Portadown (80), September 2009
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Portadown ( ) is a town in
County Armagh County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. The town is based on the
River Bann The River Bann (from , meaning "the goddess"; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is the longest rivers, river in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). The total length ...
in the north of the county, about southwest of
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
. It is in the
Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is a local authority that was established on 1 April 2015. It replaced Armagh City and District Council, Banbridge District Council and Craigavon Borough Council. The first elections to the ...
area and had a population of about 32,000 at the 2021 Census. For some purposes, Portadown is treated as part of the "Craigavon Urban Area", alongside
Craigavon Craigavon ( ) is a town in north County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was a planned settlement, begun in 1965, and named after the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland: James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon. It was intended to be the heart of ...
and
Lurgan Lurgan () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and roughly southwest of Belfast. The town is linked to Belfast by both the M1 motorway (Northern Ireland), M1 motorway and the Belfast–Dublin rail ...
. Although Portadown was founded during the early 17th century English
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
, it was not until the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
and the arrival of the railway that it developed as a major town. It earned the nickname "hub of the North" because it was a major railway junction; here the Great Northern Railway's line diverged for Belfast,
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
,
Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland â€“ the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...
and
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Portadown was also a major centre for the production of textiles (mainly
linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...
). Portadown is the site of the long-running Drumcree dispute.
Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
have protested the yearly marches through a majority Catholic part of town by the
Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...
, who are celebrating the 1690 victory over King James II (a Catholic) by William of Orange at the
Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne ( ) took place in 1690 between the forces of the deposed King James II, and those of King William III who, with his wife Queen Mary II (his cousin and James's daughter), had acceded to the Crowns of England and Sc ...
. Often violence and protests have been sparked by this event. In the 1990s, the dispute escalated and the government responded with a massive security operation, drawing worldwide attention to Portadown..


History


Early history and Plantation of Ulster

The Portadown area had long been populated by Irish Gaels. At the beginning of the 1600s, this area was within the district of Clancann (''Clann Chana''), which was part of the larger territory of
Oneilland Oneilland () is the name of a former barony in County Armagh, present-day Northern Ireland. It covers the northern area of the county bordering the south-eastern shoreline of Lough Neagh. At some stage the barony was divided into Oneilland Eas ...
(''Uí Nialláin''). This district was named after the dominant local
clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
—the McCanns ('' Mac Cana'')—who had occupied the area since before the 13th century. The McCanns were then a
vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
sept A sept () is a division of a family, especially of a Scottish or Irish family. The term is used both in Scotland and in Ireland, where it may be translated as Irish , meaning "progeny" or "seed", and may indicate the descendants of a person ...
of the O'Neills (''Uí Néill''). On the eastern banks of the River Bann was the district of Clanbrasil (''Clann Bhreasail''). The town's name comes from the Irish ''Port a' Dúnáin'' (or, more formally, ''Port an Dúnáin''), meaning the port or landing place of the small fort. This was likely a fort of the McCanns. From 1594 until 1603, the O'Neills and an alliance of other clans fought in the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...
against the English
Tudor conquest of Ireland Ireland was conquered by the Tudor monarchs of England in the 16th century. The Anglo-Normans had Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, conquered swathes of Ireland in the late 12th century, bringing it under Lordship of Ireland, English rule. In t ...
. This ended in defeat for the Irish clans, and the
Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
seized and redistributed much of their land. In 1608,
King James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...
began the
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
– the organised colonisation of the region by Protestant settlers from
Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...
, known as 'planters'. In 1610, as part of the Plantation, the lands of Portadown were granted to William Powell. In 1611, he sold his grant of land to Reverend Richard Rolleston, who in turn sold it in two portions to Richard Cope and Michael Obins. Obins built a large
Elizabethan The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The Roman symbol of Britannia (a female per ...
-style mansion for himself and his family, and a number of houses nearby for English tenants. This mansion was in the area of the present-day Woodside estate. The present-day People's Park was part of its grounds. The park is now bounded on either side by Obins Street and Castle Street, both of which are references to "Obins' Castle". In 1631, Obins was granted a licence for a "fair and market". He built the first bridge across the River Bann shortly thereafter.


Irish rebellion of 1641

During the
Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...
, Obins Castle was captured by a force of dispossessed Irish led by the McCanns, Magennises and O'Neills. In November 1641, Irish rebels—likely under the command of Toole McCann—killed about 100 captured British settlers by forcing them off the Bann bridge and shooting those who swam ashore. This became known among British Protestants as the " Portadown massacre" and was one of the worst atrocities of the rebellion. It fuelled revenge killings by the English during the conflict that followed and was used to justify the
Cromwellian conquest of Ireland The Cromwellian conquest of Ireland (1649–1653) was the re-conquest of Ireland by the Commonwealth of England, initially led by Oliver Cromwell. It forms part of the 1641 to 1652 Irish Confederate Wars, and wider 1639 to 1653 Wars of the Three ...
. The Irish Confederate troops abandoned Obins Castle during the Cromwellian conquest. Hamlet Obins (who had survived its capture) repossessed it in 1652. It was later passed to his son, Anthony Obins.


