Annsborough


Annsborough is a small village in County Down which is one of the main residential areas in Castlewellan, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the A25 road between Downpatrick and Newry, about 0.8 kilometres to the east of Castlewellan and 17 kilometres to the south west of Downpatrick. It had a population of 593 in the 2001 Census.
It originally developed as a mill village in the valley of the Clarkhill and Ballybannon rivers. Most people look beyond the village to neighbouring Castlewellan for the majority of their local services, as Annsborough is just a few rows of houses. The village has a post office and shop and a playing field. Annsborough Primary School first opened in 1835, making it one of the oldest functional schools in the country. It officially became integrated in 1997, after many years of unofficial integrated education. A variety of light industrial and commercial units provide small-scale local employment in former textile mill buildings in the centre of the village. The village's history and identity are closely linked to Castlewellan, and its distinctive character derives from its natural valley setting within the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the well-landscaped former mill complex in the centre of the village.

Culture

The village is the home of the Annsborough Pipe Band. Currently competing in Grade 3A of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, the band has won three World Championships in 2004, 2005 and 2015. Their Drum Corps were also crowned as World Champions in 2007 and 2015.

Demography

Annsborough is classified as a small village or hamlet by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency . On Census Day there were 593 people living in Annsborough. Of these: