym see UTV (disambiguation UTV (formerly Ulster Television) is a Television channel based

The Troubles

Main article: The Troubles in Strabane

Strabane was scarred by the Troubles, (it was once known as the most bombed town in Europe per size since the Second World War)^[4] beginning in the early 1970s and continuing throughout much of the 1990s, with bombings commonplace and Irish Republican paramilitary groups, mainly the Provisional Irish Republican Army, regularly attacking the bases of both the British army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) located in the town. The Troubles in Strabane recounts incidents during and the effects of The Troubles in Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. 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 Irish republicanism (Poblachtánachas is an ideology based on the Irish nationalist belief that all of Ireland should be a single independent Republic A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. The Royal Ulster Constabulary GC was the name of the Police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001 Many British soldiers, RUC officers and civilians met their deaths in Strabane and the surrounding, predominantly rural, area. Some civilians were killed controversially by the British army, others by republican paramilitaries in deliberate attacks or when caught up in attacks on the security forces.

Strabane Main Street.

Many army regiments from England, Scotland and Wales served in Strabane at various times during the Troubles, but there is no longer any permanent British army presence in the town. 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 Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

Both the Ballycolman and Head of the Town areas suffered greatly from deprivation, unemployment and the troubles, with riots, shootings and bomb incidents in the area commonplace as well as confrontations between British Forces and the local population, especially throughout the 1970s and 80s. Recent times however have seen an upturn for the area with Development agencies and community organisations setting up new centres of activity for adults and young people - including a new "multi-purpose community centre" in Fountain Street. Work schemes have also been effective in alleviating unemployment in the area and refurbishing homes as well as transforming the local environment.

The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) has carried out many high-profile armed robberies at locations such as banks and supermarkets in the town since 2001, which have tailed off since a BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight documentary highlighted the events in December 2004, although another robbery involving hostage taking occurred in October 2006. The Irish National Liberation Army ( INLA; Arm Saoirse Náisiúnta na hÉireann in Irish is an Irish Republican, Left-wing paramilitary organisation ^[5] One such robbery at the Ulster Bank in Strabane's Abercorn Square netted £500,000 for the organisation. Ulster Bank ( Irish: Banc Uladh) is a large commercial Bank, one of the Big Four in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of ^[6]^[7]

Strabane has recently become involved in the Ulster Project International, sending Catholic and Protestant teenagers to the United States for prejudice-reduction work. The Ulster Project was started in 1975 by Rev Kerry Waterstone a Church of Ireland priest in Tullamore, County Offally in order to provide a safe place in Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Transport

The town once boasted one of the busiest rail connections on the island. This fell into disuse over time, although an old railway building still stands in the town.

In 1792 the four mile (6 km) Strabane Canal was constructed from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle at Leck, to Strabane. Strabane Canal is a Canal in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. Lough Foyle ( Loch Feabhail in Irish) is the name given to the Estuary of the River Foyle in Ulster. The canal fell into disuse in 1962. In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission awarded a £1. Strabane Lifford Development Commission is a cross-border body in Ireland, to develop cultural and economic development ties between Strabane in County Tyrone 3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project was launched by President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, in Lifford and involves the restoration of one and a half miles of canal and two locks to working order. The President of Ireland (Uachtarán na hÉireann n̪ˠə ˈheːɾʲən̪ˠ is the Head of state of Ireland. WikipediaManual of Style (biographies#Academic titles --> Mary Patricia McAleese (Máire Pádraigín Work was due to start on the Lough Foyle side of the canal in the summer of 2006 but it never happened.

Demographics

Strabane is classified as a Medium Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people). On Census day on April 29, 2001 there were 13,456 people living in Strabane. 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. by mid 2006 the towns population has grown to over 15,000. Of these:

99. 3% classed their ethnic group as white
93. 3% were from a Catholic background and 6. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete". 1% were from a Protestant background
43. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. 6% of people aged 16-74 were economically inactive
6. 8% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
15. 6% of people aged 16-59 were claiming incapacity benefit
27. 6% were aged under 16 years and 13. 7% were aged 60 and over
48. 1% of the population were male and 51. 9% were female

Politics

At the local elections in May 2005, members of Strabane District Council were elected from the following political parties: 8 Sinn Féin, 3 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 2 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and 1 Independent Nationalist. Sinn Féin () is a political party in Ireland. The current party led by Gerry Adams was formed following a split in January 1970 The Democratic Unionist Party ( DUP) is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. The Social Democratic and Labour Party ( SDLP; Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre is one of the two major nationalist parties in Northern Ireland The Ulster Unionist Party ( UUP, sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or OUP or in a historic sense simply the Unionist Party Irish nationalism (Náisiúnachas Éireannach refers to political and sociological movements and sentiment that embodies a love for Irish ancestry, culture and language and The current Council Chairman is Councillor Gerard Foley (Sinn Féin). The Strabane District Council area covers an area of 861. 6 km² and according to the 2001 Census, the council area had a total population of 38,250.

Pat Doherty, of Sinn Féin, is the local Member of Parliament for the constituency of West Tyrone. Patrick "Pat" Doherty ( Irish: Pádraig Ó Dochartaigh, (born 18 July 1945) is an Irish Republican politician and Abstentionist A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a Parliament. West Tyrone can refer to The western part of County Tyrone West Tyrone (Assembly constituency West Tyrone (Northern

Culture

Sport

The local Gaelic football team, Strabane Sigersons, and the hurling team, Strabane Seamrogaí, are ever expanding. Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football Strabane Sigersons ( Irish: An Srath Bán Mhic Siogair) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic The Sigerson Cup, the All-Ireland colleges cup for Gaelic football, is named after a native of the town, Dr. The Sigerson Cup is the championship for top division of university Gaelic football in Ireland Sigerson.