Industrialisation

In 1741, Anthony Obins was involved with development of the
Newry Canal The Newry Canal is an abandoned canal in Northern Ireland. Opened in 1742, it was built to link the Tyrone coalfields to the Irish Sea. The navigable route ran from Lough Neagh via the Upper Bann river to Portadown (approximated 9 miles), then ...
. He was succeeded by Michael Obins in 1750. The latter set up a linen market in Portadown in 1762, which laid the foundations of Portadown's major industry. Michael Obins died in 1798 and left a son, Michael Eyre Obins, to succeed him. In 1814, Eyre Obins took holy orders; he sold the estate to the Sparrow family of
Tandragee Tandragee () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is on a hillside above the Cusher River, and is overlooked by Tandragee Castle. The town is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Ballymore, County Armagh, Ballymore and t ...
. George Montagu, 6th Duke of Manchester (known as Viscount Mandeville) married Millicent Sparrow in 1822 and came into possession of the estate. This family's legacy in the town includes such street names as Montagu Street, Millicent Crescent and Mandeville Street, and buildings such as the Fergus Hall (formerly the Duke's School and Church Street PS), and the Carleton Home. (Formerly the Duke's townhouse, this was later used as a maternity hospital/nurses accommodation. It has since been adapted as private apartments). The Blacker family, descended from Danes who had invaded and settled in Ireland in the 9th century, founded an estate at Carrick, on the Portadown– Gilford road. The land had been bought by Colonel Valentine Blacker from Sir Anthony Cope of
Loughgall Loughgall ( ; ) is a small village, townland (of 131 acres) and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the historic Barony (Ireland), baronies of Armagh (barony), Armagh and Oneilland West. It had a ...
. It became known as Carrickblacker, and is now the site of Portadown Golf Club. One of the notables in the Blacker family, Colonel William Blacker, High Sheriff of Armagh, took part in the " Battle of the Diamond" and was a founding member of the
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...
. This, and subsequent events such as the founding of a 'provisional' Grand Lodge in the town after the 'voluntary' dissolution of the Order in 1825, led to the town being known as 'The Orange Citadel'. It was a center of sectarian strife for two centuries. Many of the Blacker family were soldiers or churchmen. The family estate was purchased in 1937 by Portadown Golf Club. In 1988 the club demolished Carrickblacker House to make way for a new clubhouse.


World War II

A large prisoner-of-war (POW) camp was built at Portadown during World War II. It was at the site of a former sports facility on what was then the western edge of town. This area is now covered by housing from Fitzroy Street and the Brownstown Estates. The camp housed (mostly)
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
POWs. For a time these POWs were guarded by Welsh servicemen (known as "Bluecaps") who had been transferred from assignments with troops in Germany. They were billeted at St Patrick's Hall in Thomas Street. The local newspaper carried a story of another POW camp, adjacent to Killicomaine Castle (also known as Irwin's Castle), in what was then known as "Cullen's Lane" but is now called "Princess Way". That area was later part of the Killicomaine estate, housing built in 1954 and largely contemporary with other estates built by the then Portadown Borough Council and the former Northern Ireland Housing Trust (now called the
Northern Ireland Housing Executive The Northern Ireland Housing Executive is the public housing authority for Northern Ireland. It is Northern Ireland's largest social housing landlord, and the enforcing authority for those parts of housing orders that involve houses with multiple ...
). A third camp was built on the Carrickblacker estate towards the end of World War II, possibly as an overflow for the nearby Elmfield Camp in Gilford. It was used as accommodation for Allied troops and no Axis POWs were ever imprisoned there. In 2005, a public
air-raid shelter Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of non-combatants as well as combatants against enemy attacks from the air. They are similar to bunkers in many regards, although they are not designed to defend against ground attack (but ...
was uncovered during excavation works near the riverbank just outside the town centre. One of ten built by the council during World War II, it is one of only two now remaining. The other is at the new roundabout on the Gilford Road. These are rare examples of public air raid shelters in Northern Ireland.


