History
Crossgar has had an interesting and varied past, dating from the establishment of ancient Gaelic royal and ecclesiastical sites, the settlement of Anglo-Norman invaders, to Scots settlers, to the St. Patrick's Day riots in the 1800s. According to a history of Down and Connor by a Fr. O'Laverty, the parish of Kilmore, in which Crossgar lies, was likely to have been established around 800 AD and was the ecclesiastical centre of this part of County Down. It was thought that the area had seven chapels and these can be reasonably evident by the remains of burial grounds. But the seventh cannot be traced to a burial ground and is referred to as the "lost chapel of Cill Glaise". O'Laverty says that by tradition this chapel was built by Saint Patrick and left in the care of his disciples Glasicus and Liberius.
Prior to the creation of Crossgar as a village in the early 19th century, the area was simply known as Everogues Bridge (beside today's roundabout). Ever Og is said to have been a local chieftain in the 17th century, either Ever Og Magenis of Kilmore or Ever Og O’Nealle of Carrickmannon.
The name Crossgar comes from the Irish. It is the old Everogues crossing over the Glasswater River where Crossgar An Chrois Ghearr (meaning "the short cross") most likely gets its name. Although there is also a holy well known as St Mary's Well (Tobar Mhuire) which may suggest that in this case crois (cross) is referring to an ecclesiastical cross, no trace of which now remains. The adjective gearr (short) may suggest that the cross was damaged or in some way defective.
The parish of Kilmore comes from the Irish Cill Mhór meaning "big church" or another possible meaning is An Choill Mhór meaning "the big forest", which suggests that the area was covered by a large forest. Another location of one of the seven chapels is the townland of Killinchy (Cill Duinsí) meaning "Duinseach's Church".
In June 1920, during the Irish War of Independence, Irish Republican Army volunteers attacked the Royal Irish Constabulary barracks in Crossgar. They opened fire on the building, wounding two officers, and attempted to breach the walls with explosives before withdrawing.
Transport
Crossgar is on the main A7 road, 5 miles (8 km) north of Downpatrick and 16 miles (26 km) south of Belfast, and on the B7 minor road between Ballynahinch and Killyleagh.
The village is served by Ulsterbus route 15 and 215 Downpatrick to Belfast.
Crossgar railway station opened on 23 March 1859, but finally closed on 16 January 1950.
Parts of it from Downpatrick to Inch abbey then opened as a tourist attraction in late 2009 to celebrate the closing of the line 60 years ago.
Demography
Crossgar is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (25 March 2011) there were 1,872 people living in Crossgar, making it the 2643rd UK largest town. Of these:
- 22.3% were aged under 16 and 13.74% were aged 65 and over
- 49.26% of the population were male and 50.74% were female
- 59.45% were from a Catholic background and 34.95% were from a Protestant background
- 39.65% indicated that they had a British national identity, 35.46% had a Northern Irish national identity and 30.20% had an Irish national identity.
In 2001 there were 1,539 people living in Crossgar. Of these:
- 23.8% were aged under 16 and 18.6% were aged 60 and over
- 49.2% of the population were male and 50.8% were female
- 60% were from a Catholic background and 38.2% were from a Protestant or other Christian background
Population change of Crossgar Town
- 1831 Census = 474
- 1841 Census = 695
- 1851 Census = 860
- 1861 Census = 817
- 1871 Census = 688
- 1881 Census = 743
- 1891 Census = 583
- 1901 Census = 582
- 1911 Census = 553
- 1926 Census = 555
- 1937 Census = 577
- 1951 Census = 640
- 1961 Census = 842
- 1966 Census = 845
- 1971 Census = 1098
- 1981 Census- 1225
- 1991 Census= 1246
- 2001 Census= 1542
- 2008 Estimate = 1860
- 2011 Census = 1892
- 2021 Census = 1997
Sport
Crossgar is home of Kilmore Rec. Football Club, which plays at Robert Adams Park. It is the club at which Andrew Waterworth started his career.
Crossgar hosts the badminton team and club, 'Lisara Badminton Club'. Their place of play is in Lisara Presbyterian Church Hall.
Crossgar is home to an outdoor Winter Seasonal Icehockey team called the 'Crossgar Hawks' Established in 2021.
Crossgar is also home to East Down Amateur Boxing Club Established in 2010.
Crossgar also has its own 9 hole Par 64 Golf Course, Crossgar Golf Club, located on the Derryboy Road and founded in 1993.
