Countdown to 200th anniversary festival celebrations in Shrigley

Countdown to 200th anniversary festival celebrations in Shrigley

31 July 2024

THE countdown is on to the Shrigley bicentenary celebrations, including the publication of a history of the mill village.

A series of events has been organised to mark the 200th anniversary of the creation of the village, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The community festival opens with a history walking trail on Friday, August 9. Later that night the fully updated and revised history of Shrigley, Farewell to Dear Old Shrigley, will be launched by the former MP and representative for the village, Baroness Margaret Ritchie.

Since the destruction of the Martin Hall, there is no longer a hall in Shrigley, so a special marquee from North Down Marquees will be erected on the old village Main Street – the green in front of the village clock – and the launch will take place there, along with a number of the weekend events.

Author Chris Hagan explained: “The title for the book, ‘Farewell to Dear Old Shrigley’, is taken from the original Song of Shrigley Village, sung by the spinners and doffers as they made their way from the spinning mill village at the end of the working week.

“Shrigley spinning mill and the cluster of weavers' bluestone houses around the mill gates are gone. Bank Row, River Row, Main Street, Field Row, Brick Row, New Row, Pump Loney, Short Row, Short Bank and Model Row are but a footnote in history.

“Long gone too are the leather tanners and woolroom workers who turned United Chrometanners into a world leader. Indeed tanning itself, the heartbeat of the local community, has died out in the village.’'

The celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary provided an opportunity to update and completely revise the history, which quickly sold out after it was first published in 2012.

“This edition draws on many new sources including files, previously sealed and closed, that have been opened at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland,” Mr Hagan continued.

“Most importantly, based on those files, the full story of the Jewish families who helped save Shrigley at the end of the Hungry Thirties can be told for the first time.’'

It reveals how one of the Utitz brothers perished at the hands of the Nazis during the Second World War, while a request was made by another Jewish family from Shrigley to be allowed to transfer money to help a family member escape to Cuba.

One of the new revelations surrounds the generosity of the founder of Shrigley village, John Martin, whose family not only paid for and endowed the first children's hospital on the island of Ireland, but his generosity to the poor was written into his final will.

There are new interviews too with villagers who lived in Shrigley before the bulldozers moved in.

The festival marquee is also the location at 2pm on Friday for the official opening of an exhibition of mounted photographs from the old village and the tannery. The opening will be performed by Sam Osborne, the former Shrigley councillor.

The same night there will be a Shrigley Sings event featuring Shrigley-born Ian Singleton providing a musical night of nostalgia and memories in the big marquee from 8.15pm. 

On Saturday, August 10, the focus is on young people. The events include children's sports featuring races in front of the clock. This is sponsored by Henderson's Spar, Killyleagh, and the prizes will be presented by Mrs Patricia Oakes, while the Gaming Bus, in association with the PSNI, will make its first appearance in Shrigley. 

Young people of the village are also being given the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of its most famous son, international footballer Hugh Henry Davey, with a penalty king and queen competition at the green. This event has been supported by Elvis Kirk Skip Hire, Shrigley.

The unveiling of a permanent photo wall mural, featuring the 200 year history of Shrigley, and an international return to Shrigley day take place before the highlight of the weekend at 7.15pm, the all-professional Swing Time Starlets relive the dance hall era of Shrigley's Martin Hall as they perform songs from wartime, Holywood's Golden Age of swing and retro pop. This is supported by Killyleagh Community Shop

On Sunday night, August 11, there is a free community bingo night in the marquee. Eyes down as Cllr Terry Andrews calls the numbers, with special prizes sponsored by Northern Ireland Plastics, Shrigley.