Portadown Male

Portadown (from Irish Port a’ Dúnáin,meaning ‘landing place of the little fort) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast. It is in the Craigavon Borough Council area and had a population of about 22,000 at the 2011 Census.

Although Portadown can trace its origins to the early 17th century Plantation of Ulster, it was not until the Victorian era and the arrival of the railway that it became a major town. It earned the nickname “hub of the North” due to it being a major railway junction; where the Great Northern Railway’s line diverged for Belfast, Dublin, Armagh and Derry. In the 19th and 20th centuries Portadown was also a major centre for the production of textiles (mainly linen).

Of its population, about 60% are from a Protestant background and 31% from a Catholic background. Portadown has been the site of the long-running Drumcree dispute. This is over yearly Orange marches* through the Catholic part of town, which has often led to violence. In the 1990s, the dispute intensified and drew worldwide attention to Portadown.

*The Loyal Orange Institution, more commonly known as the Orange Order, is a Protestant fraternal organisation based in Northern Ireland. It was founded in County Armagh in 1795 – during a period of Protestant-Catholic sectarian conflict – as a brotherhood sworn to defend Protestant supremacy. Its name is a tribute to the Dutch-born Protestant king William of Orange, who defeated the army of Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne (1690). Its members wear Orange sashes and are referred to as Orangemen. The Order is best known for its yearly marches, the biggest of which are held on 12 July (‘The Twelfth’). Although based in Northern Ireland, the Order also has a significant presence in the Scottish Lowlands and lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States.

Notable people from Portadown with a similar accent:

Leigh Alderson – ballet dancer, model, actor and choreographer

Gloria Hunniford – Northern Irish Radio and Television presenter

Paddy Johns – Irish Rugby Union player

Brendan McKenna – Irish Republican politician