More about Strabane

Strabane once had the dubious distinction of having the highest unemployment rate in the European Union. It is one of the most economically deprived towns in the United Kingdom. The average wage in Strabane is just £233 per week, compared with £320 in Northern Ireland and £349 in the UK.

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 Strabane has however moved out of the top 20 for the 2007 edition. The Strabane transmitting station, located in Legfordrum and highly visible on approach to the town, was opened in 1963 to extend the range of television transmissions. The town was also noted on the old UTV logo that featured a rough representation of major towns in Northern Ireland.

The town once boasted one of the busiest rail connections on the island. This fell into disuse over time, although an old railway building still stands in the town. In 1792 the four mile (6 km) Strabane Canal was constructed from the tidal waters of Lough Foyle at Leck, to Strabane. The canal fell into disuse in 1962. In June 2006 the Strabane Lifford Development Commission awarded a £1.3m cross-border waterways restoration contract. The project was launched by President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, in Lifford and involves the restoration of one and a half miles of canal and two locks to working order. Work was due to start on the Lough Foyle side of the canal in the summer of 2006 but it never happened.

Strabane is classified as a Medium Town by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 10,000 and 18,000 people). On Census day on April 29, 2001 there were 13,456 people living in Strabane. by mid 2006 the towns population has grown to over 15,000. Of these: 99.3% classed their ethnic group as white, 43.6% of people aged 16-74 were economically inactive, 6.8% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed, 15.6% of people aged 16-59 were claiming incapacity benefit, 27.6% were aged under 16 years and 13.7% were aged 60 and over and 48.1% of the population were male and 51.9% were female.

The local Gaelic football team, Strabane Sigersons, and the hurling team, Strabane Seamrogaí, are ever expanding.[citation needed] The Sigerson Cup, the All-Ireland colleges cup for Gaelic football, is named after a native of the town, Dr. Sigerson. Strabane also boasts several local football teams that play in various leagues. Strabane FC, Mourne Harps, playing the Central Bookmakers Saturday Morning League and Sion Swifts whose two teams play in the CBSML and the North West Junior League all represent the local population.

CRAIC (Cultural Revival Among Interested Communities) a cross border, cross community group provide music lessons to both adults and children on a voluntary basis in the local Irish language Gaelscoil on Tuesday evenings. The Barret School of Irish Dancing has produced some of Irelands best Irish Dancers, and the local theatre group, The Puddle Alley Players, has won several awards over the years in several amateur dramatic competitions.

In 2007 the Alley Arts and Conference Centre opened to the general public, offering a 270 theatre, art gallery, tourist information centre and cafe bar. Strabane also boasts two brass bands; Strabane Concert Brass, 5 times National Champions, as well as St Josephs Brass Band. Accordion bands also had been a feature of the culture in Strabane in the past, with the Mourne Accordion Band and Tom P Mullan Accordion Band. These were succeeded by the Oliver Plunket Band which survived until 2005. The town is currently represented by the Tom P Mullan Memorial Accordion Band, which was formed in 2006. Strabane also has a flute band, The Strabane Memorial Flute Band, which attends Republican Parades and similar events throughout Ireland, Scotland and the USA.

One of Strabane's most notable features are five 20 ft (6.1 m) steel structures: two dancers, a fiddle player on the Lifford side, a flute player on the Strabane side and a drummer in the middle. Designed by Maurice Harron, they were placed at the former British army base at the Donegal border. Affectionately known locally as The Tinneys.

The wider area surrounding Strabane has many scenic forests and glens, and angling and fishing tourism is popular in the River Mourne, particularly between Victoria Bridge and Strabane. Golfing legend Tiger Woods fished this stretch of the river in a recent visit. The town is home to one of Ireland's largest golf courses. The National Trust owns the Strabane house in which John Dunlap learnt the printing trade. Dunlap went on to print the United States Declaration of Independence. The house has been visited by several famous people, including former US President Bill Clinton. It is located at the end of the Main Street.

Nearby Strabane is Dergalt, the ancestral home of Woodrow Wilson, 28th President of the United States, which on the 8th of May 2008 been severely damaged by fire. Strabane is also the location of the first ever gay bar to open outside of a major city in Ireland. 'The Central' bar opened on the 4th of April 2008 and was praised by both local and national press.

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