Castlewellan
Castlewellan
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 Castlewellan village, from the "Peace Maze" |
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| Castlewellan shown within County Down | |
| Population | 2,392 (2001 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | BT31 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Castlewellan (from Irish Caisleán Uidhilín, meaning 'Uidhilín's castle') is a village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is beside Castlewellan Lake and Slievenaslat mountain, 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Downpatrick. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Slieve Croob. It had a population of 2,392 people in the 2001 Census.
Castlewellan has a wide main street which runs through two main squares lined with chestnut trees. The town was designed by a French architect for the Annesley Family. The Annesley family did not always own the land as they bought it from The Maginess Family. (see Earl Annesley), then owners of what is now Castlewellan Christian Conference Centre and Forest Park, and is unique within Ireland due to its tree lined squares both in the old town (upper square) and new town (lower square) as well as its very wide main street. The old market house in the upper square was built in 1764 and now houses the public library.
12 July 1849 saw the Dolly's Brae conflict. After learning that an attack upon their parade was planned, up to 1400 armed Orangemen marched from Rathfriland to Tollymore Park near Castlewellan, County Down. When 1000 armed Ribbonmen attacked them on their homeward journey, shots were fired, Catholic homes were burnt and about 80 Ribbonmen killed.
For more information see The Troubles in Castlewellan, which includes a list of incidents in Castlewellan during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
Castlewellan throughout the course of The Troubles, had a significant paramilitary presence in the Village, mostly through the presence of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA)
In January 2009 a 300 lb car bomb was abandoned outside Castlewellan. It had been destined for the British Army base at Ballykinler. Óglaigh na hÉireann, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying that it had planned to drive the bomb through the gates of the barracks before detonating it.
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Wikipedia