Cregagh

Cregagh Estate in South East Belfast

Cregagh (from Irish: an Chreagaigh meaning "the rocky place") is an area southeast of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the name of a townland and has been adopted as the name of an electoral ward of the Borough of Castlereagh. The area is centred on the Cregagh Road. The Woodstock/Cregagh Road is a continuous arterial route in the city, with the Woodstock making up the lower half of the route and the Cregagh the upper half. It runs from the Albertbridge Road, close to the Short Strand, to the A55 Outer Ring road.

Cregagh Estate

The Cregagh Estate is located off the Cregagh Road. Created as a public housing project in the late 1940s, it was designed by government architect T. F. O. Rippingham. Tenants have subsequently been offered the opportunity to purchase their homes. The estate is characterised by its uncommon flat roofs and staggered house fronts.

Road names

Mural commemorating the 36th (Ulster) Division, Cregagh Estate

Some of the roads in Cregagh are named after World War II generals (e.g. Montgomery, Alanbrooke) while a significant number are named after World War I battlefields (e.g. Picardy, Hamel). This connection with the wars reflects the numbers of people from the area who died in those wars. This was also a reason why the location was chosen for a large number of ex-servicemen's homes.

The streets in the Cregagh Estate are named after the rivers and streams of Ireland.

Sporting venues

Just off the Cregagh Road are two locally well-known sporting venues, Cregagh Cricket Club and Malone Rugby Club. While having separate facilities, they are situated on the same road, namely Gibson Park Avenue (also known locally as 'Daddy Winkers Lane'). Cregagh Cricket Club recently celebrated its centenary. Ravenhill Stadium the home of Ulster Rugby lies a short distance away, about halfway between the Cregagh Road and the Ravenhill Road to the east.

Notable people

The late footballer George Best grew up in the Cregagh Estate, and as a boy played football on the open playing fields at the centre of the estate. Best's funeral originated from Burren Way where his father still lived up until his death in April 2008.

Stuart Boyd, Accordionstu who has taught the very popular B Flat Flute to thousands of people over the internet using video sharing sites like Youtube and Vimeo, and is a promoter of Ulster Scots music, is from the Cregagh Estate.

References

Coordinates: 54°35′03″N 5°53′56″W / 54.58417°N 5.89889°W / 54.58417; -5.89889

Stuart Boyd, Accordionstu who has taught the very popular B Flat Flute to thousands of people over the internet using video sharing sites like Youtube and Vimeo and is a promoter of Ulster Scots music is allegedly from the Cregagh Estate. The first minister for Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson MLA lived in Cregagh for many years before moving to Dundonald. The Robinson Centre was named after him, a popular leisure centre on Montgomery Road.