The Troubles

During
the Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
, there were numerous shootings, bombings and riots in Portadown. The conflict led to the deaths of 45 people in the town.An Index of Deaths from the Conflict in Ireland
Conflict Archive on the Internet CAIN (Conflict Archive on the Internet) is a database containing information about conflict and politics in Northern Ireland from 1968 to the present. The project began in 1996, with the website launching in 1997. The project is based within U ...
(CAIN).
Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
killed 25 people: eighteen Catholic civilians, three Protestant civilians, two members of the security forces, a republican paramilitary and a loyalist paramilitary.
Irish republicans Irish republicanism () is the political movement for an Irish republic, void of any British rule. Throughout its centuries of existence, it has encompassed various tactics and identities, simultaneously elective and militant and has been both w ...
killed 18 people: nine members of the security forces, one loyalist paramilitary, seven Protestant civilians and one Catholic civilian. The security forces killed one Protestant civilian, and another loyalist was killed by his own bomb. In 1993 and 1998, the town centre was devastated by two large
car bomb A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles. Car bombs can be roug ...
s planted by republicans. The Troubles resulted in the town becoming residentially segregated: the northwestern part of the town became almost wholly populated by the Catholic/
Irish nationalist Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cult ...
minority, while the rest of the town became almost wholly Protestant/ unionist.McKay, Susan.
Northern Protestants: An Unsettled People – Portadown
'. Blackstaff Press (2000).
Portadown's 'Catholic district' is now bordered by the railway line and by a security barrier ("
peace wall The peace lines or peace walls are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate predominantly Irish republican or nationalist Catholic neighbourhoods from predominantly British loyalist or unionist Protestant neigh ...
") along Corcrain Road. The Troubles also intensified the long-running Drumcree marching dispute, over Orange marches through the Catholic part of town. Each July from 1995 to 2000, the dispute drew worldwide attention as it sparked protests and violence throughout Northern Ireland, prompted a massive
police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...
/
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
operation, and threatened to derail the
peace process A peace process is the set of political sociology, sociopolitical negotiations, agreements and actions that aim to solve a specific armed conflict. Definitions Prior to an armed conflict occurring, peace processes can include the prevention of ...
. When the Army sealed off the Catholic part of Portadown with large steel, concrete and barbed-wire barricades, the situation was reported by news media as like a "war zone" and a "siege". Each summer, during the " marching season", there are many Protestant/loyalist marches in the town. Loyalists put up numerous
flags A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and flags have ...
and raise
arches An arch is a curved vertical structure span (engineering), spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th mill ...
over some streets. These marches, and the raising of these flags and arches near the homes of Catholic families, continues to be a source of tension and sometimes a catalyst for violence. Community leaders in Portadown have been involved with the Ulster Project since it began in 1975. The project involves teenagers from both of Northern Ireland's main communities. The goal is to foster goodwill and friendship between them. Each year, a group of teenagers are chosen to travel to the United States, where they stay with an American family for a few weeks.


Geography

Portadown is located in a relatively flat part of
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
, near the southern shore of
Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of and is about long and wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 4 ...
. Two small
wetland A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
areas are on the outskirts of the town; one at Selshion in the west and another at Annagh in the south. The Ballybay River flows into the town from the west before joining the River Bann.


River Bann

Most of the town is built on the western side of the
River Bann The River Bann (from , meaning "the goddess"; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is the longest rivers, river in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). The total length ...
, which supported its industry and prosperity. Construction in 1740 of the Newry Canal (linking Carlingford Lough with Lough Neagh) enabled Portadown to become a hub for the water traffic between Newry and Belfast. There are three bridges across the river at Portadown. Bridge Street and Northway are both road bridges, and there is a railway bridge beside the Northway. The 'Bann Bridge' on Bridge Street is the oldest. It was unusual in that it was built over dry earth. After the bridge was completed, the course of the River Bann was diverted by some 100 yards to straighten a
meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the Channel (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...
and run under the bridge. The old riverbed was then built upon. In the 21st century, an archaeological dig in the area of the old riverbed uncovered the bones of some of those who were drowned in the 1641 massacre in the town.


Townlands

Like the rest of Ireland, the Portadown area has long been divided into
townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
s, whose names came mostly from the
Irish language Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...
. Portadown sprang up along a road (High Street/Market Street) that marked the boundary between two of these – Tavanagh and Corcrain. Over time, the surrounding townlands have been built upon and they have given their names to many roads and housing estates. The following is a list of townlands within Portadown's urban area, alongside their likely
etymologies Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
: West bank of the River Bann (parish of Drumcree): *Annagh () *Ballyoran (from ''Baile Uaráin'' meaning "townland of the spring") *Baltylum (from ''Bailte Loma'' meaning "bare townlands") *Clounagh or Clownagh (from ''Cluaineach '' meaning "place of the water-meadow") *Corcrain (from ''Corr Chrainn'' meaning "round hill of the tree") *Garvaghy (from ''Garbh Achadh'' meaning "rough field") *Mahon or Maghon (from ''Maigh Ghamhan'' meaning "plain of the calves") *Selshion (from ''Soilseán'' meaning "shining place") *Tavanagh (from ''Tamhnach'' meaning "grassland") East bank of the River Bann (parish of Seagoe): *Ballyhannon (from ''Baile Uí Sheanacháin'' meaning " O'Shannon's townland") *Bocombra (formerly ''Bocomra'', from ''Bac Iomarach'' meaning "ridged bank") *Edenderry (from ''Éadan Doire'' meaning "hill-brow of the oak grove") *Kernan (formerly ''Kerhanan'', from ''Caorthannán'' meaning "place of
rowan The rowans ( or ) or mountain-ashes are shrubs or trees in the genus ''Sorbus'' of the rose family, Rosaceae. They are native throughout the cool temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, with the highest species diversity in the Himalaya ...
s") *Killycomain or Killicomain (from ''Coill Uí Chomáin'' meaning "Ó Comáin's woodland") *Levaghery (from ''Leathmhachaire'' meaning "half plain") *Lisnisky (from ''Lios an Uisce'' meaning "
ringfort Ringforts or ring forts are small circular fortification, fortified settlements built during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and early Middle Ages up to about the year 1000 AD. They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland. There are ...
of the water") – the fields in Lisnisky separate Portadown from Craigavon * Seagoe Upper (from ''Suidhe Gobha'' meaning "seat of Gobhan")


