Kilrea

Kilrea ( Irish: Cill Ria; German: "Grey Church " ) is a small town (german village) in the north- east of Ireland in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

Past and present

Kilrea is located in the extreme east of the county Londonderry near the border with County Antrim, on a strategically advantageous location above the spell. It belongs administratively to the District Coleraine and parliamentary constituency of East Derry.

The earliest settlement can be traced back to the 4th century. In the 5th century the legend is said to have visited the area around Kilrea to St Patrick. From the beginning of the 17th century the place during the Plantation of Ulster grew significantly. While the Northern Ireland conflict were killed in Kilrea seven people.

Today Kilrea is a small market town and the economic center for the surrounding area. At the Census 2001 1513 people lived in Kilrea, of which 69.3 % were Catholic and 29.8 % Protestant.

Transport links

By Kilrea, the road A54, the Coleraine ( about 25 kilometers to the north ) to Magherafelt ( about 28 kilometers south ) leads. The road B75 connects the city with Maghera ( about 15 kilometers south-west ); the road B64 leads to the east. About Ballymena they can be reached ( about 20 kilometers south-east ).

Culture

Since 1921 there is the Kilrea Pipe Band, participating in events and competitions throughout Ireland and Scotland as well as the annual, noticed on the town boundaries Festival of the Fairy Thorn in the summer in Kilrea.

Personalities

• Martin O'Neill ( born 1952 ), Northern Irish international footballer and coach