Portadown

Portadown (Port an Dúnáin in Irish) is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It has a population of slightly under 30,000 which is roughly 2/3 Protestant and 1/3 Catholic. Portadown is situated on the River Bann, in the North of County Armagh. Although the town can trace its origins to at least the 17th Century it was not until the Victorian era, and the arrival of the railway that it became a major town.

Related Topics:
Irish - County Armagh - Northern Ireland - Protestant - Catholic - River Bann - Victorian era

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It was the site of an annual march in July by the Orange Order, from the Drumcree Church through the nationalist area of the Garvaghy Road, which residents claimed was provocative. The Orange Order refused to negotiate with a committee of residents, and in 1997, the Parades Commission banned the march indefinitely. It has been replaced by an annual protest over the ban. Portadown is a stronghold of the Loyalist Volunteer Force, a loyalist paramilitary group which split from the larger Ulster Volunteer Force over the latter's support for the Belfast Agreement, though the Ulster Volunteer Force also have a strong presence in the town.

Related Topics:
July - Orange Order - Drumcree Church - 1997 - Parades Commission - Loyalist Volunteer Force - Loyalist - Paramilitary - Ulster Volunteer Force - Belfast Agreement

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In the 2004 book "Crap Towns II: The 50 worst places to live in the United Kingdom" Portadown was placed at no.20, the second highest ranked in Northern Ireland after Belfast.

Related Topics:
Crap Towns - Northern Ireland - Belfast

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:See also: List of towns in Northern Ireland

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