Coalisland

Coalisland (Oileán a'Ghuail in Irish) is a small town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, with a population of 4,917 people (in the 2001 Census). As its name suggests, it was formerly a centre for coal mining.

1 History
- 1.1 Civil Rights Movement
- 1.2 The Troubles
2 Transport
- 2.1 Canal
- 2.2 Rail
3 Education
4 Sport
5 2001 Census Information
6 People
7 References
8 See also

[edit] History

The town of Coalisland evolved from the settlement which grew up around the terminus of the Coalisland Canal. Work on the canal began in 1733, but progress was slow. It officially opened in 1787. The push to build a waterway had come from the desire to cheapen the cost of transporting coal from the Tyrone coalfields to Dublin. The canal linked the coalfields with Lough Neagh, via the River Blackwater. The last coalmine in Coalisland closed in 1970.^[1]

According to a plaque on St Patrick's Hall in Barrack Street, a group of Irish Volunteers (including Seán Larkin (Seán Ó Lorcáin) from nearby Ballinderry) preparing to join the 1916 Rising gathered in the hall, awaiting instructions to join in the expected island wide uprising, which never fully materialized.

[edit] Civil Rights Movement

The first civil rights march in Northern Ireland was held on 24 August 1968 between Coalisland and Dungannon.

[edit] The Troubles

For more information see The Troubles in Coalisland, which includes a list of incidents in Coalisland during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.

[edit] Transport

[edit] Canal

The town was served by a canal (the Coalisland Canal or Tyrone Navigation), although this is now derelict. A campaign for its restoration is underway. A separate navigation Dukart's Canal ran from the town to nearby coalpits.

[edit] Rail

Coalisland railway station was opened on 28 July 1897, closed for passenger traffic on 16 January 1956 and for goods traffic on 5 October 1959, finally closing altogether on 1 April 1965. There is no remains of the railway other than the bridge on the Derry Road and an old goods shed and grown over platforms.^[2]

[edit] Education

Gaelscoil Ui Neill
Primate Dixon Primary School
St. John's Primary School
St Joseph's High School

[edit] Sport

Coalisland Na Fianna is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.

[edit] 2001 Census Information

Coalisland is classified by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as a Small Town (ie with population between 4,500 and 10,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 4,917 people living in Coalisland. Of these:

29.6% were aged under 16 years and 12.4% were aged 60 and over
48.2% of the population were male and 51.8% were female
95.8% were from a Catholic background and 3.8% were from a Protestant background
4.6% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service