Whiteabbey

Whiteabbey is a small urban village area in Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located near Jordanstown and its university campus. Whiteabbey is on the north coast of Belfast Lough and is part of the Newtownabbey Borough Council area. Whiteabbey also forms part of North Belfast Parliamentary constituency.

1 History
2 Local facilities
3 Local schools & education
4 Local churches
5 Transport
6 2001 Census
7 References

History

Whiteabbey's name is derived from a Premonstratensian abbey which existed in the area in the Medieval period, the monks of which are said to have worn white robes. All traces of the abbey are now gone although the site, in the grounds of Whiteabbey Hospital, remains undeveloped.

In the first half of the 19th century, the village was home to a large bleach works and was an important landing site for coal shipments bound for Belfast. Remnants of the old pier can still be seen in the sea. The importance of the village declined after the channel into Belfast harbour was widened and straightened allowing larger ships to reach the city directly.

In 1952, one of Northern Ireland's most controversial murders took place in Whiteabbey when Patricia Curran, the 19-year-old daughter of prominent Judge Sir Lancelot Curran, was found stabbed near her home¹, The Glen, close to the village.

Local facilities

Near the village one can find a popular dog-walking route known as 'The Glen' which is a small forest area extending up to and beyond the Bleach Green railway viaduct. The Newtownabbey/Ulster Way passes through this area, as does the Threemilewater river.

Whiteabbey also has its own hospital which has an accident and emergency department operating from 9am to 5pm.

Local schools & education

Local churches

Whiteabbey Congregational Church
Whiteabbey Methodist Church

Transport

The area is served by Whiteabbey railway station on the Belfast to Larne line. The station opened on 11 April 1848.²
Translink Bus & Rail Website

2001 Census

On Census Day 29th April 2001 the resident population of Whiteabbey village was 2,922. Of this population:

16.8% were under 16 years old and 29.3% were aged 60 and above;
47.4% of the population were male and 52.6% were female; and
17.3% were from a Catholic Community Background and 77.0% were from the Protestant and Christian Community Backgrounds.