Claudy () is a
village
A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...
and
townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
(of 1,154 acres) in
County Londonderry
County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. It lies in the Faughan Valley, southeast of
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
, where the River Glenrandal joins the
River Faughan. It is situated in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of
Cumber Upper and the historic
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of
Tirkeeran. It is also part of
Derry and Strabane district.
Claudy had a population of 1,336 people in the
2011 census.
It has two primary schools, two churches and a college named
St Patrick's and St. Brigid's College.
History
During
the Troubles
The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
in Northern Ireland, 13 people were killed in or near the village of Claudy. Nine of these people (all civilians) — including a nine-year-old child — were killed in the Claudy bombing of 31 July 1972. In this incident three suspected
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army (Provisional IRA), officially known as the Irish Republican Army (IRA; ) and informally known as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary force that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland ...
(IRA)
car bomb
A car bomb, bus bomb, van bomb, lorry bomb, or truck bomb, also known as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED), is an improvised explosive device designed to be detonated in an automobile or other vehicles.
Car bombs can be roug ...
s exploded almost simultaneously in Main Street. Inadequate warning was given, and no
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
group has ever admitted responsibility for the bombing.
Of the other four people to be killed in Claudy, three were
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
members of the security forces (two
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...
and one
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the ...
), and all were killed by the IRA in separate incidents. The other person to be killed was a
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
civilian killed by the
Ulster Freedom Fighters
The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) is an Ulster loyalism, Ulster loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland. It was formed in September 1971 as an umbrella group for various loyalist groups and Timeline of Ulster Defence Association act ...
. All 13 victims were killed during a relatively brief period, from 1972 to 1976.
Because of Claudy's small population, it has one of Northern Ireland's higher Troubles-related fatality rates. The 13 people killed there in the Troubles are equivalent to one per cent of the village's 2001 population; in comparison, the death rate in
Belfast
Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...
was equivalent to just over half a per cent of the city's 2001 population, and that in
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...
a quarter of a per cent.
Sport
*Claudy has a local
Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include the traditional Irish sports o ...
club,
Claudy GAC
John Mitchel's GAC Claudy () is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Claudy, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of Derry GAA and currently caters for Gaelic football. The club is named after Irish patriot and rev ...
.
*Claudy is home to two rival football clubs, Claudy United and Claudy Rovers.
*The village also has a local leisure centre called the Diamond Centre. It has sporting, gym, and ICT facilities.
Demography
2011 census
In the 2011 census, Claudy had a population of 1,340 people (504 households).
On census day 27 March 2011, in Claudy Settlement, considering the resident population:
*99.10% were from the white (including Irish Traveller) ethnic group;
*80.45% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic religion and 17.39% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' religion; and
*22.24% indicated that they had a British national identity, 50.45% had an Irish national identity and 31.04% had a Northern Irish national identity.
2001 census
Claudy is classified as a village by the
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA, ) is an executive agency within the Department of Finance (Northern Ireland), Department of Finance in Northern Ireland. The organisation is responsible for the collection and publicat ...
(NISRA) (i.e. with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,316 people living in Claudy. Of these:
*26.7% were aged under 16 and 12.3% were aged 60 and over
*49.1% of the population were male and 50.9% were female
*77.9% were from a
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
background and 21.4% were from a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...
background
*4.9% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
Education
*St. Patrick's and St. Brigid's College
*Cumber Claudy Primary School
*St Colmcilles Primary School and Nursery Unit
NIMDM deprivation 2005
Of 582 wards in Northern Ireland, Claudy is ranked 241st.
NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service website
See also
*List of towns and villages in Northern Ireland
This is an alphabetical list of towns and villages in Northern Ireland. For a list sorted by population, see the list of settlements in Northern Ireland by population. The towns of Armagh, Lisburn and Newry are also classed as cities (see city ...
*List of townlands in County Londonderry
In Ireland, Counties of Ireland, counties are divided into Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parishes, and these parishes are further divided into townlands. The following is a list of townlands sorted by parish in County Londonderry, Northern I ...
References
External links
{{Authority control
Civil parish of Cumber Upper
Derry and Strabane district
Townlands of County Londonderry
Villages in County Londonderry