Climate

The climate of Portadown is like that of much of the rest of the UK and Ireland, being a
temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...
oceanic climate. It has mild temperatures throughout the year. historically summer temperatures have not reached levels to be deemed very hot and winter not very cold, but climate change has resulted in more extreme temperatures in the 21st century. Summer temperatures can reach more than though it is rare for them to go higher than . The consistently humid climate that prevails over Ireland can make these temperatures feel uncomfortable when they stray into the high 20s °C (80–85 Â°F), more so than similar temperatures in hotter but drier climates in the rest of Europe. It also receives a steady amount of rainfall throughout the year.


Demography

For census purposes, Portadown is not treated as a separate entity by the
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA, ) is an executive agency within the Department of Finance (Northern Ireland), Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The organisation is responsible for the collection and publicat ...
(NISRA). Instead, it is combined with Craigavon,
Lurgan Lurgan () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and roughly southwest of Belfast. The town is linked to Belfast by both the M1 motorway (Northern Ireland), M1 motorway and the Belfast–Dublin rail ...
and Bleary to form the "Craigavon Urban Area". However, a fairly accurate population count can be arrived at by combining the data of the electoral wards that make up Portadown. These wards are Annagh, Ballybay, Ballyoran, Brownstown, Corcrain, Edenderry, Killycomain and Tavanagh. On the day of the last census (21 March 2021), the combined population of these wards was 32,926.Northern Ireland Census 2021 – Religion or Religion Brought Up In: KS212NI (administrative geographies)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA, ) is an executive agency within the Department of Finance (Northern Ireland), Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The organisation is responsible for the collection and publicat ...
(NISRA).

Of this population: *17,063 (51.8%) were Protestant or from a Protestant background *12,205 (37.0%) were Catholic or from a Catholic background *3,658 (11.2%) were of other religious backgrounds or no religious background. On the day of the census (21 March 2011) the combined population of these wards was 22,899.Northern Ireland Census 2011 – Religion or Religion Brought Up In: KS212NI (administrative geographies)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA, ) is an executive agency within the Department of Finance (Northern Ireland), Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The organisation is responsible for the collection and publicat ...
(NISRA).

Of this population: *13,957 (60.9%) were Protestant or from a Protestant background *7,300 (31.8%) were Catholic or from a Catholic background *1,642 (7.3%) were of other religious backgrounds or no religious background. Immigrants make up about 8% of the town's population, many of whom come from
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic connotations. Its eastern boundary is marked by the Ural Mountain ...
, and
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. Some have also come from
East Timor Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, and
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. On the day of the last census (21 March 2021), the combined ethnic groups of these wards are:Northern Ireland Census 2021 – Ethnic Group
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA, ) is an executive agency within the Department of Finance (Northern Ireland), Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The organisation is responsible for the collection and publicat ...
(NISRA).

*30,799 (93.5%) were White (including White British, White Irish and other white groups) *1,025 (3.11%) were Black or British Black *560 (1.7%) were Asian or British Asian (including South Asian, East Asian and Filipino) *542 (1.6%) were other ethnic group (included mixed).


Governance

Portadown is part of the Upper Bann constituency for elections to the
Northern Ireland Assembly The Northern Ireland Assembly (; ), often referred to by the metonym ''Stormont'', is the devolved unicameral legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliam ...
and
Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, and may also legislate for the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace ...
. The boundaries of the
Assembly constituency An electoral (congressional, legislative, etc.) district, sometimes called a constituency, riding, or ward, is a geographical portion of a political unit, such as a country, state or province, city, or administrative region, created to provi ...
and Parliament constituency are identical. This has long been a safe unionist seat. Portadown came under the governance of Portadown Borough Council following the
Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 ( 61 & 62 Vict. c. 37) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland that established a system of local government in Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots diale ...
. This was abolished with the
Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 The Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971 (c. 9 (N.I.)) was an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland, passed in 1971 to replace the previous system of local authorities established by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1 ...
and the
Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 The Local Government (Northern Ireland) Act 1972 (c. 9 (N.I.)) was an act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland that constituted district councils to administer the twenty-six local government districts created by the Local Government (Bounda ...
. Henceforth, the town had been under the jurisdiction of the larger
Craigavon Borough Council Craigavon Borough Council was a local council in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim, in Northern Ireland. It merged with Armagh City and District Council and Banbridge District Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Nor ...
. However, after local government reform, the town is now part of one of Northern Ireland's largest councils, the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. Councillors are elected to the council every four years by
proportional representation Proportional representation (PR) refers to any electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to political divisions (Political party, political parties) amon ...
. The councillors for the DEA are:


Religious sites

Portadown is located along the River Bann, which forms the boundary between two parishes. The part of the town to the west of the Bann is in Drumcree parish, while the part of the town on the east of the Bann is in Seagoe parish.


