Exploring the History & Heritage of Tyrone and The Sperrins
Millennium Sculpture Strabane Canal Artigarvan & Leckpatrick Moor Lough Lough Ash Plumbridge & The Glenelly Valley The Wilson Ancestral Home Sion Mills Castlederg Killeter Village Ardstraw Graveyard Stewart Castle Harry Avery’s Castle Patrick Street Graveyard, Strabane
pPB-1 Heritage Trail
Time stands still; time marches on.
It’s everywhere you look. In our majestic mountains and rivers, our quiet forests and rolling fields, in our lively towns and scenic villages: history is here, alive and well.
Some of that history is ancient and mysterious, its archaeology shaping our landscape, even the very tales we tell ourselves. But there are other, more recent histories too – of industry and innovation; of fascinating social change and of a vibrant, living culture. Local visitor tion: Get the full informa Here then is the story of Tyrone and the Sperrins - e: The Alley Arts and App experienc an treextraordinary journey through many worlds, from Conference Cen t, Strabane Download it to your iphone 1A Railway Sdistanttree pre-history all the way to the present day. tphone or android smar Co. Tyrone, BT82It’s a 8EFmagical, unforgettable experience. ver even more com and disco banedc. com y & Heritage Email: vic@stra tyroneandsperrins. about the Histor eb:www.discover perrins. W Join us and discover that as time marches on, of Tyrone and The S Tel: (028) 7138 4444 time also stands still…
p2-3 x the sites The sites are categorised 1 Millennium Sculpture 6 by heritage type as below 2 Strabane Canal 8
Pre-history 3 Artigarvan & Leckpatrick 10
4 Moor Lough 12 Ulster-Scots 5 Lough Ash 14
Cultural 6 Plumbridge & 16 The Glenelly Valley
Industrial 7 The Wilson Ancestral Home, 20 Dergalt
Architectural 8 Sion Mills & The Stables 22
9 Castlederg 24 Christian 10 Killeter Village 26
Environmental 11 Ardstraw Graveyard 28
12 Stewart Castle, Newtownstewart 30
13 Harry Avery’s Castle, Newtownstewart 32
14 Patrick Street Graveyard, Strabane 34
Heritage Guide Map p18-19 (centre spread)
p4-5 Site 21
Where Dreams Go
Millennium Sculpture N14 Rd er R265 th Located Lifford Road, Strabane ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
N14
d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu
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n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
e
l Did you know?
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d d In 1956, Brian O’Nolan was also R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str co-producer for RTÉ of 3 Radio Gortin d R
Ballets – a dancet performance r u Castlederg o Two dancers stand poised, ready to begin. c s on radio. To daten it has never THE SPERRINS o r a On the Strabane side is a musician holding Within the town been re-broadcast.B a fiddle; on the Lifford side a drummer. itself are several Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest Between them, linking the musical 10 other notable Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen ensemble, stands a musician with a fife. pieces: the Abercorn Forest Park Killeter Square boat sculpture
ad Ulster American Ro n (titled BolaghtDeparture), a life- Since its installation to mark the new millennium,ga Folk Park on llym Ba Strabane’s landmark sculpture - Let the sizeLough Lee sculpture of the Strabane-born comic Dance Begin - has become one of the most genius of Irish literature Flann O’ Brien (Brian photographed pieces of public art in Ireland. O’Nolan). And, in another nod to the author of An Béal Bocht (‘The Poor Mouth’), outside the The figures, known locally as ‘The Tinnies’, have Alley Theatre we have ‘Where Dreams Go’ been followed across the region by additional – known locally as Ambrose The Pig. creative works of art in Sion Mills, Castlederg, Dunamanagh, Newtownstewart and Plumbridge under the Heritage, Environment, Art and Rural Tourism project (HEART).
