Strabane
Strabane (Irish, an Srath Bán, the White Strand) is a town in the west of County Tyrone in Northern Ireland on the border with County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. It contains the headquarters of Strabane District Council (Comhairle Ceantair an tSrath Bán). The historic village of Lifford in County Donegal lies on the other side of the River Foyle, which marks the border between the two counties.
Strabane town stands roughly half-way between Omagh and Derry. According to the latest census figures, 93.3% of the town's population is from a Roman Catholic background. At the last council elections in May 2005 members were elected from the following political parties: 8 Sinn Féin, 3 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 2 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and 1 Independent Nationalist. The current Council Chairman is Councillor Brian McMahon (Sinn Féin).
Pat Doherty MP, of Sinn Féin, represents Strabane as part of the West Tyrone constituency at Westminster. The Strabane District Council Area covers an area of 861.6 sq km. According to the 2001 Census, Strabane has a total population of 38,250.
Strabane is twinned with Sioux Falls in South Dakota, USA, and with Zeulenroda in the District of Thuringia, Germany.
The river Mourne flows through the centre of the town, and meets with the river Finn to form the river Foyle. Strabane suffered huge economic damage in 1987 when much of the centre of the town was flooded. The wider area is scenic and very attractive with many forests and glens. People come from all over the world to fish in the beautiful River Mourne, including golfing legend Tiger Woods, particularly between Victoria Bridge and Strabane. The town is home to one of Ireland's largest and most picturesque golf courses.
History
Strabane was badly scarred by the Troubles, beginning in the early 1970's and continuing throughout much of the 1990's, with bombings commonplace and Irish Republican paramilitary groups, mainly the Provisional IRA, regularly attacking the bases of both the British army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) located in the town. Dozens of British soldiers met their deaths in the Strabane area and a fewer number of policemen serving in the RUC met the same fate. Many civilians died during the course of the Troubles, some killed controversially by the British Army, others by republican paramilitaries or when caught up in attacks on the security forces.
One notable incident in the Head of the Town area of Strabane during the Troubles occurred in February 1985 when three IRA members, Charlie Breslin (20), David Devine (16) and Michael Devine (22), were killed by a SAS unit as they returned to an arms dump in a field at the back of Fountain Street. The families, many in the local community and across Ireland believed these and other deaths were part of a wider British government "shoot-to-kill" policy, where republican paramilitaries were summarily executed without any attempt at arrest. Substantial damages were awarded to the families by the Ministry of Defence on the 7th May 2002 as part of a Belfast High Court settlement.
Many regiments from England, Scotland and Wales served in Strabane at various times during the Troubles. As of recently there is no permanent British army presence in the town, although checkpoints and helicopter activity occurs daily. Some nationalists also claim that police brutality and intimidation is still common in the town, with the PSNI (successors to the RUC) having little support in Strabane as of yet. With the ongoing reforms of the Police Service and the creation of the Strabane District Policing Partnership this may change.
Recent years have seen Strabane, an overwhelmingly nationalist town, become a centre of dissident republican paramilitarism with groups such as the Real IRA increasing in membership. "Shows of strength" have been carried out by the RIRA, mainly in the Head of the Town and Ballycolman areas of Strabane, where members of the organisation appear heavily armed with machine guns and rocket launchers. The INLA has carried out many high-profile armed robberies at locations such as banks and supermarkets in the town since 2001, which have tailed off since a BBC Northern Ireland Spotlight documentary highlighted the events in December 2004. One such robbery at the Ulster Bank in Strabane's Abercorn Square netted £500,000 for the organisation.
Strabane once had the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the European Union although in recent years the town has recovered to an extent economically. However, the inevitable closure of the town's largest employer, the Adria factory, would see the town plunge into economic chaos with huge ramifications.
In August 2005, a Channel 4 television programme presented by property experts Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer named Strabane as the third worst place to live in the United Kingdom, largely because of the high unemployment rate [1].
Culture
Strabane has seen a revival of Gaelic culture over the last decade. The local Gaelic football team, Strabane Sigersons, and the hurling team, Strabane Seamrogaí, are ever expanding. Hundreds of children attend the local Irish language Gaelscoil and Irish language groups are flourishing.
The National Trust owns the Strabane house in which John Dunlap learnt the printing trade. The house has been visited by many famous people, for example 42nd US President Bill Clinton, and is located at the end of the Main Street (An Príomhsráid). Dunlap went on to print the United States Declaration of Independence.
Nearby Strabane is Dergalt, the ancestral home of Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States.
Notable Natives
- John Dunlap - printer of the United States Declaration of Independence;
- Brian Dooher and Stephen O'Neill - inspirational key members of the 2003 and 2005 all-Ireland winning Tyrone Gaelic football team - Dooher captained the 2005 winning team;
- Paul Brady - renowned singer songwriter in Ireland and the US;
- Declan Curry - business correspondent on BBC1's Breakfast programme;
- Pearse McCauley - IRA member jailed for the killing of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe in 1995 in Adare, County Limerick;
- Gerard Ó Dochartaigh - local Gael and Irish language activist. The local Gaelscoil (Irish Language school) is named after Gerard.
- Hugo Duncan - affable and very popular entertainer. Famous throughout Ireland as the wee man from Strabane. Showband singer and DJ on BBC Radio Ulster.
- James O'Kane - A well-known and respected man from the Strabane District Counsil. He is currently working Independently on the council.
