Drumquin

Drumquin
Irish: Droim Caoin
Drumquin  Drumquin shown within Northern Ireland
Population	291 (2001)
Irish grid reference	H329743
– Belfast	77 miles (124 km)
District	Fermanagh and Omagh
County	County Tyrone
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	OMAGH
Postcode district	BT78
Dialling code	028, +44 28
EU Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	West Tyrone
NI Assembly	West Tyrone
List of places UK Northern Ireland Tyrone

Coordinates: 54°36′58″N 7°29′26″W / 54.616095°N 7.490444°W / 54.616095; -7.490444

Drumquin (Irish: Droim Caoin (Pleasant ridge).^[1]) is a small village and townland (of 398 acres) in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies between Omagh and Castlederg, on the banks of the Drumquin River (Fairywater). It is situated in the civil parish of Longfield West and the historic barony of Omagh West.^[2] It had a population of 291 people in the 2001 Census.

History

It has a rich and varied historical legacy with a Neolithic stone circle, a Holy Well, and the Giant's Stone on Dooish Mountain. Those who are acquainted with the works of the noted Irish writer Benedict Kiely will be aware of his many references to the Drumquin district, with which he has family connections on his mothers side. In 1802, the countryside around Drumquin was described as one continuous scene of dreary mountains. However, the traveller did point out that forty years before that a rich coalmine had been opened at Drumquin and a canal opened to transport the coal. Drumquin has been in existence since 1211.

Sir John Davies founded the village itself in 1617, and the same gentleman built Castle Curlews, later called Castle Kirlish, the remains of which can be seen in the town land of that name. His agent was a man called Bradley, one of whose family was responsible in later times for the building of the fine stone house, which is a feature of the village today. It is interesting to note that Castle Kirlish was joined to Castlederg Castle by a straight causeway, which was seven miles (11 km) long. Traces of this causeway could still be observed in 1837.

Drumquin was also a stageing town in the 19th and early 20th century for coaches and travellers who were making their way to Derry from Omagh and vice versa. As a result of this the village flourished and hosted a hotel and several shops. Felix Kearney immortalised this area with songs such as "The Hills Above Drumquin" and others. On 26 August 1920, during the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Republican Army (IRA) attacked the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) barracks in Drumquin. One RIC constable and one IRA volunteer were killed.

Geography

Bell tower at St Patrick's church, Drumquin

The geography of the area is a mixture of flat fertile lands that clings to the banks of the Fairywater and steep rolling hills. There is also significant forests' to be found to the southwest of the village. Lough Bradan is also located roughly 7 miles from the village. The land is also covered in numerous rivers and streams and two rivers in particular meet on the outskirts of the village to form the river Fairywater.

The village itself is dominated by Dooish Mountain which is the highest point in the area. Close to the village Sloughan Glen Waterfalls can be found these rest in a deep ravine. Beyond the townland of Bradan lies miles of wet bogland that stretches to the border with County Fermanagh. In the area of the glen the land rises dramatically before falling again into the Fermanagh countryside. The area in general is also dotted with several quarries the biggest of these lying 2 miles outside of the village itself.

Places of Interest

• Lough Bradan is an area of outstanding beauty located roughly 7 miles from the village. The lough is a well known fishing location and is regularly stocked with trout. The lough is open to fishing from the months of may through to September. The area around the lough also has numerous walking trails the longest of these taking you right around the diameter of the lake itself and into wooded areas before joining the main road back to the lough. There are several benches to be found near the lough's edge and these are ideal for pinicking. As the lough is bordered on three sides by forest it is not uncommon to see deer and stags roaming the area.
• Sloughan Glen Waterfalls are located roughly 4 miles from the village. This is a popular tourist location and it is common to see people picnicking throughout the year. The waterfalls themselves lie in a deep ravine and can be accessed by a series of walkways and steps. The layout of the walk is such that the visitor comes across the smaller waterfall first this can be viewed from ground level. The steps can then be taken to view the first waterfall from a high walkway. Upon following this walkway further and climbing several more steps the larger waterfall can be viewed from atop. The best time to view the waterfalls is after heavy rainfall when the waterfalls are at their strongest. There are several picnic areas in the Waterfalls and a sufficient size car park making access good.
• The stone monument on Dooish Mountain was built in order to mark the turn of the Millennium, construction started on 14 September 1999 and was completed on 4 May 2000 the monument itself was built using traditional methods, with no modern tools or equipment used and is an interesting place to visit. It can be accessed via a tough mountain walk from either east or west face of the mountain. On top of the mountain itself you will be confronted by spectacular views of the village of drumquin and the surrounding countyside. Being the highest mountain for miles you have an unobstructed view and on a good day can see for miles in any direction.

Sport

• Drumquin Wolfe Tones is the local Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) club which has been in existence in its current form since 1968. Previous clubs have existed in various forms from the early 1930s. Drumquin also have a soccer team, Drumquin United, that has been in operation since 2007. The U-13 team won the Grade 4 league final in 2012.
• Drumquin plays host to several stages of the World Rally Championship as part of Rally Ireland and has successfully hosted two such races in recent years.

Demography

19th century population

The population of the village decreased during the 19th century:^[3][4]

Drumquin Townland

The townland is situated in the historic barony of Omagh West and the civil parish of Longfield West and covers an area of 398 acres.^[5] The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:^[3][6]

The village of Drumquin is partly in the townland of the same name, and partly in townland of Drumnaforbe in the civil parish of Longfield East. In 1891 the village was estimated to cover an area of 12 acres.^[3]

See also

• List of townlands of County Tyrone

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Drumquin.

External links

• NI Neighbourhood Information Service
• Omagh District Council