Bessbrook facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bessbrook
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 Bessbrook from the east, with the Craigmore Viaduct in the foreground |
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| Population | 2,892 (2021 Census) |
| Irish grid reference | J048287 |
| • Belfast | 39 miles (63 km) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWRY |
| Postcode district | BT35 |
| Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament |
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| NI Assembly |
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Bessbrook (in Irish: An Sruthán) is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is about 5 kilometers (3 miles) northwest of Newry. The village is close to the main A1 Belfast-Dublin road and the Belfast-Dublin railway line.
Bessbrook is known as a 'model village'. It was carefully planned and built by the Richardson family. In 2021, about 2,892 people lived there.
Contents
A Village with a Plan: Bessbrook's History
Bessbrook gets its name from Elizabeth or Bess Nicholson. She was the wife of Joseph Nicholson. His family ran a linen business in the area for many years. The 'brook' part of the name comes from a small stream nearby.
How Bessbrook Was Founded
Bessbrook was started in 1845 by John Grubb Richardson. He was a Quaker and wanted to create a special 'model village'. This village was built around a large linen mill owned by his family. The streets and squares were designed to be spacious and well-organized.
The linen industry was very important in the 18th and 19th centuries. It helped many Quaker families in Ulster become wealthy. Bessbrook was a social experiment, much like Bournville in England. Bournville was a company town founded by the Cadbury family. Bessbrook was actually built more than 30 years before Bournville.
The "Three P's" of Bessbrook
John Grubb Richardson had a special idea for his village. He believed there should be no public houses (pubs), no pawn shops, and therefore no need for police. He thought that without alcohol, people would not need to pawn their belongings. This would also mean less crime.
Even today, there are no pubs in Bessbrook. There are also no pawn shops. A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) station was in the village until 2012. Most people in Bessbrook supported this idea. In the 1870s, they voted to keep the village free of pubs and alcohol.
In 1885, a special tramway opened in Bessbrook. It was powered by water electricity. This tramway connected Bessbrook to Newry.
Life in the Model Village
Bessbrook linen was once famous around the world. The linen mill gave most people in the village their jobs. Houses were built for the mill workers. Many of these homes were so well-made that people still live in them today.
Each house also had a small garden plot for growing vegetables. This area is still called 'The Gardens'. Most buildings in Bessbrook are made from local granite.
Northern Ireland often has communities that are separated by religion. But Bessbrook is unusual because it has a mix of different Christian groups. These include Anglicans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Roman Catholics. John G. Richardson made sure that land was available for different places of worship. He also made sure that the schools were free of sectarianism, meaning they treated everyone fairly. The village also has a Quaker meeting house.
John G. Richardson built good quality housing for his workers. He even brought in poor and untrained people to work. He believed this would help them improve their lives. Each house had three to five rooms.
There was a school in Bessbrook. It was funded by parents paying a small fee and by the Bessbrook Spinning Company. The village also had a dispensary, which was like a small clinic. Workers paid into a medical club, and the company helped pay for a doctor.
Bessbrook had a Temperance Hotel. This was a social center where people could read newspapers, play games, and smoke. There was also a Co-Operative store and a farm that supplied milk.
Bessbrook During the Troubles
The Troubles was a difficult time in Northern Ireland. Bessbrook saw a lot of violence during this period. The old linen mill was turned into a large military base by the British Army.
A special helicopter landing area was built. This was used to supply other military posts nearby. Roads were too dangerous because of landmines. At one point, Bessbrook's small village was said to be the busiest helicopter airport in Europe.
After the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998, things became much calmer. Road restrictions were lifted, and there was less military presence. The local police station closed in 2012. In 2007, the British Army left Bessbrook completely. This marked the end of their military presence in the area.
Interesting Places to Visit
Craigmore Viaduct
On the edge of Bessbrook is the Craigmore Viaduct. Locals call it the "Eighteen Arches." It was built in 1851 by John Benjamin Macneill. This huge bridge still carries the Dublin-Belfast railway line. It has eighteen arches, each about 20 meters (60 feet) high. It stretches for about 500 meters (quarter of a mile). For a long time, it was the longest bridge in Ireland. It is built from local granite.
Derrymore House
Derrymore House is a property owned by the National Trust. It is open to the public. It's an 18th-century house with a thatched roof. It sits in over 100 acres of parkland and woods. The important Act of Union was drafted in this house in 1800.
Bessbrook's Population
Bessbrook is considered an Intermediate Settlement. This means it has a population between 2,500 and 4,999 people.
What the 2021 Census Showed
On March 21, 2021, there were 2,892 people living in Bessbrook.
- About 80% of people were from a Catholic background.
- About 14% were from a Protestant or other Christian background.
- When asked about their national identity, about 61% said they had an Irish national identity. About 16% said British, and about 23% said Northern Irish. People could choose more than one identity.
Schools in Bessbrook
The schools in the area include:
- Bessbrook Primary School
- St. Joseph's Primary School
- St. Paul's High School
- St. Peter's Primary School, Cloughreagh
Famous People from Bessbrook
- Dominic Bradley – a former politician
- Eddie Carroll (1901–1975) – an Irish footballer
- Samuel George Hobson (1870–1940) – a founder of the Independent Labour Party
- Danny Kennedy – a Unionist politician
- Conor McGinn – a Labour Member of Parliament (MP)
- John Grubb Richardson (1813–1891) – the person who founded Bessbrook
Images for kids
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Bessbrook from the east, with the Craigmore Viaduct in the foreground
See also
In Spanish: Bessbrook para niños
