Brookeborough
| Brookeborough | |
| Fermanagh | |
|---|---|
 Lady Brooke Memorial Hall, Brookeborough | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | H380410 |
| Location: | 54°18’54"N, 7°24’22"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 517 (2001) |
| Post town: | Enniskillen |
| Postcode: | BT94 |
| Dialling code: | 028 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Fermanagh and Omagh |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Fermanagh and South Tyrone |
Brookeborough is a village in Fermanagh, at the westerly foot of Slieve Beagh. It stands about eleven miles east of Enniskillen, just off the A4 trunk road, and about five miles west of the Tyrone border. It is within the Barony of Magherastephana.
According to the 2001 census, Brookeborough had a population of 517. The economy is heavily dependent on cattle and sheep farming.
The village has five churches, three public houses; and two primary schools.
The Boer War memorial at the head of the town was carved by a local man named Harte in 1901. Behind it is the Lady Brooke Memorial Hall of the same date, a period building preserving all its original features including a clocktower and transverse stained glass window panels.
Churches
There are five churches in the village:
- Church of Ireland: Colebrooke Parish Church
- Baptist: Stonepark Baptist Church
- Methodist (built in 1839)
- Pentecostal: Brookeborough Elim Pentecostal Church
- Roman Catholic: St Mary's
History
Before the Plantation of Ulster, the area of Brookeborough was known as Achadh Lon (anglicised as Aghalun), which is still the name of townland in which Brookeborough sits. It is believed that the Irish language name refers to a "field of blackbirds". Aghalun was in the hands of the Maguire Clan until the 1641 rebellion when it was forfeit to the Crown and granted to the Brooke family, who created the village. The village is named after Sir Henry Brooke, to who the village was granted in 1666 and who settled at Colebrooke Park nearby.
In 2002, the Brookeborough Community Development Association, in conjunction with a similar organisation in Riverstown, County Sligo, in the Republic of Ireland, launched the Riverbrooke Cross-Border Initiative linking the two villages in a programme of cross-community/cross-border working.
Places of interest
- Colebrooke House a B+ listed neo-classical country house, built in 1820, and situated in an estate of 1,000 acres. Colebrooke Park was recently renovated and refurbished by the present Viscount Brookeborough and his wife, Viscountess Brookeborough. This renovation of Colebrooke included the installation of the new Colebrooke spa [1] which was featured on the television show Country House Rescue in June 2012 Part of this renovation also includes additional accommodation in the form of The Triumphal Arch Lodge [2] Today Colebrooke Park, and the buildings around it, provide a tranquil getaway from the rush of the main A4 road between Brookeborough and Fivemiletown, which eventually becomes a section of motorway between Ballygawley and Dungannon, on the way to Belfast. This homely and historic rural retreat has also featured in a number of programmes and publications on the culture of Northern Ireland [3] and also includes holiday cottages</ref> and The Ashbrooke Riding School. Equestrianism has long been a part of the history of this area.
- Brookeborough Railway Station House (Formerly on the Clogher Valley railway which ran through the village from May 1887 to January 1942) - This small redbrick building now hosts a playgroup and community centre, and pays homage to its railway tradition through the artwork of Amanda Montgomery, who produced a specially commissioned piece of artwork based around themes of travel and railway history. Also in 1998 President Mary McAleese visited the station house as part of a celebration of its opening and as a testament to the cross community work taking place in the area at this time. [4]
- Brookeborough Heber McMahons GAA grounds and complex - Located on the Carrickaheenan Road this facility includes two football pitches, changing rooms, and clubhouse.
- Aghavea Parish Church [5]
Transport links
- The Clogher Valley Railway, ran through the village from 1887 (Brookeborough station opened on 2 May 1887) until its closure on 1 January 1942.[6] Its route started in Maguiresbridge, passing through Brookebrough, Fivemiletown, Clogher, Augher, Ballygawley, Aughnacloy before eventually terminating at Tynan near Caledon.
- The main road to Belfast bypassed the village in the mid 1960s.
Outside links
References
- ↑ http://colebrookespa.com
- ↑ http://www.irishlandmark.com/property/triumphal-arch-lodge/
- ↑ http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/article/3302/to-the-manor-born-colebrooke-park
- ↑ http://ohsointricate1994.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/dscn4085.jpg
- ↑ http://aghavea.blogspot.co.uk
- ↑ "Brookeborough station". Railscot - Irish Railways. http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
- The Brookeborough Story - Aghalun in Aghavea Ed. Jack Johnston.
- Culture Northern Ireland
- Brookeborough Heber McMahon's GFC