Detailed Colin historical timeline created
A detailed timeline of historical events in the Colin district...
colinheritage.com © 2021 All rights Reserved.
A Historical Timeline
Some of the key dates in the history of the Colin area
Timeline of Events
Early history
Ancient cairns and scattered ring forts built on Colin Mountain by its earliest inhabitants. Some can still be seen today
Middle
Ages
Simple stone churches and holy wells can be found, with some still surviving
Middle
Ages
A Norman motte is established at what is now Castlerobin near Poleglass
Mid
1500s
The medieval church of Kilwee is founded. Known as the Ecclesia de Calemna, it was situated at the top of Dunmurry Lane where the Cloona housing estate now exists. A stone water font from the church still survives (see below)
Circa
1570
Early in the Plantation of Ulster, Sir Robin Norton, an Elizabethan military commander, constructs his castle (part of which still stands) at Castlerobin.
Early 1700’s
Belle Steele is born. She was a Protestant lady who would later hide the altar vessels, priest's vestments (shown below) and even the priest himself from the authorities.
Circa
1733
St Patrick's Church at Barnfield, Derriaghy is constructed. One of only three Catholic Mass houses in Antrim and Down, it would be burned twice during times of tension - in 1744 and 1798
Mid
1700's
Belle Steele will regularly, at great risk to herself, use a cow horn to warn Catholic worshippers at Mass Rocks in the hills above Colin, of the approach of yeomanry. The priest and the Mass Rock are portrayed in the top left of the picture on Colin mountain.
1702
The linen Industry started in 1702 when Louis Cromwellian arrived in Lisburn with 1000 looms. The Colin area would become part of the so-called 'Linenopolis' from Belfast along the Lagan Valley to Lisburn
1770
Luke Teeling's family opens Teeling Mill at Poleglass to service the linen industry
1785
Mass Rocks like the one below in Colin Glen gradually cease to be used as the worst of the Penal Laws begin to abate
1791
United Irishmen form in Belfast, with the Teeling family playing a key role
1798
The United Irish Rebellion erupts, with Bartholemew Teeling (below) fighting at two battles in the west of Ireland before being executed in Royal Barracks in Dublin. Teeling's Mill at Poleglass would be burned to the ground because of the family's role in the uprising
1801
Act of Union
1829
Catholic Emancipation
1845-51
Great Irish Famine
1850
The stone font (below) from ancient Kilwee church is unearthed when a mill dam at Cloona is drained. The McCance family donates the font to the Catholic church
1865
'The Lion of Dunmurry', Rev Henry Montgomery of Dunmurry Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Church, dies. Pictured below, Rev Montgomery founded the Non-Subscribing church in Ireland after clashing with more conservative Presbyterian figures, not least on Catholic Emancipation.
1868
Cloona House is built in 1868 for Nicholas Grimshaw and his family
1870
Beatrice Grimshaw (below) is born in Cloona House. She would go on to be an author and adventurer
1888
Alfred Jaffe and family, make Cloona House their home
1898
Cloona House passes into the ownership of linen magnate William Ferrar and his wife Isabella
Early
20th
Century
St Patrick's Church at Barnfield, Derriaghy is restored into the church that remains today
1911
Census shows the Ferrar family are resident in Cloona along with three staff
1921
Ireland is partitioned and a separate state and parliament was established for the Six Counties of Northern Ireland
1922
Sir Stephen Tallents appointed by Lloyd George to report on sectarian murders in Northern Ireland. Following his report, he was appointed Imperial Secretary to Northern Ireland by Winston Churchill until that post was abolished in 1926. Tallents lived at Collin House in the hills above Poleglass, sadly now vanished.
1930
William Henry, owner of York Street Flax Spinning Mill, buys Cloona House
1940
After the outbreak of World War II, in autumn 1939, Cloona House (pictured below in post war years) is leased to the War Department (Minister of Defence) and becomes the residence of the British Army's General Officer Commanding in Northern Ireland
1941
900 die in Belfast Blitz; refugees seek refuge in Belfast hills
1953
Beatrice Grimshaw dies in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia
1954
Bobby Sands is born in Rathcoole on 9 March
1965
Frank Pantridge (whose statue is pictured below) creates the portable defibrillator, which continues to save lives worldwide. Pantridge lived at Collin House near Poleglass in the 60s and 70s
1967
Twinbrook housing estate is begun, planned as a model estate for cross-community housing
1971
Internment without trial is introduced in August. The plan was drawn up in Cloona House under Gen Tuzo at the urging of NI Prime Minister Brian Faulkener
1972
31 July 1972, Operation Motorman commences, planned from Cloona House by General Sir Harry Tuzo (pictured below)
1979
Work starts on the first houses in the Poleglass estate
1981
On 5 May 1981, after 66 days of hunger strike, Bobby Sands MP dies in the Maze prison. The mural below in his memory would later be created in Twinbrook, where he lived
1982
Cloona House is sold to the Catholic Church as the GOC vacates Cloona House and relocates to British Army HQ in Lisburn
1992
Scoil na Fuiseoige (‘The School of the Skylark’) opens in Twinbrook
1994
Following years of negotiations with the British Government, the IRA announces a ceasefire, mostly bringing to an end the modern Troubles
2004
Colin Neighbourhood Partnership is formed
2006
Well know local councillor Michael Ferguson dies
2008
The roundabout at Poleglass , the gateway to the Colin community, is renamed after Cllr Ferguson to promote the positive aspects of the area
2011
Colin Neighbourhood Partnership moves into Cloona House
2019
Colin Connect Transport Hub and Colin Town Square (below) are officially opened
2019
Ionad na Fuiseoige (Irish Language Centre and Theatre) opens in Twinbrook
2020
The new £105 million Brook Leisure Centre is officially opened in Twinbrook by Belfast Lord Mayor Councillor Daniel Baker, who represents the Collin district electoral area
2021/22
Colin Heritage trail and website are created by Colin Neighbourhood Partnership
Recent Posts
Colin Heritage signage content is unveiled
After in-depth research and deliberation, Colin Neighbourhood Partnership has revealed...
Colin Neighbourhood Partnership launches Colin Heritage project
Colin Neighbourhood Partnership is excited to reveal further details of...