Stewartstown, County Tyrone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Stewartstown
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 Looking north towards the main street |
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 Stewartstown
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| Population | 650 (2011 Census) |
| Irish grid reference | H8570 |
| • Belfast | 30 mi (48 km) |
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| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | DUNGANNON |
| Postcode district | BT71 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament |
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| NI Assembly |
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Stewartstown is a village in Northern Ireland. It is located near the western shore of Lough Neagh. The village is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Cookstown. It is also about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Coalisland and 11 kilometers (7 miles) from Dungannon.
Scottish settlers, known as Planters, founded Stewartstown in the early 1600s. Its population grew to over 1000 people before the Great Famine in the 1840s. In the 2011 Census, the village had 650 residents. Stewartstown used to be in County Tyrone. Today, it is part of the Mid Ulster area.
Contents
History of Stewartstown
Early Beginnings in the 1600s
Stewartstown gets its name from Andrew Steuart (or Stewart). He was a Lord from Scotland. In the early 1600s, King James I of England gave him land in the Ulster Plantation. In 1608, Andrew Steuart arrived with 33 people from Scotland. He built a strong stone fort, called a bawn, overlooking Lough Roughan. His son later turned this bawn into a castle. This was the start of the village.
The Irish name for Stewartstown is An Chraobh. This means "the branch tree." It can also mean a fort or a large house. This name is still used for Crew Hill, just north of the village.
Changes in Power and Rebellions
After Andrew Steuart died in 1629, Roughan Castle went to his cousin, Robert Stewart. Robert Stewart was related to the Irish O'Neills. During the 1641 Rising, he joined the rebels. But later, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, he switched sides and joined King Charles II.
In 1653, after the Cromwellian reconquest, a rebel leader named Felim O’Neill hid on an old island fort, called a crannog, in Lough Roughan. He was captured there, and many of his followers drowned. This was similar to what Hugh O'Neill did in 1607. He also took shelter before leaving Ireland in what is known as the Flight of the Earls.
In 1689, the army of King James II camped by Lough Roughan. They were on their way to Derry. After their defeat, the Anglican church, St Patrick, was built in 1694. King William III ordered it to be built.
Stewartstown in the 1700s
In 1784, during the American War of Independence, a local group called the Yankee Club of Stewartstown sent a message to George Washington. This group was part of the Irish Volunteers. Their message, written by a local minister, said they were happy America had become free. They believed America's fight helped Ireland too. George Washington sent his thanks back.
Later, news of the French Revolution made many people want changes in Ireland. In 1798, there was an uprising by the Society of United Irishmen. In Stewartstown, local soldiers, called yeomanry, fought against the Kerry Militia. The Kerry Militia were Catholic soldiers sent by the government. Several people died on both sides. A building called "Kerry House" and a headstone in the Catholic graveyard remember this event.
Life in the 1800s
In 1837, a book called Topographical Dictionary of Ireland described Stewartstown. It called the village "a highly respectable and flourishing little market-town." The book said the town had a large square and three main streets. The houses were well-built and looked cheerful. A nice market-house stood in the center.
Stewartstown used to be a big center for making linen cloth. Even in 1837, some linen business was still happening. The town also got income from selling lime, which was dug from nearby quarries. Its location on a main road helped it trade with other areas.
A new Catholic church, St Mary's, had just been finished. It replaced an older, smaller chapel. Two miles away was Stewart Hall, a large estate. This was the home of Earl Castle-Stewart, who got his title from this area.
By 1910, Stewartstown had 699 people. It had its own railway station, which closed in 1956. It also had a post office and six churches. Before the Great Famine in the 1840s, the village had 1,082 people. Many people left Ireland after the famine.
The land around Stewartstown was very good for farming. Farmers used local limestone and peat to make the soil better. However, farmers often did not own the land they worked. This changed after the Land Acts in the late 1800s. These laws allowed tenants to buy their farms. Church records show that families started staying on their farms for many generations after this. The records also show that wealthy families who owned the land began to move away.
Stewartstown in the 1900s
A war memorial in the village square lists 28 local people who died in World War I. Most of them served in Irish army groups.
After the war, the Irish Republican Army was active in the area. In 1922, they burned Roxborough Castle. This was the home of the Earl of Charlemont. He was a leader in Ireland before it was divided. He then used Drumcairne House near Stewartstown for visits. This house was smaller, showing that the power of the old land-owning families was decreasing.
Stewartstown was managed by Tyrone County Council from 1899 until 1973. Since 2011, it has been part of the Mid-Ulster area.
Places of Interest
Outside the village, you can find the remains of Roughan Castle. It is a small, square building with three levels. It has a central tower and thick round towers at each corner. These corner towers become square rooms on the upper floors. There was also an underground passage beneath the castle. The ground floor of each tower has openings for guns.
Amenities
Stewartstown has a doctor's surgery. It serves people from nearby areas like Ardboe, Coalisland, Brockagh, Clonoe, and Newmills.
Local Schools
- Ballytrea Primary School
- St. Mary's Primary School, 22 West Street. This is a Catholic primary school.
- Stewartstown Primary School
Transport
- Stewartstown railway station opened on 28 July 1879. It stopped taking passengers on 16 January 1956. The station closed completely on 1 June 1958.
Population Information
On Census Day (27 March 2011), Stewartstown had 650 people living there. This was a small part of Northern Ireland's total population.
- About 19.5% of the people were under 16 years old.
- About 15.5% were 65 years old or older.
- About 49.4% of the population were male.
- About 50.6% were female.
- About 75.8% were from a Catholic background.
- About 23.7% were from a Protestant or other Christian background.
See also
In Spanish: Stewartstown para niños
