Clady, County Tyrone


Clady is a small village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies about 4 miles from Strabane on the River Finn and borders with the Republic of Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 423 people. It is within Urney civil parish and the former barony of Strabane Lower. In local government it is part of the Derry City and Strabane District Council. The townland covers an area of 173 acres.

History

The village is one of the oldest in the district. The village is referred to as Claudy in Samuel Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, but early and later works attribute the name, Clady, distinguishing it from Claudy in County Londonderry.
Next to the village is an important passage over the River Finn, one of the "passes", which controlled the access to Londonderry from the south and east in the times when the ferry at Londonderry was the only means to cross the River Foyle. Originally, the passage at Clady was provided by a ford, known as the Cladyford. Soon a bridge was built, which existed already in the 17th century. According to Lewis in 1840, a "handsome bridge of seven arches" spanned the river near the village.
This passage over the Finn was contested during the Williamite War on 15 April 1689 when Jacobite cavalry under Richard Hamilton and the Duke of Berwick forced the passage. Some days later James II crossed the Finn at this place, proceeded to Londonderry and summoned the city to surrender. With these events started the Siege of Derry.
Clady was also an important ecclesiastical centre, being the location of the first Roman Catholic seminary to be established in the Diocese of Derry.
In February 1922, during the Irish War of Independence, an Ulster Special Constabulary platoon attempting to enter Clady were forced to withdraw two nights in a row after coming under fire from the Irish Republican Army. One USC officer was killed in the clashes.

The Troubles

For more information see The Troubles in Clady, which includes a list of incidents in Clady during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.

Demography

19th century population

The population of the village decreased during the 19th century:
Year184118511861187118811891
Population219155170119121109
Houses443533332831

The population of the townland increased overall during the 19th century:
Year184118511861187118811891
Population501261493862
Houses1021391213

In 1891, the town of Clady, which stands in the townlands of Clady and Donnygowen, had an estimated area of 10 acres.

2011 Census

On Census day there were 538 people living in Clady.