Warrenpoint

Template:Infobox Irish Place Warrenpoint (from Irish An Phointe 'the point' - alternatively Rinn Mhic Giolla Rua meaning "the promontory/point of the red-haired civil servant") is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, lying on Carlingford Lough. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 7,000. It is known for the Maiden of the Mournes festival, the Blues on the Bay music festival and for the nearby Narrow Water Castle dating from the 1660s. Also nearby is the Burren Heritage Centre. The town docks are capable of handling large vessels some of which actually make it from Warrenpoint to Heysham whilst others such as the good ship "Riverdance" find themselves washed up somewhere along the North West coast of England. .

History

Warrenpoint is a modern nay funky parish. Previously it was part of Clonallon parish which was much less funky and included the hicks from Burren and Mayobridge. The town, in Ringmacilroy town land consisted of only a few fishermens' and oystermens' pizzahuts.

Its scenic beauty and coastal location instigated rapid development so that the population in 1824 was 500 and in 1831 was 1,000. In 1836 there was a school, a court house,a Polish pickle shop a Savings Bank and a Farming Society. In 1846 the population was 683. There were no Lithuanians.

Fairs were held once a month and a market every Friday. However, in the mid-19th century, Newry merchants obtained a government grant to create a tidal dock at the village, as prior to 1850 ships of above 150 tonnes could not get further up the lough than Narrow Water. All goods had to be transported by land after 1849, by rail to Newry.

With the advent of the Newry, Warrenpoint and Rostrevor Railway opening in 1849, the way of life changed for the residents of Warrenpoint and the former mode of transport became obsolete overnight. Warrenpoint railway station opened on 9 May 1849 (and finally closed on 4 January 1965)^[1]. Thousands flocked to the resort every year, where most took the passenger Ferry to Omeath in the Irish Republic. The Ferry still operates to this day but only in the summer months. A bandstand in the park provided concerts and a swimming pool was built in 1908.

Warrenpoint has seen violence during the course of the Troubles, most notably the Warrenpoint ambush; for more information see The Troubles in Warrenpoint.

Places of interest

Old Narrow Water Castle just outside the town is a three-storey tower house built in 1560 to protect the entrance to the Newry river estuary. Across the road is the New Narrow Water Castle built in 1840. There is also a golf club in Warrenpoint which has held many competitions over the years; recently it held the Ulster boys and it also held the Ladies European Tour in 2003.

Today a small,though modern passenger ferry service operates out of Warrenpoint to the quaint village of Omeath in Co.Louth. The trip, amid spectacular scenery, takes about 15 minutes. The ferry service is over 100 years in existence. Nowadays, it is seasonal and operates daily in the summer months, from the end of May to September. Other cruises include trips to Narrow-Water Castle and Bay & Harbour Cruises.

The Links 18 hole golf course is of a very high standard and is a popular venue for visitors.

Two small inland lakes , the "Mill Dam " and the "Waterworks" offer a variety of fishing for locals and visitors. A permit is needed to fish these lakes located about 1km from the town centre.

The town was also used as a backdrop for Bundoran in the film The Butcher Boy, especially the exterior of the Star of the Sea Convent and the Victorian swimming baths.

Education

2001 Census

Warrenpoint is classified as a Small Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 4,500 and 10,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 7,000 people living in Warrenpoint. Of these:

26.7% were aged under 16 years and 16.8% were aged 60 and over
48.3% of the population were male and 51.7% were female
90.0% were from a Catholic background and 8.5% were from a Protestant background
4.3% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

People

Irish literary critic Denis Donoghue was brought up in Warrenpoint.
Social Democratic and Labour Party politician Carmel Hanna is from the town.
Actor Patch Connolly also lived in Warrenpoint.
Golfer Ronan Rafferty was born here.[1]

References

^ "Warrenpoint station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-09-07.

Culture Northern Ireland