Visit Portadown.

Portadown (Port an Dúnáin in Gaelic) is a small town of 30,000 inhabitants, based in Northern Ireland. Authentic and full of charm, it nevertheless has a rather stormy history, deeply rooted in the Northern Irish conflict and the 30 years of Troubles (1969-1998) that shook Northern Ireland…

History of Portadown

A city made up of 2/3 Protestant Unionists and 1/3 Catholic Nationalists
Portadown is a predominantly Unionist and Protestant town. Deeply marked by the Troubles (1969-1998), the city gradually split into 2 distinct communities, relegating Republican Catholics to the north-west of the city, while the rest of the agglomeration asserted itself as a Protestant Unionist community.

Discrimination and other forms of violence increased over the years, until it was decided to create a dividing line between the 2 communities, on Corcrain Road. Despite the introduction of this limit, violence did not cease during this period, and some outbursts were observed during Orangemen’s parades from Drumcree Church.

Today, the situation is much more peaceful thanks to the establishment of the Northern Ireland Country Process, and the 2 communities are now able to co-exist without violence. Since then, Portadown has swapped its bad image for that of a young, dynamic and booming town…