Ardstraw Explained

Official Name:Ardstraw
Irish Name:Ard Sratha
Static Image Name:Ardstraw Presbyterian Church - geograph.org.uk - 135242.jpg
Static Image Caption:Ardstraw Presbyterian Church
Map Type:Northern Ireland
Coordinates:54.7325°N -7.4578°W
Irish Grid Reference:H348874
Population:222
Population Ref:(2001 Census)
Country:Northern Ireland
Post Town:STRABANE
Postcode Area:BT
Postcode District:BT82
Dial Code:028, +44 28
Hide Services:yes

Ardstraw (from Irish: Ard Sratha (hill or height of the holm or strath)[1]) is a small village, townland and civil parish in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, three miles northwest of Newtownstewart. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 222 people (81 houses).[2]

Bishopric

The Diocese of Ardstraw was founded in the 6th century by Saint Eoghan. It is one of the dioceses recognized by the Synod of Ráth Breasail in 1111. Although the 1152 Synod of Kells replaced it in its list of dioceses with that of Maghera, the seat of which was later moved to Derry, bishops of Ardstraw continued to exist until the early 13th century, when the see was finally united to that of Derry.[3] [4] [5]

No longer a residential bishopric it is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see.[6]

John de Courcy

In 1198, John de Courcy, a Norman knight who had invaded Ulster in 1177, destroyed the church of Ardstraw on his way to Inishowen.[7]

Ardstraw townland

The townland is situated in the historic barony of Strabane Lower and the civil parish of Ardstraw and covers an area of 353 acres.[8]

The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:[9] [10]

Year 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Population 156 132 144 88 71 56
Houses 34 27 30 20 14 12

Sport

Ardstraw F.C. plays association football in the Northern Ireland Intermediate League.

Notable people

Civil parish of Ardstraw

The parish is largely situated in the historic barony of Strabane Lower and partly in Omagh West.

The parish contains the following towns and villages:

Townlands

The parish contains the following townlands:

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ardstraw. Place Names NI. 18 March 2013. 14 July 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140714215736/http://www.placenamesni.org/historicforms.php?getPnameId=2798. live.
  2. Web site: List of all settlements with population of over 50 people. NI Neighbourhood Information Service. 28 December 2012. 5 August 2012. https://archive.today/20120805074114/http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/mapxtreme_towns/datacatalogue.asp. live.
  3. Web site: Ard Sratha (Ardstraw) . 29 July 2014 . 7 March 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150307054456/http://www.parishofardstraweast.com/ParishHistory.htm . live .
  4. Web site: Saint Eoghan or Eugene of Ardstraw 6th century (Patron of Derry Diocese) . 29 July 2014 . 29 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140729220258/http://www.catholicireland.net/saintoftheday/saint-eoghan-or-eugene-of-ardstraw-6th-century-patron-of-derry-diocese/ . live .
  5. Henry Cotton, The Succession of the Prelates and Members of the Cathedral Bodies of Ireland. Fasti ecclesiae Hiberniae, Vol. 3, The Province of Ulster, Dublin, Hodges and Smith 1849, pp. 307–311
  6. Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013), p. 838
  7. Book: DeBreffny, D . Mott, G. 1976 . The Churches and Abbeys of Ireland . Thames & Hudson . London . 60–61.
  8. Web site: Townlands of County Tyrone. IreAtlas Townland Database. 28 December 2012. 28 June 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150628231757/http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/. live.
  9. Web site: Census of Ireland 1851. Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. 28 December 2012. 27 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130627134727/http://eppi.dippam.ac.uk/documents/13130/eppi_pages/336897. dead.
  10. Web site: Census of Ireland 1891. Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. 28 December 2012. 27 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130627134443/http://eppi.dippam.ac.uk/documents/18814/eppi_pages/505483. live.