Shrigley

History

Shrigley is a small satellite industrial village which grew up around the large six-storey cotton mill built in 1824 by John Martin. In 1836, Shrigley mill had more power looms than any other factory in Ireland. In the following year, Samuel Lewis described it at length: The original mill was burned down in 1845. It was replaced by a flax-spinning mill, subsequently occupied by United Chrometanners Limited. The Grecian gate pillars, and some of the subsidiary stone buildings, were probably survivors of the original mill and stood until recently. Naturally, the mill became the principal source of employment in the locality. Most of the workers lived in Killyleagh, but a number of blackstone workers' cottages were built in a cluster along the three streets at the mill gate. During his lifetime, the people of the district resolved to commemorate the contribution John Martin had made to their prosperity; a competition was held in 1870 for designs for a clock tower and drinking fountain in his honour; the premium was awarded to Timothy Hevey, a young Belfast architect apparently then working with Pugin and Ashlin in Dublin. The work was executed in 1871, and a High Victorian monument was erected at the cross-roads outside the mill gate. John Martin died in 1876 at the age of 79; Timothy Hevey died in 1878 at the age of 33. Between 1968 and 1972, according to the Downpatrick Area Plan, 'a very extensive redevelopment project was completed involving the replacement of the early industrial village, the construction of 154 houses and two shops'. The new construction was suburban in style, and the people were all rehoused in a housing estate on the opposite hillside. Of the original buildings the Martin monument still stands, in isolation, at the mill gate.

Most-observed species

• Speckled Wood

  Pararge aegeria (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  959
• Meadow Brown

  Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  911
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  756
• Small Tortoiseshell

  Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  596
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  534
• Ringlet

  Aphantopus hyperantus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  533
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  492
• Small White

  Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  487