Local time Monday 10:07 AM | Province Ulster | |
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Clady (from Irish: Claidigh, meaning "muddy margin of a stream or river") is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about 4 miles from Strabane on the River Finn and the border with County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 423 people. It is within Urney civil parish and the former barony of Strabane Lower. In local government it is part of Derry City and Strabane District Council. The townland covers an area of 173 acres.
Contents
Map of Clady, Strabane, UK
History
According to Lewis in 1842, close to the village is a bridge of seven arches over the River Finn, connecting Clady with the County Donegal. Before the erection of this bridge, there was an important ford here, which was contested by kings William III and James II in 1688; and at the time of the Siege of Derry it was a strong post under Colonel Skeffington, who was driven from it by the Duke of Berwick, a short time before James II crossed the Finn at this place.
The village is among one of the oldest in the district and was at one time an important bridging point across the Finn when access further down river across the great expanse of the River Foyle was largely dependent on ferry travel. Clady was also an important ecclesiastical centre, being the location for the first Roman Catholic seminary to be established in the Diocese of Derry.
The Troubles
For more information see The Troubles in Clady (Tyrone), which includes a list of incidents in Clady during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.
19th century population
The population of the village decreased during the 19th century:
The population of the townland increased overall during the 19th century:
In 1891, the town of Clady, which stands in the townlands of Clady and Donnygowen, had an estimated area of 10 acres.