Protestant churches

In 1826, Saint Martin's
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...
(Anglican) was built, and later renamed Saint Mark's. Before this, Church of Ireland members attended either Drumcree Parish Church or Seagoe Parish Church. The current Seagoe Parish Church of St. Gobhan's (Church of Ireland), was built in 1814. It replaced the many previous church foundations, dating from circa 7th century, that were located about one hundred yards distant. The ancient cemetery of Seagoe is adjacent to this site. The church is linked to Seagoe Primary School, which is maintained by the Church. It is one of the few remaining Anglican primary schools. The former
Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church The primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, styled "The Most Reverend the Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church", is the presiding bishop of the Scottish Episcopal Church. The current Primus is the Most Revd. Mark Strange who became primus o ...
, Most Revd David Chillingworth was rector at Seagoe for 19 years. St Columba's Parish on the Loughhall Road, and Knocknamuckley Church of Ireland (St. Matthias) on the Bleary Road are also extant parishes. There are two
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
churches, First Portadown (aka Edenderry) Presbyterian Church (1822) and Armagh Road Presbyterian Church (1859). The Rev Stafford Carson was Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, June 2009 to June 2010. The Methodist church has operated at several different sites. It now stands in Thomas Street. In addition, there are
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
meeting halls on Thomas Street and Killicomaine Road; an Elim Pentecostal church on Clonavon Avenue; a
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
meeting hall on Portmore Street; and a large Free Presbyterian congregation meets in Levaghery. The
pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
Light of the World Ministries are located in the town, as are the
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
neocharismatic The neo-charismatic (also known as third-wave charismatic or hypercharismatic) movement is a movement within evangelical Protestant Christianity that is composed of a diverse range of independent churches and organizations that emphasize the curre ...
Vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
Church. The
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
have a hall in Edward Street.


Catholic churches

Saint John the Baptist's Church was built in the townland of Ballyoran in 1783. The original church had become surrounded by a large graveyard. A second Catholic church, Saint Patrick's, was built on William Street in 1835. In the 1980s Saint John's was taken down brick-by-brick, moved and rebuilt at the
Ulster Folk and Transport Museum Both the Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum are situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. Now operating as two separate museums, the Folk Museum endeavours to illustrate the way of life and traditions ...
in
Cultra Cultra ( - ) is an affluent residential neighbourhood near Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is part of Greater Belfast. It is in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area. Cultra is home to the Royal North of Ireland Yacht ...
,
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 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the ...
. A new Saint John's church was built in 1977 close to where the original stood. It is at the intersection of the Garvaghy Road and the Dungannon Road.


Other churches

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
has a church on the Brownstown Road. In addition the
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
have a
Kingdom Hall A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii. Rutherford's reasoning was that these ...
, on the town outskirts in Kernan.


Transport

A combination of road, canal and rail links, all converging on Portadown railway station, gave it the nickname "Hub of the North". This supported employment through mass industry and marketing and shipping of agricultural products from the area. The Newry Canal, opened in 1742, linked
Carlingford Lough Carlingford Lough (, Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ''Carlinford Loch'') is a glacial fjord or sea inlet in northeastern Ireland, forming part of Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border, the border between Northern Ireland to the nor ...
and the
Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...
with Lough Neagh. It joined the River Bann a couple of miles to the southeast of Portadown. The canal opened up waterborne trade and left Portadown ideally situated to take full advantage of the trading routes. However, the canal went into decline with the growth of the railway network and it closed to commercial traffic in 1936. About a century later, establishment of the Great Northern Railway resulted in extending overland trading routes and shortening delivery times shortened. The town's first railway station opened in 1842. At Portadown railway station, lines were built serving destinations in four directions: one went northeast toward Belfast, one northwest toward
Dungannon Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...
, one southwest to
Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland â€“ the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...
, and one southeast toward
Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, standing on the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Down, Down and County Armagh, Armagh. It is near Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the border with the ...
and onward to
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
. Today only the Belfast–Dublin line remains. Repair yards were opened in 1925 and these large concrete buildings dominated the skyline on the west of the town centre. The current station opened in 1970. National Cycle Route 9 links Portadown with
Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
and
Newry Newry (; ) is a City status in Ireland, city in Northern Ireland, standing on the Newry River, Clanrye river in counties County Down, Down and County Armagh, Armagh. It is near Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border, the border with the ...
.


