Donemana
Donemana
Village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Donemana or Dunnamanagh (named after the townland of Dunnamanagh, from Irish Dún na Manach 'stronghold of the monks')[1][2] is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is 7 miles or 11 kilometres north-east of Strabane, on the banks of the Burn Dennett and at the foothills of the Sperrins. It is the largest of the thirteen villages in the Strabane District Council area and had a population of 586 in the 2001 Census.[3]
Donemana
| |
|---|---|
Donaghedy Parish Church | |
Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 586 |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | STRABANE |
| Postcode district | BT82 |
| Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
| Website | |
| |
Other anglicised spellings of its name include Dun[n]amana[gh] and Don[n]amana[gh].
The village was established in the early 17th century as part of the Plantation of Ulster, instigated by James I in 1609. Land in the area was granted to John Drummond who established the village; building a bawn (an enclosed, fortified farmyard, designed as a place of refuge for settlers in case of attack), 10 wicker-work houses, and a watermill for grinding corn.
Donemana railway station was part of the County Donegal Railway and opened on 6 August 1900 but was shut on 1 January 1955.[4]
It has two primary schools, Donemana County Primary School and St. Patrick's Primary School. Local children generally attend secondary school in Strabane or Derry.
Donemana has been called a "cricket-mad village" whose local cricket team was "the first team in more than 100 years to win four successive Senior Cup finals."[5]
Football is also popular in the area. Clann na nGael is the local GAA club.
Notable people who were born or have lived in Donemana include:
- George Fletcher Moore, 19th century writer, barrister and explorer
- Allan Bresland, politician
- William Porterfield, Irish cricketer
- Andrew McBrine, Irish cricketer
- Stephen O'Neill, Tyrone All-Ireland-winning GAA
- Brian Dooher, Tyrone All-Ireland-winning GAA captain
19th century population
The population of the village increased during the 19th century:[6][7]
| Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 176 | 193 | 247 | 231 | 243 | 231 |
| Houses | 44 | 40 | 50 | 53 | 52 | 58 |
The village stands in the townlands of Dunnamanagh and Stonyfalls, and in 1891, had an estimated area of 11 acres.[7]
21st century population
Donemana is classified as a small village or hamlet by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000). On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 586 people living in Donemana.[3] Of these:
- 23.21% were aged under 16 and 13.14% were aged 65 and over
- 48.46% of the population were male and 51.54% were female
- 15.19% were from a Catholic background and 83.79% were from a Protestant background
- 7.8% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
The townland is situated in the historic barony of Strabane Lower and the civil parish of Donaghedy and covers an area of 130 acres.[8]
The population of the townland increased overall during the 19th century:[6][9]
| Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 65 | 71 | 66 | 32 | 34 | 72 |
| Houses | 13 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
- "Dunnamanagh". Place Names NI. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- "Census 2011 Population Statistics for Donemana Settlement". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
- "Donemana station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 23 September 2007.
- "Donemana's teen sensations set for fantastic five-in-a-row". Belfast Telegraph. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
Donemana became the first team in more than 100 years to win four successive Senior Cup finals...the phenomenal Donemana production line which has consistently produced home-grown cricketers down the years from the cricket-mad village
- "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2013.[permanent dead link]
- "Townlands of County Tyrone". IreAtlas Townland Database. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 21 March 2013.
- Donemana and its Environs - Strabane District Council website