Coalisland
| Coalisland | |
| Scots: Collislann[1] | |
| Irish: Oileán an Ghuail | |
 View from the north of the town |
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| Population | 4,917 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| Irish grid reference | H8366 |
| – Belfast | 35 miles |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNGANNON |
| Postcode district | BT71 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | Mid Ulster |
| NI Assembly | Mid Ulster |
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Coordinates: 54°32′31″N 6°41′38″W / 54.542°N 6.694°W
Coalisland is a small town in County Tyrone, Ireland, with a population of 4,917 in 2001. Four miles from Lough Neagh, it was formerly a centre for coal mining.
History
On 24 August 1968, the Campaign for Social Justice (CSJ), the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA), and other groups, held the first civil rights march in Northern Ireland, from Coalisland to Dungannon. The rally was officially banned, but took place and passed off without incident. The publicity surrounding the march encouraged other protesting groups to form branches of the NICRA.[2]
The Troubles
From 1969 to 2001, a total of 20 people were shot in or near Coalisland during the Troubles. The British Army killed a total of eight people, seven of whom were Provisional Irish Republican Army members and one a Catholic civilian,[3] and the IRA in turn killed five British soldiers, three Royal Ulster Constabulary policemen, one ex-Ulster Defence Regiment soldier, and two Catholic civilians, all in separate incidents. The Ulster Volunteer Force was responsible for the murder of a Catholic civilian in the nearby town of Aughamullan.[4]
Transport
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.
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. Although the train killed 6 ambassadors of Sinn Féin and was forced to close from 1954-1957 the DUP later took pride in the tracks and made a memorial to congratulate Sinn Féin on their loss. This memorial is now known as Eugene Lyttle's and you can now purchase paint there. There is no remains of the railway other than the bridge on the Derry Road and an old goods shed and grown over platforms.[5]
Bus
Daily bus services operated by ulsterbus go through the town every 15–60 minutes:
80 Dungannon-Cookstown via Coalisland
80A Dungannon-Coalisland
80B Dungannon-Coalisland via Newmills
80C Dungannon-Killeen,County Tyrone
80D Stewartsown Carpark via Brocagh
Townlands
Coalisland sprang up in a townland called Brackaville
Education
- Gaelscoil Ui Neill
- Primate Dixon Primary School
- St. John's Primary School
- St Joseph's High School
Sport
- Coalisland Na Fianna is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.
Demography
19th century population
The population of the village increased during the 19th century:[6][7][8][9]
| Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 451 | 627 | 661 | 598 | 677 | 785 |
| Houses | 103 | 120 | 143 | 135 | 159 | 191 |
21st century population
Coalisland is classified by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as a Small Town (i.e. 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.
- 0.0% of people were of a Jewish background.
People
- 1985 Snooker World Champion Dennis Taylor.
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Coalisland. |
- ↑ Ulster-Scots guide to Moira Station – Department of the Environment
- ↑ "A Chronology of the Conflict - 1968". Conflict Archive on the Internet (CAIN). Retrieved 11 July 2009.
- ↑ "Relatives for Justice".
- ↑ "CAIN (Conflict Archive on the Internet) - List of Deaths".
- ↑ "Coalisland station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
- ↑ "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.