Economy

Portadown's major employers have included: * Irwin's Bakery was established in 1912 as a grocery retailer by William David Irwin, grandfather of the existing joint managing directors. It expanded into Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland in the 1980s. * Wade (Ireland) Ltd. Wade Ceramics had a substantial plant in Portadown between in Watson Street, Edenderry, adjacent to the Victorian Railway Station. The factory closed in 2002. * Ulster Carpets Ltd was established in the town in 1938 and was the major employer producing woolen
Axminster Axminster is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the eastern border of the county of Devon in England. It is from the county town of Exeter. The town is built on a hill overlooking the River Axe, Devon, River Axe which ...
. *Henry Denny & Sons (NI) Ltd. meat processors were originally established in Obins Street. It moved to Corcrain after being acquired in 1982 by the Kerry Group.


Linen manufacturing

Much of the town's industry in the 19th and 20th centuries was centred on the linen trade. The 1881 edition of ''Slater's Directory'' (a comprehensive listing of Irish towns) listed 15 manufacturing employers in Portadown at that time.


Landmarks

Portadown Town Hall, in Edward Street, was once the seat of the town's local government. Reforme of local government in 1972 resulted in a change in venue. The Town Hall, an 1890 Victorian building, has been extensively refurbished to offer a commercial in-house theatre and conference facilities. The Millennium Court Arts Centre contains two galleries featuring exhibits by local artists. Ardress House is a 17th-century farmhouse that was remodelled in Georgian times. Today it is owned by the
National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...
. It is open to the public and offers guided tours, local walks, and recreations of farmyard life. The Newry Canal Way is a fully accessible, restored canal towpath now usable as a bicycle route between Newry Town Hall and the Bann Bridge in Portadown. The Canal was the first summit-level canal in Britain and Ireland and has 14 locks between its entrance at Carlingford Lough and the other end at Lough Neagh. One of the attractions on the Newry Canal Way is Moneypenny's Lock, a site that includes an 18th-century lock-keeper's house, stables and
bothy A bothy is a basic shelter, usually left unlocked and available for anyone to use free of charge. It was also a term for basic accommodation, usually for gardeners or other workers on an estate. Bothies are found in remote mountainous areas of Sco ...
. This provided accommodation for workers on the canal and their horses in the days when the canal was part of the industrial transport network. Today it is administered jointly by the Museum Services and the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre at Oxford Island. The only fully restored Royal Observer Corps
Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...
Nuclear Monitoring Bunker in Northern Ireland is located just outside the town off Dungannon Road. Opened in 1958 it, and an additional 57 other bunkers spread throughout Northern Ireland, would have been used to monitor and report the effects of a Nuclear Attack. The bunker was closed and abandoned in 1991. Nearly 20 years later, it was fully restored to its 1980s appearance and opened as a museum in 2010.


Notable people


Deceased people

* Harris Boyle (1953–1975) was a high-ranking
Ulster Volunteer Force The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group based in Northern Ireland. Formed in 1965, it first emerged in 1966. Its first leader was Gusty Spence, a former Royal Ulster Rifles soldier from North ...
(UVF) member who was blown up when he and another member planted a bomb on the Miami Showband's minibus. * George Gilmore (1898–1985) was a Protestant
Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a name used by various Resistance movement, resistance organisations in Ireland throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Organisations by this name have been dominantly Catholic and dedicated to anti-imperiali ...
(IRA) leader during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1934 he left the IRA and helped set up the
Republican Congress The Republican Congress () was an Irish republican political organisation founded in 1934, when pro-communist republicans left the Anti-Treaty Irish Republican Army. The Congress was led by such anti-Treaty veterans as Peadar O'Donnell, Frank ...
and the
Connolly Column The Connolly Column (, ) was the name given to a group of Irish socialist volunteers in the Spanish Civil War, Irish republican socialist Military volunteer, volunteers who fought for the Second Spanish Republic in the International Brigades d ...
. Thereafter, Gilmore remained a significant left-wing figure within the republican movement. * Marion Greeves MBE (1894–1979) was the first of what have been only two female members of the
Senate of Northern Ireland The Senate of Northern Ireland was the upper house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created by the Government of Ireland Act 1920. It was abolished with the passing of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. Powers In practice the Se ...
. She served as an independent from June 1950 until June 1969. * Sir Robert Hart (1835–1911) was a British consular official in China, who served from 1863 to 1911 as the second Inspector-General of China's Imperial Maritime Custom Service (IMCS). * Eric Mervyn Lindsay OBE (1907–1974) was an
astronomer An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers observe astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, natural satellite, moons, comets and galaxy, galax ...
who was instrumental in setting up Armagh Planetarium. He was also responsible for persuading the Irish government and
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
to found a telescope at Boyden Station in South Africa for the purpose of charting the southern skies. A crater on the moon has been named after him. *
Harold McCusker James Harold McCusker (7 February 1940 – 12 February 1990) was a Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descrip ...
(1940–1990) was an
Ulster Unionist The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded as the Ulster Unionist Council in 1905, emerging from the Irish Unionist Alliance in Ulster. Under Edward Carson, it led unionist oppositi ...
politician who served as MP for Upper Bann till his death. He was tipped to be a future party leader. * Robert Russell (c. 1858–1938) was an Irish mathematician and academic who served as Erasmus Smith's Professor of Mathematics at
Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...
* Alexander Walker (1930–2003) was a film critic who worked for the ''
Birmingham Post The ''Birmingham Post'' is a weekly printed newspaper based in Birmingham, England, with distribution throughout the West Midlands. First published under the name the ''Birmingham Daily Post'' in 1857, it has had a succession of distinguished ...
'' in the 1950s and the ''
London Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free of charge in London, England. It is print ...
'' from 1960 until his death. He was a highly influential figure within the film industry and also wrote a number of books on the topic. *
D'Arcy Wentworth D'Arcy Wentworth (14 February 1762 – 7 July 1827) was an Irish-Australian surgeon and the first paying passenger to arrive in the new colony of New South Wales. He served under the first seven governors of the Colony, and from 1810 to 1821 ...
(1762–1827), was a surgeon and founder of an Australian political dynasty. * Billy Wright (1960–1997) was a
loyalist Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cr ...
paramilitary leader who spent much of his life in Portadown. He led the Mid Ulster Brigade of the UVF before founding a breakaway group called the
Loyalist Volunteer Force The Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) was an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed by Billy Wright (loyalist), Billy Wright in 1996 when he and his unit split from the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) a ...
(LVF) in 1996. He was assassinated by the
Irish National Liberation Army The Irish National Liberation Army (INLA, ) is an Irish republicanism, Irish republican Socialism, socialist paramilitary group formed on 8 December 1974, during the 30-year period of conflict known as "the Troubles". The group seeks to remove ...
(INLA).


