Carryduff

History

One of the earliest references to the settlement dates from 1622, where its anglicised name is written as Carrow-Hugh-Duffe. The Mourne Conduit was replaced by the Aquarius pipeline and associated infrastructure between 1999 and 2004. This new pipeline was laid to the east and north of Carryduff, crossing the A24 at Brackenvale, and bypassing the Knockbracken Reservoir. The road connections with and proximity to Belfast meant that the town saw some overspill development, from the city, in the 1960s. This period saw several housing developments, the construction of the "Town and Country Shopping Centre", and Carryduff Primary School, leading into the 1970s with the building of the Killynure housing estate by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. Development along one side of the northbound A24 took place adjacent to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church and St Joseph's Primary School, with the Knockbracken Reservoir on the other side. The 1980s saw expansion continue with Carryduff becoming a commuter town for Belfast workers. Developments continued into the 1990s and included Carryduff Library, Carryduff Shopping Centre. These developments saw the Carryduff River placed inside a culvert for much of its journey through the town. Very little green belt land now remains between Carryduff and the southern border of Belfast, the 1980s having seen the former Matthew Stop Line breached. In 2018, the disused Knockbracken reservoir became Ireland's largest aqua park, offering a range of water based activities.

Most-observed species

• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,445
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,059
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,990
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,902
• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  2,773
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,735
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,678
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  2,634