Bangor, County Down
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- This article is about the town of Bangor in County Down, Northern Ireland. For other places named Bangor, see Bangor.
The town (the third largest in Northern Ireland) is the site of Bangor Marina (one of the biggest in Ireland). It is primarily residential and can be viewed as a commuter town for the Greater Belfast area, from which it is linked by the A2 road. Bangor is situated only 21.9 kilometres (13.6 miles) from the heart of Belfast and only 30 minutes by train or bus with George Best Belfast City Airport even closer. A direct rail link from Belfast ensures direct travel from Bangor to many places in Northern Ireland and further afield. A notable building in the town is Bangor Old Custom House.
Bangor is part of the North Down Borough Council area and is twinned with the Austrian city of Bregenz. It is also host to the Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Tourism is important, particularly in the summer months, and plans are being made for the redevelopment of the seafront. The largest remaining individual land owner in the area is the Clandeboye Estate, located a few miles from the town centre.
History
- The Annals of Ulster tell us that the monastery of Bangor was founded by Saint Comgall in approximately 555 and was where the Antiphonarium Benchorense was written. A copy of the manuscript can be seen in the town's heritage centre. The monastery was situated roughly where Bangor Abbey Church of Ireland currently stands at the head of the town. The monastery became a centre of great learning among the most eminent of Ireland’s missionary institutions, although it also suffered greatly at the hands of Viking raiders in the 8th century and the 9th century.
- The name ’Bangor’ is derived from the Irish "Beannchar". The meaning of this word is uncertain but may be related to beann, which means a horn, rocks, or a peaked hill, and could refer to Bangor’s rocky coastline.
- The modern town has its roots in the early 17th century when the Scot, Sir James Hamilton, arrived in Bangor, having been granted lands in north Down by King James I in 1605. Tower House, which is now home to the Tourist Information Centre, dates from this time and is a visible reminder of the new order introduced by Hamilton and his Scots settlers.
- The town was also an important source of customs revenue for the crown. In the 1780s Colonel Robert Ward improved the harbour and promoted the cotton industries, which led to increased prosperity in the town.
- Irish Rebellion of 1798 - On the morning of Pike Sunday, 10 June 1798 a force of United Irishmen, mainly from Bangor, Donaghadee, Greyabbey and Ballywalter attempted to occupy the town of Newtownards. They met with musket fire from the market house and were defeated.
- The coming of the railways in 1865 brought further growth and Bangor soon became a fashionable resort for Victorian era holidaymakers, as well as a desirable home to the wealthy. Many of the beautiful houses
Houses in Bangor Bay
overlooking Bangor Bay (now being slowly demolished to make way for flats) date from this period. Sea bathing and marine sports became popular and visitors from other parts of the United Kingdom increased throughout the Edwardian period.
- The inter-war period of the early twentieth century saw the development of the fondly remembered Tonic Cinema, Pickie Pool and Caproni’s – all three probably the foremost of their type in Ireland.
- With the advent of foreign holidays and cheap travel from the 1960s, Bangor declined as a tourist resort and was forced to rethink its future. The second half of the 20th century saw its role as a dormitory town for Belfast become more important. Its population increased dramatically: from around 14,000 in 1930 it had reached 40,000 by 1971 and 58,000 by the end of the century (some council publicity material counting it as high as 70,000), making it one of the ten largest settlements in all of Ireland. The town expanded most rapidly in the 1980s to accommodate its new residents, absorbing much surrounding countryside. This period also saw the construction of the Ring Road, the Marina and major light industrial and retail developments.
The McKee ClockPlaces of interest
- Bangor Abbey
- Bangor Castle
- Bangor Marina
- Bangor Old Custom House
- Clandeboye Estate
- McKee Clock
- Royal Ulster Yacht Club
- Somme Heritage Centre
- Ward Park
Public figures from Bangor
- David Trimble, the former Ulster Unionist Party leader and former First Minister of Northern Ireland
- The former Formula One racing driver Eddie Irvine (actually from Conlig - a small village just outside Bangor)
- Blue Peter presenter and former Miss Northern Ireland, Zöe Salmon
- Authors Colin Bateman and Zane Radcliffe
- 3 of the original members of the band Snow Patrol, Gary Lightbody, Jonny Quinn & Mark McClelland, are all from Bangor too, although Mark has since left the band.
- Professional footballer Keith Gillespie.
- Professional golfer and now broadcaster, David Feherty.
- Professional rugby players Jan and Bryn Cunningham.
- Jar, starred in 16 episodes of cult Australian drama Prisoner Cell Block H.
2001 Census
Bangor is classified by the [NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)] as a Large Town (ie with population between 18,000 and 75,000) within the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 58,388 people living in Bangor. Of these:
- 20.2% were aged under 16 years and 20.3% were aged 60 and over
- 47.7% of the population were male and 52.3% were female
- 10.6% were from a Catholic background and 82.7% were from a Protestant background
- 3.3% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.
Areas of Bangor
Bangor East
- Ballyholme
- Gransha (Hanover, Sunningdale, Nevar, Cranley)
- Bloomfield
- Towerview
- Ashbury (Bexley, Ashbury, Silverbirch, Kilmaine, Ballycrochan, Albany)
- Whitehill
- Rathgill
Bangor West
- Clandeboye
- Silverstream
- Bryansburn
- Springhill
- Kilcooley
- Carnalea
Bangor South
- Breezemount
- Conlig
Bangor North
- Central
- College
- Ward
Electoral Wards in the town
- Ballycrochan
- Ballymaconnell
- Ballymagee
- Bangor Castle
- Bloomfield
- Bryansburn
- Broadway
- Carnalea
- Churchill
- Conlig
- Clandeboye
- Dufferin
- Groomsport
- Gransha
- Harbour
- Princetown
- Rathgael
- Silverstream
- Springhill
- Whitehill
Sport
Football
The Irish League Division 1 side Bangor FC play at Clandeboye Park on the Candeboye Road, the stadium is currently under renovation at the moment. Ards FC also play at Clandeboye Park.Sailing
Bangor has a high reputation for sailing, hosting great world events and also has high prestige clubs such as the Royal Ulster Sailing ClubMotorsport
Every year Bangor hosts the World Trails World Championships at the marina at Bangor Pier. Bangor also will host an off-road karting event on Gransha Road in 2007.Education
- Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College
- Bangor Grammar School
Town twinning
References
External links
- [Bangor FM - Bangor's Radio Station]
- [Bangor Local]
- [North Down Borough Council]
- [Bangor Market House]
- [Online community for bangors young people, TeenBangor.co.uk]
See also
Major towns in Northern Ireland Antrim | Ballymena | Banbridge | Bangor | Carrickfergus | Coleraine | Cookstown | Craigavon | Dundonald | Enniskillen | Holywood | Larne | Limavady | Newtownabbey | Newtownards | Omagh | Portadown | Strabane
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