Saintfield ()
is a
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 ...
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 authorit ...
in
County Down
County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to th ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...
. It is about halfway between
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
and
Downpatrick
Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be the bu ...
on the
A7 road
A7, A.7, A 7, A07 or A-7 may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* A7, the A dominant seventh chord used in many rock songs, see dominant seventh chord
* A (musical note)
* ''A7'' (mixtape), by SCH, 2015
* Avenged Sevenfold, a hard rock/met ...
. It had a population of 3,381 in the
2011 Census, made up mostly of commuters working in both south and central Belfast, which is about 18 km away. The population of the surrounding countryside is mostly involved in farming.
Running east to west across the A7 is the B6 road, and to the west of this crossroads is Main Street, which takes one towards
Lisburn
Lisburn (; ) is a city in Northern Ireland. It is southwest of Belfast city centre, on the River Lagan, which forms the boundary between County Antrim and County Down. First laid out in the 17th century by English and Welsh settlers, with ...
and
Ballynahinch Ballynahinch may refer to:
Northern Ireland
* Ballynahinch, County Armagh, a townland
*Ballynahinch, County Down, a town
Republic of Ireland
*Ballynahinch (barony), in County Galway
*Ballynahinch, County Galway, a townland in County Galway
* Bally ...
, and to the east is Station Road which takes one towards
Killyleagh
Killyleagh (; ) is a village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the A22 road between Belfast and Downpatrick, on the western side of Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,483 people in the 2001 Census. It is b ...
.
History
The area that is now Saintfield was historically called ''Tawnaghnym'' (recorded in 1605) or ''Taunaghnieve'' (recorded in 1663), which is believed to come from the Irish ''Tamhnach Naomh'' or ''Tamhnaigh Naomh'', meaning "field of saints". The English translation, Saintfield, did not come into use until the 18th century.
In the 16th century, the Saintfield area was part of South
Clannaboy
Clandeboye or Clannaboy (from Irish ''Clann Aodha Buí'', "family of Hugh the Blond") was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin, Northern Ireland. The entity w ...
owned by Sir Con McNeil Oge O'Neil. His lands were confiscated after a false accusation of disloyalty in 1602 and were granted to
Sir James Hamilton in 1605 who 'planted' English and Scottish settlers in the area.
Saintfield was originally an early 17th-century settlement, with the first church being built about 1633.
[ In 1709 Hamilton sold the estate to Major General Nicholas Price of Hollymount, County Down, who laid the foundations of the town and renamed it Saintfield in 1712.][
Nicholas Price remained owner of the village until his death in 1734 and encouraged linen manufacturers and tradesmen to settle, established a barracks, repaired the parish church and established markets and fairs.][ The village had a number of corn, flour and flax mills, the remains of which are visible today, and has retained a tradition of textile manufacture through Saintfield Yarns. Development was continued by the Price family and in 1750 the family, headed by Francis Price, grandson of Nicholas, moved to a newly built Saintfield House, just north of the village.][
Multiple churches were built in the late 1700s. The Price family rebuilt the ]Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
parish church in 1776, including an older church in the construction. The First Presbyterian Church was built one year later despite Presbyterian worship existing since the early 1600s. Society of United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...
members killed at the Battle of Saintfield
The Battle of Saintfield was a short but bloody clash in County Down, in Northern Ireland. The battle was the first major conflict of the Irish Rebellion of 1798 in Down. The battle took place on Saturday, 9 June 1798.
Background
A rebel force, o ...
in June 1798 are buried here. A Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church was built in 1787 as the Chapel of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The Immaculate Heart of Mary () is a Roman Catholic devotional name used to refer to the Catholic view of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love ...
.
A new Roman Catholic Church (Mary Mother of the Church) was built to a Romanesque design and opened in December 1965 off the A7 road. It can seat up to 600 people and was the highpoint of the pastorate of Fr. Hugh O'Neill PP.
A Second Presbyterian Church was built in 1796 on the Ballynahinch Road. The architectural and historic significance of the town centre is reflected in its designation as a Conservation Area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
in 1997.
1798 in Saintfield
In 1792 the Presbyterian minister Thomas Ledlie Birch
Thomas Ledlie Birch (1754–1828) was a Presbyterian minister and radical democrat in the Kingdom of Ireland. Forced into American exile following the suppression of the 1798 rebellion, he wrote ''A Letter from An Irish Emigrant'' (1799).
Ass ...
convened a Saintfield branch of the Society of United Irishmen
The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...
, founded the year before by liberal Protestant in Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
, and moved their first resolutions. These called for "a more equal representation of the people" in the Parliament in Dublin and the recognition of "our brethren Roman Catholics as men deprived of their just rights". Faced with growing repression, the United Irishmen launched a rebellion in 1798, which began with a largely Catholic uprising in Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of Ir ...
but quickly spread to the Presbyterian 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 ...
.
On 9 June 1798, a British force was ambushed in a wood near Saintfield. About 100 men were killed altogether, and the United Irishmen emerged victorious. The headstones of men who were killed in this battle can be seen near the river at the bottom of the First Presbyterian Church graveyard. Following a patriotic sermon delivered by Birch, the insurgents marched south to the main rebel encampment at Ballynahinch, where on 13 June they were routed by government forces. In the aftermath of the battle, Saintfield was sacked and only a few pre-1798 buildings remain.[
The village was subsequently rebuilt. In 1802 the Price family residence in Main Street was converted to an inn. In 1803 the Market House was built. The White Horse Inn was also built and almshouses in 1813. However, the village declined from the mid-19th century, with population reducing from 923 in 1851 to 533 just before the First World War.][
]
Places of interest
* Rowallane Garden
Rowallane Garden is a National Trust property located immediately south of Saintfield, County Down, Northern Ireland on the A7 road. It is particularly noted for its extensive collection of azaleas and rhododendrons. It is also home to the Nati ...
is situated immediately south of the village on the A7 road and is a National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
property.