p6-7 Site 2
Strabane Canal Located off Greenlaw Road, Ballymagorry
N14 Canal Basin 1900s Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
N14
d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R Did you know? d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m Since ancient times, the River Foyle has been an Though just Plu
R Since 2006 new life has been
n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
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i breathed into the stretch important navigation route and central to the K over four miles 13 d d of canal between Devine’s R e R Newtownstewart oy long, thean canal’s C kanb development of Strabane and the wider region. ab roc 9 Str and Crampsie’s locks near Gortin d strategic location R
t Ballymagorry. r This section u Castlederg o c s In 1796 the commercial importance of Strabane enabled it to now serves asn an important THE SPERRINS o r a was enhanced further with the opening of bring considerable natural heritageB amenity for Largybegthe public. the canal.Killeter At a time when travel by road was prosperity to Wood Forest difficult this had the effect of creating a more 10 the area in the first Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park accessible link between Strabane town centre and Killeter quarter of the nineteenth international markets. Coal, timber, steel and century. However, in 1847 a ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park iron were among the items imported,on railway opened from Derry to Strabane, llym Ba while a wide range of agricultural Lough Leeand a network of connecting lines soon produce (wheat, flax, butter, developed. The effect on canal trade was eggs and beef) was exported. dramatic, and its decline inevitable.
p8-9 Site 3
Artigarvan & Leckpatrick
N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey Dr GeorgeN15 Sigerson Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria DidBridge you know? The aforementioned spade
foundry was established by C u lv a c 11 u William Sigerson, the father ll io n
R d d of Dr George Sigerson, a e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu R
major figure in Irish literature n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
e Other notable nearby
Around two miles from Ballymagorry on the banks l
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i K and the man behind13 the
d of the Glenmornan river is the village of Artigarvan. features in thed area R e R coveted intervarsityNewtownstewart GAA oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str include the Rocking trophy. Gortin d R
t r u CastledergStone, a collapsed portal o This river was once one of the busiest in c s n THE SPERRINS o r a Ulster, providing power for corn mills, bleach mills, tomb constructed perhaps B a sawmill, a paper mill and a spade foundry. 5000 years ago; Leckpatrick Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest graveyard, which hints at 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Spanning the Glenmornan, within Artigarvan itself associations with Saint Forest Park Killeter is Malison Bridge, which is notable for a remarkable Patrick; and Holy Hill (also
ad Ulster American Ro Hollyhill) House - a listed stone that has been built into it. The stone nbears Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym the name of Robert Algeo and an inscriptionBa building dating from the Lough Lee from 1625. Algeo was an important figure in the early 18th Century. Scottish settlement in Strabane barony in the early seventeenth century. How the stone found its way to its present location is something of a mystery, as is its true significance.
p10-11 Site 4
Moor Lough
N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge Moor Lough Heather
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
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Plu
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a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Moor Lough provides one of the best ways Gortin d R
t r u to immerse yourself in the natural landscape Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a of the Sperrins. Once a source of water B
for Strabane canal, this upland lake is now Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest something of a game angler’s paradise, while Did you know? 10 Killen Bessy Bell The Moorlough Shore is a Gortin Glen the shoreline offers a delightful walking circuit. Forest Park Killeter much-recorded and internationally acclaimed
ad Ulster American There are numerousRo local legends which tell of traditional Irish love song. n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Nion Rua, variouslyBa described as a banshee, and It is thought to have been Lough Lee written by a local poet, by sometimes appearing as a grey hooded figure or old the name of Devine, and it hag. She was said to be the daughter of a chieftain first appears in print in 1886. who drowned crossing a ford on the River Foyle going to visit her lover near Glenmornan at Moor lough.
p12-13 Site 5
Lough Ash
N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu
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n 12 Killym
Lough Ash is perfectly located, nestling ina the ore Rd e
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c l i K 13 Did you know? hills above the village of Dunamanagh, and in d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Butterlope Glen is a the shadows of the heights of the Sperrins. Gortin d R
t glacial spillway cut by the r u Castlederg o c s n melt waters of a large THE SPERRINS o r a Like Moor Lough, this is a true anglers’ paradise. B post-glacial lake. Close to the lake is Lough Ash Wedge Tomb, Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest which dates from around 4,000 to 4,500 years 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen ago. On excavation, cremated bone, representing Forest Park Killeter perhaps three individuals, was recorded along
ad Ulster American with a numberRo of other artefacts. Also near here, n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym convenientBa to the wonderfully named Butterlope Lough Lee Glen is another wedge tomb which goes by the name of Clogherny - meaning stony place.