Education

Strabane has an Irish language medium school named Naiscoil an tSratha Bain (the pre-school), which was founded in 1994, and a Gaelscoil (primary school). Naiscoil is Preschool education through the medium of the Irish language. A gaelscoil (Plural gaelscoileanna) is an Irish -speaking School, often also Co-educational, usually found in Ireland, but outside Other Irish Language Groups including Conradh na Gaeilge and Gaelphobal are also active in the Strabane District.

Music and arts

CRAIC (Cultural Revival Among Interested Communities) a cross border, cross community group provide music lessons to both adults and children on a voluntary basis in the local Irish language Gaelscoil on Tuesday evenings. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. A gaelscoil (Plural gaelscoileanna) is an Irish -speaking School, often also Co-educational, usually found in Ireland, but outside The Barret School of Irish Dancing has produced some of Irelands best Irish Dancers, and the local theatre group, The Puddle Alley Players, has won several awards over the years in several amateur dramatic competitions.

Strabane also boasts two brass bands; Strabane Concert Brass, 5 times National Champions, as well as St Josephs Brass Band. Accordion bands also had been a feature of the culture in Strabane in the past, with the Mourne Accordion Band and Tom P Mullan Accordion Band. These were succeeded by the Oliver Plunket Band which survived until 2005. The town is currently represented by the Tom P Mullan Memorial Accordion Band, which was formed in 2006.

Strabane also has a flute band, The Strabane Memorial Flute Band, which attends Republican Parades and similar events throughout Ireland, Scotland and the USA.

One of Strabane's most notable features are five 20 ft (6. 1 m) steel structures: two dancers, a fiddle player on the Lifford side, a flute player on the Strabane side and a drummer in the middle. Designed by Maurice Harron,^[8] they were placed at the former British army base at the Donegal border. Affectionately known locally as The Tinneys. ^[9]

Places of interest

The wider area surrounding Strabane has many scenic forests and glens, and angling and fishing tourism is popular in the River Mourne, particularly between Victoria Bridge and Strabane. Golfing legend Tiger Woods fished this stretch of the river in a recent visit. Background and family Woods was born in Cypress, California to Earl (1932-2006 and Kultida (Tida Woods The town is home to one of Ireland's largest golf courses.

The National Trust owns the Strabane house in which John Dunlap learnt the printing trade. The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organization in England, Wales John Dunlap (1747 – November 27, 1812) was the printer of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence and one of the most successful Dunlap went on to print the United States Declaration of Independence. The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then The house has been visited by several famous people, including former US President Bill Clinton. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States It is located at the end of the Main Street.

Nearby Strabane is Dergalt, the ancestral home of Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States. Evish is a small rural community area situated 3 miles from Strabane and 7 miles from Plumbridge. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by

People

Paul Brady - singer songwriter
Flann O'Brien - best known pseudonym of Brian O'Nolan, 20th century Irish satirist and humorist. Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947, Strabane, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland) is an Irish Singer-songwriter Brian O'Nolan (Brian Ó Nualláin (5 October 1911 – 1 April 1966 was an Irish novelist and satirist best known for his novels An Béal Bocht, At A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Brian O'Nolan (Brian Ó Nualláin (5 October 1911 – 1 April 1966 was an Irish novelist and satirist best known for his novels An Béal Bocht, At He also wrote under the pseudonym Myles na gCopaleen
William Burke - 19th century serial killer, from Urney, a Strabane townland
Declan Curry - business correspondent on the BBC One Breakfast programme
Brian Dooher and Stephen O'Neill - key members of the 2003 and 2005 all-Ireland winning Tyrone Gaelic football team
Hugo Duncan - popular entertainer known as the wee man from Strabane. Brian O'Nolan (Brian Ó Nualláin (5 October 1911 – 1 April 1966 was an Irish novelist and satirist best known for his novels An Béal Bocht, At Declan Curry is a Northern Irish Journalist, Presenter and Businessman, currently employed by the BBC and best known for being the Brian Dooher is an Irish All Star -winning Gaelic footballer and current captain of Tyrone. Stephen O'Neill (born 19 November 1980) is a Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for the Tyrone Senior football team. Gaelic football ( Irish: Peil, Peil Ghaelach, or Caid) commonly referred to as " football " is a form of Football Hugo Duncan is a singer and BBC broadcaster from Strabane, Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland.
John Dunlap - printer of the United States Declaration of Independence
Pearse McCauley - IRA member jailed for the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe^[10]
Gerard Ó Dochartaigh - Irish language activist for whom the local Gaelscoil (Irish Language school) is named
Dr George Sigerson - Gaelic activist and namesake of the Sigerson Cup
Annie Scott Dill Maunder, nee Russell - astronomer. John Dunlap (1747 – November 27, 1812) was the printer of the first copies of the Declaration of Independence and one of the most successful The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Óglaigh na hÉireann ( IRA; also referred to as the PIRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the ga '''''Garda Síochána na hÉireann''''' (ˈgaːrdə ʃiːˈxaːnə nə ˈheːɾʲən Irish for "Peace Guard of Ireland" often rendered Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was a member of the Garda Síochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. The Sigerson Cup is the championship for top division of university Gaelic football in Ireland Annie Scott Dill Maunder, née Russell ( April 14, 1868 – September 15, 1947) was a British astronomer and mathematician
Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, was of Ulster-Scots descent on both sides of his family. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28 1856—February 3 1924 was the twenty-eighth President of the United States. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by Ulster Scots, also known as Ullans, Hiberno-Scots, or Scots-Irish, refers to the variety of Scots (sometimes referred to as He was the grandson of a printer from Dergalt, near Strabane, whose former home is open to visitors. Evish is a small rural community area situated 3 miles from Strabane and 7 miles from Plumbridge.

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