* Many of the buildings on the main street have old stables and courtyards behind them.
From Lewis Topographical Dictionary (1837):
''The proprietor and lord of the manor, N. Price, Esq., improved the town in 1802, when he erected a large market-house and hotel, since which time Saintfield has been rapidly improving, and is now one of the most flourishing towns in the county.''
* The Market House (now an Orange Hall) and the Hotel (now a private house) can be seen on Main Street.
Demography
Saintfield is classified as an intermediate settlement by th
NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
(i.e. with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people).
On Census day there were 3,381 people living in Saintfield. Of these:
*19.48% were aged under 16 years and 21.83% were aged 60 and over,
*48.4% of the population were male and 51.6% were female,
*26.32% were from a Catholic
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 ...
background and 65.48% were from a Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
background,
For more details on Saintfield's demographics see
NI Neighbourhood Information Service
* In 1837 the population of Saintfield area was 7,154 of whom 1,053 lived in the town.
* In 1851 the population of Saintfield rose to 1,104.
People
* Thomas Beattie MP, Member of the Canadian House of Commons, born in Saintfield.
* Lynda Bryans, Television Presenter, from Saintfield.
* Matilda Carse
Matilda B. Carse (November 19, 1835 – June 3, 1917) was an Irish-born American businesswoman, social reformer, publisher, and leader of the temperance movement. With Frances E. Willard and Lady Henry Somerset, Carse helped to found the Woman's ...
(1835–1917), businesswoman, social reformer.
* Lord Faulkner, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, died in a hunting accident at the Ballyagherty/Station Road junction just outside Saintfield.
* Francis Hutcheson, philosopher & teacher born at Drumalig.
* William David Kenny
William David Kenny VC (1 February 1899 – 2 January 1920) was a British Indian Army officer and an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealt ...
, born in 1899 in Saintfield, was awarded the Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
for gallantry in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in 1918.
* Bishop Daniel Mageean
Bishop Daniel Mageean D.D. 6 May 1882 – 17 January 1962 was an Irish Roman Catholic Prelate and until 1962 he held the title Lord Bishop of Down and Connor.
Early life and priestly ministry
Daniel Mageean was born in the townland of Darragh ...
, Bishop of Down & Connor, born at Darragh Cross.
* George Morrison, Unionist politician and Mayor of Lisburn, raised in Saintfield.
* Rev. Coslett Herbert Waddell, Vicar of Saintfield, botanist.
Religion
Despite being a relatively small town, Saintfield is served by five well-attended churches: the local Church of Ireland, two Presbyterian churches, Saintfield Baptist Church and Mary, Mother of the Church Roman Catholic Church.
Education
Saintfield contains two primary schools 'Saintfield Academy Primary' and 'St. Marys' and one secondary school 'Saintfield High School', with a large amount of its under-18 population travelling to schools in Downpatrick
Downpatrick () is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the Lecale peninsula, about south of Belfast. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the Dál Fiatach, the main ruling dynasty of Ulaid. Its cathedral is said to be the bu ...
, Ballynahinch Ballynahinch may refer to:
Northern Ireland
* Ballynahinch, County Armagh, a townland
*Ballynahinch, County Down, a town
Republic of Ireland
*Ballynahinch (barony), in County Galway
*Ballynahinch, County Galway, a townland in County Galway
* Bally ...
or Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
.
Primary
* Academy Primary School
* St. Caolan's Primary School, Darragh Cross
* Millennium Integrated Primary School
* St. Mary's Primary School
Secondary
* Saintfield High School
Sport
* Saintfield AYC Football Club
* Saintfield Cricket Club
Saintfield Cricket Club is a cricket club in Saintfield, County Down, Northern Ireland, playing in League 1 of the NCU Senior League.
Honours
*NCU Junior Cup: 1
**2003
References
External linksSaintfield Cricket Club
Cricket clubs in ...
* Saintfield Mens Hockey Club
* Saintfield Ladies Hockey Club
* Saintfield United Football Club
* 2nd Saintfield Badminton Club
* St. Mochais GAC
Groups
*1st Saintfield Scouts is based in Saintfield Parish hall with a great attendance. They celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2011 just 4 years after the Scouts was founded.
*Rowallane Community Hub (RCH), 35 Main Street, Saintfield.
*Cumann Gaelach - Crois Darach agus Tamhnaigh Naomh
Transport
Saintfield railway station
Saintfield railway station was on the Belfast and County Down Railway which ran from Belfast to Newcastle, County Down in Northern Ireland.
History
The station was opened by the Belfast and County Down Railway on 10 September 1858.
The stati ...
opened on 10 September 1858 and finally closed on 16 January 1950.
The current main mode of transport is from the end of the main street on the A21/A7 which is a Translink service, Ulsterbus
Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink, the brand name for the subsidiary operating companies of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, which also ...
operates frequently to and from Belfast/Downpatrick.
See also
*Saintfield (civil parish)
Saintfield is a civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is situated in the historic barony of Castlereagh Upper.
Settlements
The civil parish contains the village of Saintfield.
Townlands
The civil parish contains the following townland ...
References
* ''Saintfield Heritage'' - a publication of th
Saintfield Heritage Society
Books 1 - 7. Book 7
External links
DiscoverSaintfield.co.uk
{{authority control
Villages in County Down
Civil parish of Saintfield