Ardstraw (from ga, Ard Sratha (hill or height of the holm or

strath A strath is a large valley, typically a river valley that is wide and shallow (as opposed to a glen, which is typically narrower and deep). Word and etymology An anglicisation of the Gaelic word ''srath'', it is one of many that have been ab ...

)) is a small

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

and

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, three miles northwest of

Newtownstewart Newtownstewart is a village and townland of in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is overlooked by hills called Bessy Bell and Mary Gray and lies on the River Strule below the confluence with its tributary the Owenkillew. It is situated in th ...

. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 222 people (81 houses).

Bishopric

The Diocese of Ardstraw was founded in the 6th century by Saint Eoghan. It is one of the dioceses recognized by the

Synod of Ráth Breasail The Synod of Ráth Breasail (also known as Rathbreasail) (Irish: ''Sionad Ráth Bhreasail'') was an Irish Catholic church council which took place in Ireland in 1111. It marked the transition of the Irish church from a monastic to a diocesan and pa ...

in 1111. Although the 1152

Synod of Kells The Synod of Kells (, ) took place in 1152, under the presidency of Giovanni Cardinal Paparoni, and continued the process begun at the Synod of Ráth Breasail (1111) of reforming the Irish church. The sessions were divided between the abbeys of ...

replaced it in its list of dioceses with that of

Maghera Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster Distric ...

, the seat of which was later moved to

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

, bishops of Ardstraw continued to exist until the early 13th century, when the see was finally united to that of Derry. No longer a residential bishopric it is today listed by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

as a

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbish ...

John de Courcy

In 1198,

John de Courcy {{Infobox noble , image = Sir John de Courcy (1150-1219).jpg , caption = , alt = , more = no , succession = , reign = , predecessor = , successor = , ...

, a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

knight who had invaded

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United King ...

in 1177, destroyed the church of Ardstraw on his way to

Inishowen Inishowen () is a peninsula in the north of County Donegal in Ireland. Inishowen is the largest peninsula on the island of Ireland. The Inishowen peninsula includes Ireland's most northerly point, Malin Head. The Grianan of Aileach, a ringfor ...

Ardstraw townland

The townland is situated in the historic

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

Strabane Lower Strabane Lower (named after Strabane) is a barony in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is bordered by five other baronies in Northern Ireland: North West Liberties of Derry to the north; Tirkeeran to the north-east; Strabane Upper to the eas ...

and the civil parish of Ardstraw and covers an area of 353 acres. The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:

Sport

Ardstraw F.C. plays

association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

in the

Northern Ireland Intermediate League The Northern Ireland Intermediate League is an amateur intermediate league based in the north-west region of Northern Ireland. As one of the leagues in the 4th tier of Northern Irish football, the league champions can be promoted to the NIFL Prem ...

Civil parish of Ardstraw

The parish is largely situated in the historic

and partly in

Omagh West Omagh West (named after Omagh town) is a barony in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is bordered by three other baronies in Northern Ireland: Strabane Lower to the north-east; Omagh East to the east; and Lurg to the south. It also borders t ...

. The parish contains the following towns and villages: *Ardstraw *

Spamount Spamount is a townland (of 88 acres) and small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, near Castlederg. It is situated in the historic barony of Strabane Lower and the civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrati ...

Victoria Bridge Victoria Bridge may be a reference to: Bridges ;Australia * Victoria Bridge, Brisbane, a road bridge across the Brisbane River in Brisbane * Victoria Bridge, Devonport a road ridge across the Mersey River in Devonport, Tasmania * Victoria Bridge, M ...

Townlands

The parish contains the following townlands: *Aghafad, Aghasessy, Altdoghal, Archill, Ardbarren Lower, Ardbarren Upper, Ardstraw *Backhill, Ballought, Ballyfolliard, Ballymullarty, Ballynaloan, Ballyrenan, Barons Court, Beagh, Binnawooda, Birnaghs, Bloomry, Bolaght, Breen, Brocklis, Bunderg, Byturn * Carnaveagh, Carncorran Glebe, Carnkenny, Carrickadartan, Cashty, Castlebane, Cavandarragh, Clady Blair,

Clady Haliday Clady may refer to: *Clady, County Londonderry, a village in Northern Ireland *Clady, County Tyrone, a small village in Northern Ireland * Clady, County Antrim, a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland * Clady, County Armagh, a rural area near ...

, Clady Hood, Clady Johnston, Clady-sproul (also known as Liscreevaghan), Clare Upper, Claremore, County Tyrone, Cloghogle (also known as Glenknock), Cloonty, Concess, Coolaghy, Coolcreaghy, Coolnacrunaght, Coolnaherin Park, Creevy, County Tyrone, Crew Lower, Crew Upper, Crosh, County Tyrone, Croshballinree * Deer Park Lower (also known as Deer Park Old), Deer Park Middle, Deer Park Upper (also known as Deer Park New), Derrygoon,

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

(also known as Ligfordrum), Drumclamph, Drumlegagh, Drumnabey, Drumnahoe, Dunrevan, Dunteige *Envagh, Erganagh *Fyfin *Gallan Lower, Gallan Upper, Garvetagh Lower, Garvetagh Upper, Glasmullagh, Glenglush, Glenknock (also known as Cloghogle), Golan Adams, Golan Hunter, Golan Sproul, Grange *Killeen, Killydart, Killymore, Kilreal Lower, Kilreal Upper, Kilstrule, Knockbrack, Knockiniller, Knockroe *Laragh, Largybeg, Legland, Legnabraid, Letterbin, Lettercarn, Ligfordrum (also known as Douglas), Liscreevaghan (also known as Clady-sproul), Lislafferty, Lisleen, Lisnacreaght, Lisnafin, Lisnatunny Glebe, Listymore, Lurganboy *Magheracoltan, Magheracreggan, Magheralough, Meaghy, Milltown, Moyle Glebe, Mullagh, Mulvin *

*Priestsessagh, Pubble *Rakelly, Ratyn *Scarvagherin, Sessagh of Gallan, Shanog, Shanonny East, Shanonny West, Skinboy, Skinboy Mountain,

, Stonewalls, Stonyfalls, Strahulter, Straletterdallan, *Tamnagh, Tievenny, Tirmegan, Tullymuck *Upperthird, Urbalreagh *Whitehouse

References

{{authority control Villages in County Tyrone Townlands of County Tyrone Catholic titular sees in Europe