p14-15 Site 6 N14 Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
Plumbridge & The Glenelly Valley N14
d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu
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n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest Standing on the banks10 of Glenelly river, the Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen picturesque village of Plumbridge offers a choice Forest Park Killeter of five roads – every one of which leads you out
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght Did you know? intoga different parts of the Sperrins, an officially Folk Park on llym Ba St. Patrick himself is designated Area of Natural OutstandingLough Lee Beauty. supposed to have visited the
Clogherny Wedge Tomb glens, established Bodoney Particularly breathtaking is the Glenelly Valley. It’s a Church and even given marvellous glacial environment - millions of years in the Glenelly its name. It seems making - and it is often regarded as one of Ireland’s that on seeing the area he exclaimed ‘gleann eile’ most idyllic and dramatic landscapes. – meaning ‘another glen’!
The Valley and the wider Sperrins region also contain a high concentration of important archaeological heritage sites. Among the formations that appear to stand guard over the local landscape are Goles Alignment , Glenroan Portal Tomb and Clogherny Wedge Tomb.
p16-17 Welcome, The Journey In Time trail covers a large part of West Tyrone and the Central Sperrins within Ireland’s Fáilte, North-West region. It is largely a circuitous route Fair fa’ ye some Map 77 miles/124 km in distance with stop-over to Tyrone & opportunities in many of the area’s local towns and villages. Largest among these is the town of Strabane, The Sperrins your suggested starting and finishing points.
N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
1 Millennium Sculpture Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
2 Strabane Canal N14
Rd 3 3 Berryhill Artigarvan & Leckpatrick CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L 4 isnara Moor Lough g h R R265 d 5 Lough Ash
6 Plumbridge & 4 The Glenelly Valley 1 Lifford 14 7 The Wilson Ancestral Home, Strabane Dergalt S po u t 7 8 Sion Mills & The Stables Rd
d R 9 y Castlederg e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U 10 Killeter Village Ballybofey N15 Clady 11 Ardstraw Graveyard 8
12 Stewart Castle, Sion Mills Newtownstewart 6 13 Harry Avery’s Castle, y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Newtownstewart Victoria Bridge 14 Patrick Street Graveyard, Strabane
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu
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n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park Killeter
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Ba Lough Lee
p18-19 Site 7
The Wilson Ancestral Home, Dergalt N14 Rd er R265 th ea Located two miles outside of Strabane on the Plumbridge yh all R236 B
Road. Limited opening hours to inside of property. Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
N14
d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu
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n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t Did you know? r u Castlederg o c s Many of these styles of houses n THE SPERRINS o r a It may be hard to believe but the family that lived in had a tiny out-shot bed B this simple Irish ‘white house’ gave rise to one of the (sleeping nook) in the kitchen Largybeg Killeter Wood most prominentForest figures of the early 20th century close to the fire. The out-shot 10 Killen was usually reserved for the Bessy Bell Gortin Glen – someone who went on to occupy a more Forest Park Killeter more senior members of the prestigious White House... household who could enjoy at
ad Ulster American Ro night-time the benefit of heat n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym It was a James Wilson who started this journeyBa coming from the fire. Lough Lee – a journey which began down a long winding lane in Dergalt in 1807 and which culminated with the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson as 28th President of the United States in 1913.
Today visitors can relive the ambience of bygone days in front of the traditional hearth fire, and in the carefully conserved rooms. Authentic artefacts on display include a wide selection of household furnishings, kitchen utensils and farm implements.
p20-21 Site 8
N14
r Rd he Sion Mills & The Stables R265 at e yh all Access only to certain buildings. R236 B Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
N14
d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
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Plu
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a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d DRid you know?
t r u Castlederg o c Thes development of Sion Mills n THE SPERRINS o r a Sion Mills is a tranquil, pretty village, but one with Bwas heavily influenced by the theories and work of the social Killetera particularly vibrant industrial and architectural Largybeg Wood reformer Robert Owen, who in Forestheritage. The former stables of Sion House with its 10 the early 1800s transformed Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen tall clock tower have recently been restored, while the village of New Lanark in Forest Park Killeter other significant buildings include the Church of The Scotland into a model community
ad providing aUlster range American of facilities for Ro Good Shepherd (based onn a church at Pistoia, near Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym the welfare of its mill workers Florence) – and of course,Ba the old flax mill and the Lough Lee and their families. cottages built to house the mill workers.
