Kilrea

Infobox UK place
official_name= Kilrea
irish_name= Cill Ria
map_type= Northern Ireland
latitude= 54.966667
longitude= -6.583333
population= 1,513
(2001 Census)
irish_grid_reference=
unitary_northern_ireland= Coleraine Borough
country= Northern Ireland
post_town= COLERAINE
postcode_area= BT
postcode_district= BT51 5SE
dial_code= 028
constituency_westminster= East Londonderry
constituency_ni_assembly= East Londonderry
lieutenancy_northern_ireland= County Londonderry
website=
belfast_distance=
london_distance=

Kilrea (Irish: Cill Ria meaning church on the hill) is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, close to the boundary with County Antrim. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,513 people. It is situated high up the Bann Valley and enjoys a vantage point above the river.

There is a tradition that St Patrick visited the area during the fifth century, a story repeated recently in the book 'The Fairy Thorn' produced by Kilrea local historians. Following the Plantation of Ulster the village grew substantially, and today is a well-preserved example of a Plantation village, with long, straight roads from its centre-point, called 'The Diamond'. It was the headquarters of the Worshipful Company of Mercers. It has a busy market and a modern range of shops built around the attractive flower-bedded Diamond. A feature of Kilrea is its 'Fairy Thorn' tree, on Church Street. The 'Fairy Thorn' is the focal point of the summer festival in the town. The River Bann is at its most pleasing here, with picturesque waterfalls at Portna and Movanagher. Sinn Féin and the SDLP both have advice centres in the town. Kilrea Pipe Band dates from 1921.Today it participates in competitions in Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland, events including those organised by local charities and community groups, and the cross-community Fairy Thorn Festival in Kilrea.

"Kitty, the Rose of Kilrea" is the title of a song by The Irish Rovers.

People

* Martin O'Neill the current Aston Villa manager is a native of Kilrea. O'Neill is perhaps best known for his time as Celtic manager between 2000 and 2005 when he led the club to 3 Scottish Premier League titles and on a memorable run to the 2003 UEFA Cup Final in Seville, O'Neill is now manager of Aston Villa.
* Hannah Shields from Kilrea was the first Northern Irish woman to climb Mount Everest.
* John Dallat is currently an MLA from the Social Democratic and Labour Party elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly and was also mayor of Coleraine from 2001 to 2002
* Monica McWilliams Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission and Professor of Women's Studies and Social Policy at the University of Ulster. She is also a former MLA from the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Belfast.

Sport

* Gaelic games are a popular sport in Kilrea. The local Gaelic football club is Kilrea Pádraig Pearses GAC. In 2007 Kilrea GAC Minors completed a historic double for club. They ended the year on a high, clinching the Minor League and Championship Finals.

* The area is well known for its game and coarse fishing.

* There are two golf courses in the town.

Education

* Kilrea Primary School
* St Columba's Primary School
* St Paul's College
* Crossroads Primary School

History

During the Troubles, seven people were murdered by paramilitaries in Kilrea. Five were security force members killed by the IRA and two were former IRA members killed by the Ulster Freedom Fighters.

2001 Census

Kilrea is classified as a village by the [http://www.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)] (ie with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,513 people living in Kilrea. Of these:
*27.0% were aged under 16 years and 16.7% were aged 60 and over
*49.0% of the population were male and 51.0% were female
*69.3% were from a Catholic background and 29.8% were from a Protestant background
*5.2% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed

For more details see: http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/mapxtreme_towns/pf_report.asp?settlementName=Kilrea&BandName=Village

References

* [http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/town_Home.aspx?co=1&to=93&ca=0&sca=0&navID=1 Culture Northern Ireland]

See also

*List of villages in Northern Ireland
*List of towns in Northern Ireland
*"Kitty the Rose of Kilrea" is the title of a song by The Irish Rovers.

External links

* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=bt51+5qn&t=h/&ll=54.958103,-6.557808&spn=0.081413,0.343323&t=h/ Google Map and Satellite View of Kilrea]