Andersonstown
| Andersonstown | |
| County Antrim | |
|---|---|
 Andersonstown Road, 2007 | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | O003360 |
| Location: | 54°34’42"N, 5°59’38"W |
| Data | |
| Postcode: | BT11 |
| Dialling code: | 028 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Belfast |
Andersonstown is a western suburb of Belfast, within County Antrim. It falls within the townland of Ballydownfine.
The area was originally known as Whitesidetown after the family that owned the land but they were dispossessed for the support they gave to the Society of United Irishmen, resulting in a change of name.[1] The district is sometimes colloquially referred to as "Andytown" or "A Town".
History
It sits at the bottom of the Black Mountain and Divis Mountain and contains a mixture of public and private housing. It is largely populated by the nationalist and Roman Catholic community. As with much of Belfast, it is hard to put a division between one subsumed town and anothert, but generally speaking Andersonstown begins at the tip of the upper Falls Road, where it becomes the Andersonstown Road, close to the junction with the Glen Road. It is bounded at the western end by the Shaw's Road, forming a large triangle.
The area rapidly expanded during the 1950s and 1960s as the local housing authority built hundreds of houses for people who were rehoused during the redevelopment of the lower Falls Road. Schools – Holy Child School and La Salle Secondary School – were built, along with a library. As the population of the area increased Twinbrook and Poleglass housing estates were built further out of Belfast.
The Troubles
During the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s the area was a major centre of civil disturbances during the social-political conflict known as The Troubles. During this period a large British army fort – known as Silver City was built in the central Broom Hill part of Andersonstown.[2] However there was generally less strife than in, for instance, neighbouring districts such as Lenadoon. The Troubles caused a demographic shift as the two communities separated and Andersonstown shifted from bein mainly Protestant to Roman Catholic.
Sport
- Gaelic Athletics:
- Casement Park, the main stadium for Antrim GAA, is in Andersonstown.[3]
- St Teresa's GAC
- Football:
- Donegal Celtic FC (play home games at Donegal Celtic Park on Suffolk Road)
- Sport & Leisure Swifts FC
References
- ↑ Belfast History From Joe Graham The Belfast History Man
- ↑ Peter Taylor, Provos: The IRA and Sinn Féin, Bloomsbury, 1998, p. 193
- ↑ Casement Park