Visit Portadown Places

Welcome to Visit Portadown Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Portadown

  

Portadown Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Portadown

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Portadown history

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Early history and Plantation of Ulster

The Portadown area had long been populated by Irish Gaels. At the beginning of the 1600s, it lay within the district of Clancann (Clann Chana), which was part of the larger territory of Oneilland (Uí Nialláin) This district was named after the dominant local clan—the McCanns (Mac Cana), who had been in the area since before the 13th century. In 1608, James I of England began the Plantation of Ulster – the organised colonisation of this land by Protestant settlers.

Irish rebellion of 1641

Obins Castle was captured by a force of dispossessed Irish led by the McCanns, Magennises and O’Neills during the Irish Rebellion of 1641. In November 1641, Irish rebels killed about 100 captured British settlers by forcing them off the Bann bridge and shooting those who swam ashore. This became known as the “Portadown massacre” and fuelled revenge killings during the conflict that followed.

Industrialisation

Anthony Obins was involved with the development of the Newry Canal in 1741. Michael Obins set up a linen market in Portadown in 1762 and laid the foundations of the town’s major industry. The Blacker family founded an estate at Carrick, on the Carrick–Gilford road, and is now known as Carrickblacker. Many of the Blacker notables in the town were soldiers or churchmen.

World War II

A large prisoner-of-war (POW) camp was built at Portadown during World War II. It was at the site of a former sports facility on the western edge of town. The camp housed (mostly) German POWs. For a time these POWs were guarded by Welsh servicemen who had been transferred from Germany.

The Troubles

During the Troubles, there were numerous shootings, bombings and riots in Portadown. The conflict led to the deaths of 45 people in the town. The northwestern part of the town became almost wholly populated by the Catholic/Irish nationalist minority.

Portadown economy & business

Linen manufacturing

Much of the town’s industry in the 19th and 20th century was centred around the linen trade. The 1881 edition of Slater’s Directory gives the following as manufacturing employers in Portadown at that time. Some of these linen mills survived as manufacturers and major employers into the 1960s.

Portadown landmarks

The Millennium Court Arts Centre contains two galleries allowing local artists to exhibit their work. Ardress House is a 17th-century farmhouse that was remodelled in Georgian times and is today owned by the National Trust. The Newry Canal Way is a fully accessible restored canal towpath now usable as a bicycle route between Newry Town Hall and the Bann Bridge in Portadown.

Portadown geography / climate

Portadown sits in a relatively flat part of Ireland, near the southern shore of Lough Neagh. There are two small wetland areas on the outskirts of the town; one at Selshion in the west and another at Annagh in the south.

The River Bann

Most of the town is built on the western side of the River Bann, and owes much of its prosperity to the river. The construction of the Newry Canal (linking Carlingford Lough with Lough Neagh) and the growth of the railway in the 19th century put Portadown at the hub of transport routes.

Townlands

Portadown area has long been divided into townlands, whose names mostly come from the Irish language. The townlands have given their names to many roads and housing estates. The following is a list of townlands within the urban area.

Climate

The climate of Portadown is like that of much of the rest of the UK and Ireland. It has mild temperatures throughout the year, with summer temperatures not reaching levels to be deemed very hot and winter not very cold. Summer temperatures can reach more than 20 °C (68 °F)

You can visit Portadown places with Walkfo Portadown to hear history at Portadown’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Portadown has 7 places to visit in our interactive Portadown map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Portadown, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Portadown places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Portadown & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 7 audio facts unique to Portadown places in an interactive Portadown map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Portadown Places Map
7 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Portadown historic spots	Portadown tourist destinations	Portadown plaques	Portadown geographic features
Walkfo Portadown tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Portadown

  

Best Portadown places to visit

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Portadown has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Portadown’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Portadown’s information audio spots:

Visit Portadown plaques