Living people

*
Gloria Hunniford Mary Winifred Gloria Hunniford, OBE (born 10 April 1940) is a television and radio presenter, broadcaster and singer from Northern Ireland. She is known for presenting programmes on the BBC and ITV, such as '' Rip Off Britain'', and her regula ...
(born 1940) is a TV and radio presenter and formerly a singer. She is the mother of Caron Keating. * Victor Sloan MBE (born 1945) is a photographer and artist who lives and works in Portadown. Employing primarily the medium of photography, he manipulates his negatives and reworks his prints with paints, inks, toners and dyes. He also uses video and printmaking techniques. * David Simpson (born 1959) is a former
Democratic Unionist Party The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a Unionism in Ireland, unionist, Ulster loyalism, loyalist, British nationalist and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who ...
(DUP) Member of Parliament for Upper Bann. * Brendan McKenna is an Irish republican activist and spokesman of the Garvaghy Road Residents' Coalition. He was a
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...
political advisor until 2007 and became General Secretary of éirígí in 2009. *
Les Binks James Leslie Binks (8 August 1951 – 15 March 2025) was a Northern Irish Heavy metal music, heavy metal drummer. He is best-known for being the drummer for Judas Priest, where he was a member from 1977 to 1979. Life and career Early years Pre ...
is a drummer who is best known for having been the drummer of
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
between March 1977 and July 1979. *
Aaron McCusker Aaron McCusker is a Northern Irish actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Jamie Maguire in the Channel 4's television series '' Shameless'' and Jim Hutton, Freddie Mercury's boyfriend, in the 2018 feature film '' Bohemian Rhapsody''. E ...
(born 1978) is an actor most famous for playing Jamie Maguire in
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's comedic drama series '' Shameless''. *
Paddy Johns Patrick Stephen Johns, known as Paddy Johns (born 19 February 1968, in Portadown) was an Irish rugby union player from 1990 to 2000. He played mainly as a lock and occasionally in the back-row. He won 59 caps, scoring 4 tries and 20 points. He ...
(born 1968) was an Irish rugby union player from 1990 until 2000; he represented Ulster and Ireland. He played at the
1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup (), was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in ...
finals and the
1999 Rugby World Cup The 1999 Rugby World Cup () was the fourth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial international rugby union championship. It was the first Rugby World Cup to be held in the sport's History of rugby union#The professional era, professional era. Four a ...
finals. * Colin Turkington (born 1982) is an
auto racing Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non ...
driver and is the reigning British Touring Car Champion. * Adam Carroll (born 1982) is also an auto racing driver. He raced for A1 Team Ireland in the
A1 Grand Prix A1 Grand Prix Operations Ltd. operated as A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) was a "single-make" open-wheel auto racing series that ran from 2005 until 2009. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themse ...
series and won in 2008-09. Carroll has also raced for FMS International in the
GP2 Series The GP2 Series was a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The GP2 format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecc ...
. * Leigh Alderson (born 1986) is a male ballet dancer, model, actor and choreographer. Alderson was nominated for ''The Arts Personality of the Year Award'' in the Ulster ''Tatler'' Awards in two consecutive years, 2009 and 2010. * Newton Emerson is a journalist and founder of the satirical online newspaper '' Portadown News''. * Chris Pennell, English rugby union player, was raised in the town. * Lady Mary Peters (born 6 July 1939) is a former British athlete, best known for the pentathlon and shotput. She was born in England but relocated at age 11 to Portadown and was educated at Portadown College. * Michael Andrew Martin O'Neill MBE (5 July 1969) Football manager * Tim Mullen (born 1976), racing driver