The flax mill – at a time a world leader in the linen industry – was founded in 1835 by a partnership which included the eventual owners, the Herdmans. Among the factors which attracted them to this location were a reliable supply of water from the River Mourne; the proximity to a large number of flax growers in North-West Ulster; the port at Derry and a readily available pool of labour.
p22-23 N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
N14
d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d Site 9 4 1 Lifford 14 Davies Bawn, Castlederg Strabane S po u Signposted from Castlederg Main Street t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
d m
Plu
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n 12 Killym
a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park Killeter
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Ba LoughD Leeid you know? Local legend tells of a piper lost in a forgotten This castle or bawn commands a site of once – passageway under the ruins, strategic importance on the River Derg. Recent and whose mournful musical excavations have revealed the remains of a lament can still be heard fifteenth-century O’Neill Tower House which on occasion today... preceded the bawn – a defended stone house built by Sir John Davies during the Plantation.
The site represents not only years of fierce rivalry between the chiefdoms of the O’Neills and the O’Donnells but also between the native Irish and settlers. The bawn would have been a refuge for planter families during the 1641 rebellion and was rendered unfit for occupation after an attack by Sir Phelim O’Neill.
p24-25 N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R Site 10 R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Killeter Village Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y St Patrick e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
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Plu
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a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park Killeter
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Ba Lough Lee
Killeter is a small, picturesque village and Did you know? townland near Castlederg. It sits along Cecil Frances Alexander’s best-known hymns include an ancient trail that winds its way to the ‘Once in Royal David`s City,’ pilgrimage site of Lough Derg. Indeed, legend ‘There is a Green Hill Far has it that Saint Patrick stopped at a well near Away’ and ‘All things Bright here – at Tober Patrick or St Patrick’s Well - to and Beautiful.’ rest after a period of reflection at Lough Derg.
Also of note is the area’s connection with the famous hymn writer and poet Cecil Frances Alexander. ‘Fanny’ as she was known was married to a Church of Ireland clergyman, the Rev. William Alexander, who was appointed rector of this parish – Termonamongan – in 1850. It was while living in the area that she is reputed to have written some of her most famous and best-loved works.
p26-27 N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d Site 11 4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u Ardstraw Graveyard t R 7 d
Located centrally off Urbalreagh Road d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
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Plu
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a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park Killeter
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Ba Lough Lee Did you know? The site of the bridge at The earliest record of a church at Ardstraw Ardstraw was where was that of MacEirc – a disciple of Saint Patrick. the warring O’Neills and However, this was built upon in the late sixth O’Donnells would meet to agree terms and century and transformed by Saint Eugene into negotiate peace. a famous monastic site and the centre of an episcopal see that comprised the greater part of County Derry, all of Inishowen (in Donegal) and a great part of Tyrone.
Little trace remains of Ardstraw’s illustrious past except for the wall of the graveyard, which is said to be built from the very stones of the monastery’s ruins. The graveyard itself is also noteworthy as it is final resting place of a number of O’ Neill chieftains – a privilege afforded to the O Neills in recognition of the patronage they afforded the episcopal see.