Education

Portadown has (or had) a large selection of academic institutions, past and present. Today, schools in Portadown operate under the Dickson Plan, a transfer system in north Armagh that allows pupils at age 11 the option of taking the 11-plus exam to enter
grammar schools A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a Latin school, school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented Se ...
. Pupils in comprehensive junior high schools are sorted into grammar and non-grammar streams. Pupils can get promoted to or demoted from the grammar stream during their time in those schools, depending on the development of their academic performance. At age 14 they can take subject-based exams across the syllabus to qualify for entry into a dedicated grammar school to pursue
GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools ...
s and
A-levels The A-level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational ...
.


Primary education

The state-run Thomas Street Primary School, and Church Street Primary School, formerly the "Duke's School", were both incorporated into Millington Primary School in 1970. Other state-run primary schools include Ballyoran Primary School, Bocombra Primary School, Edenderry Primary School, Hart Memorial Primary School, Moyallan Primary School, Portadown Primary School, Richmount Primary School, and the
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
Seagoe Primary School. Derrycarne Primary School is now used as an Orange Hall by the Orange Order. Primary schools managed by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools are Presentation Convent Primary School, St John the Baptist Primary School ( Irish: ''Bunscoil Eoin Baiste''), which has both English-medium and Irish-medium units within it, and St. John's Primary School. St Columba's Primary School in Carleton Street is now closed. A multi-denominational, integrated primary school, known as Portadown Integrated Primary School, opened in 1990.


Post-primary education

* Portadown College (Controlled) - a grammar school which opened in 1924 *
Clounagh Junior High School Clounagh Junior High School is a controlled school on the Brownstown Road, Portadown, Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. I ...
(Controlled) * Craigavon Senior High School (Controlled), * Killicomaine Junior High School (Controlled) * St John the Baptist's College (Catholic Maintained) *
Southern Regional College Southern Regional College (SRC) is a further and higher education college in the southern area of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 2007 following a merger of the Further Education colleges of Armagh College, Newry and K ...
- Portadown Technical College, later Portadown College of Further Education, was merged with Lurgan CFE and Banbridge CFE to form the Upper Bann Institute of Further Education. Further Education in the region was consolidated again when the institute was merged with other FE colleges in Armagh, Newry and Kilkeel to form the Southern Regional College.


Healthcare

Access to a GP is provided at Portadown Health Centre. Hospital care and Accident and Emergency services are available at Craigavon Area Hospital, built 1972 on the outskirts of town as part of the Craigavon development.


Sport

Association football is played by Portadown F.C. and Annagh United in the NIFL Championship, and Bourneview Young Men F.C., Hanover F.C.,
St Mary's Youth F.C. St Mary's Youth Football Club (usually just St Mary's) is a Northern Irish, intermediate football club based in Portadown, County Armagh, playing in Intermediate Division A of the Mid-Ulster Football League. The club was founded in 1959.
and Seagoe F.C. in the
Mid-Ulster Football League The Daily Mirror Mid-Ulster Football League, or simply referred to as the Mid-Ulster League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 9 divisions. These comprise two intermediate sections: the Intermediate A and Intermed ...
. Rugby is played by Portadown Rugby Club, and
Gaelic football Gaelic football (; short name '')'', commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA, or football, is an Irish team sport. A form of football, it is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score ...
is played by Tír na nÓg GAA Club.


Media

Portadown's main local newspaper is the '' Portadown Times'', which is published by
Johnston Publishing (NI) Johnston Publishing (NI) is a large newspaper group in Northern Ireland consisting of Mortons Newspapers and the News Letter, and is a holding company of JPIMedia. The company was formed following Johnston Press's purchase of Century Newspapers ...
. Although the newspaper focuses on the Portadown area, it also serves towns and villages across north Armagh. It was founded in 1924 and is issued weekly. Between 2001 and 2005, Portadown resident Newton Emerson ran a controversial
satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...
online newspaper called the '' Portadown News''. The website, which was updated biweekly, attracted media attention by poking fun at Northern Ireland politics and culture.


See also

*
List of towns in Northern Ireland This is an alphabetical list of towns and villages in Northern Ireland. For a list sorted by population, see the list of settlements in Northern Ireland by population. The towns of Armagh, Lisburn and Newry are also classed as cities (see city sta ...
*
List of villages in Northern Ireland This is an alphabetical list of towns and villages in Northern Ireland. For a list sorted by population, see the list of settlements in Northern Ireland by population. The towns of Armagh, Lisburn and Newry are also classed as cities (see city st ...


References


Bibliography


Craigavon Borough Council Elections 1993 – 2005Culture Northern Ireland
{{authority control Towns in County Armagh