p28-29 N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 Site 12 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u Stewart Castle, t 7 Rd
Newtownstewart d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn Located centrally on Strabane Road. Access restricted. U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8 The castle in working times, 1600s Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
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Plu
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a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park Killeter
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Ba Lough Lee
Did you know? The power of the mighty O’Neill chieftains in The castle Stewart Castle has the Tyrone came to an end in 1607. Defeated in battle was to suffer distinction of being the site of a by English forces and fearful for their future, extensive significant Bronze Age discovery: an intact double cist grave and Hugh O’Neill and his allies left Ireland in what has damage on capstone. During the excavation, become known as the Flight of the Earls. two occasions. archaeologists discovered Firstly during two decorated vessels lying adjacent to cremated remains Their lands were granted to English and Scottish gentry the 1641 approximately 4,000 years old. as part of the Plantation of Ulster. Under the terms of insurrection and settlement, new landowners were required to construct its subsequent a castle on their estate. capture by Sir Phelim O’Neill, then on the return Built in 1619 by Sir Robert Newcomen, Stewart Castle of King James II from the Siege was designed along the lines of a contemporary English of Derry in 1689. manor house. In 1629 the lands and castle were sold to Sir William Stewart, from whom the name of the castle and town comes. King James II
p30-31 N14
Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
Rd 2 land Raphoe Donemana/Dunamanagh L o ng
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Site 13 Lifford 14 Strabane S po Harry Avery’s Castle, u t 7 Rd Newtownstewart d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn Located on Oldcastle Road (Via Main Street) U
AccessBallybofey is across an open field, so be aware of grazing animals.N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
6
y R Plumbridge Glenell oad Victoria Bridge
C u lv a c 11 u ll io n
R d d e R Ardstraw idg br
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Plu
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a ore Rd
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d d R e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Gortin d R
t r u Castlederg o c s n THE SPERRINS o r a B
Largybeg Killeter Wood Forest 10 Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen Forest Park Killeter
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght ga Folk Park on llym Ba Lough Lee
Did you know? Harry Avery is reputed to have Thought to have been built around 1320 by a For the light it hanged 19 men who refused local chieftain of the O’Neill clan, this structure sheds on native to marry his daughter. The unfortunate girl had been cursed Irish Medieval is considered unusual in that in the 14th to be born with the looks of a pig, century it was rare for an Irish chieftain to life before the after Harry had refused to give construct a stone castle. But one did. Plantation period, a beggar woman shelter. Harry Avery’s Traditionally associated with Harry Avery (Henry Castle is considered Aimbreidh) O’Neill, a fearsome local chief who died archaeologically and in 1392, and certainly named after him, the two- architecturally significant. tower design of this structure is also uncommon. And for its association with the Its two towers look like a gatehouse, similar to that notorious Harry, it remains fascinating. of Carrickfergus Castle, but in reality it served a similar function to a medieval towerhouse.
Although no evidence survives, it is believed that the courtyard of the castle would have had numerous wooden structures, such as kitchens and stables.
p32-33 Site 14
Starting Point & Patrick Street Graveyard Finishing Point Located convenient to town centre. Access Strabane: we end by key from Strabane Visitor Information Centre. where we began...
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Rd er R265 th ea yh all R236 B
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d 3 Berryhill R CO. DONEGAL Ballymagorry 5 Artigarvan L isnara g h R R265 d
4 1 Lifford 14 Strabane S po u t 7 Rd
d R y e Stranorlar Castlefinn rn U
Ballybofey N15 Clady 8
Sion Mills
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Strabane has many notable features, but c
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Did you know? d d R one of its more intriguing can be found here. e R Newtownstewart oy an C kanb ab roc 9 Str Here in an unmarked grave lie the It is a mysterious prehistoric standing stone Gortin d R
t remains of ‘Half Hanged’ McNaughton.r u Castlederg o believed to date back as far as 2500 BC. c s n THE SPERRINS o McNaughton was sentenced tor hang a B in 1761 for the killing of Mary Ann Knox Little is known of its exact purpose. It may have Largybeg Killeter of Prehen. UnfortunatelyWood McNaughton Forest served to mark a burial site, or simply to indicate a 10 suffered the ‘indignity’ of the rope Killen Bessy Bell Gortin Glen routeway or boundary. Whatever the truth behind Forest Park Killeter breaking but rather than escape faced its original purpose, this important and enigmatic the noose a second time - successfully.
ad Ulster American Ro n Bolaght stone serves to underline something ofga the Folk Park on llym Ba wondrous story of Tyrone and the Sperrins. Lough Lee
p34-35 Disclaimer: The information contained herein is given in good faith and has been obtained through sources deemed reliable. We cannot however guarantee the accuracy of information and accept no responsibility for error or misrepresentation.
Image Usage: Gareth Wray Photography Castle Illustrations, p30-33 Philip Armstrong, paintthepast.com, NIEA: © Crown copyright. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her **Majesty’s Stationery Office”, PRONI.
Strabane Visitor Information Centre The Alley Arts & Conference Centre, Railway Street, Strabane, Co. Tyrone BT82 8EF Tel: + 44 (0) 28 7138 4444 Email: [email protected] Web: www.discovertyroneandsperrins.com