Finaghy
 | This article includes a list of general references but lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (November 2010) |
Finaghy
| |
|---|---|
 | |
  Finaghy Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Irish grid reference | O003360 |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BELFAST |
| Postcode district | BT10 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| NI Assembly | |
Finaghy (/ˈfinəxi/[1] or /ˈfɪnəki/; from Irish an Fionnachadh, meaning 'the white field')[2] is an electoral ward in the Balmoral district of Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland. It is based on the townland of Ballyfinaghy (from Irish Baile an Fhionnachaidh).[3]
History
[edit]A small community was living in the area since at least the 17th century. The community was involved in the production of linen, which was key to the Lagan Valley area at the time.
In the 1930s, the community gradually started to grow; the local Presbyterian church was founded in 1930. In the 1950s, the city of Belfast grew outwards. Housing estates were built in Finaghy, including Benmore, Locksley and Erinvale, which caused the population to at least double. Finaghy now refers to the area along the Lisburn Road from the King's Hall to the start of Black's Road and between the Malone Road and the M1 Motorway bridge at Finaghy Road North. The heart of the area is Finaghy crossroads, where the Lisburn Road intersects with Finaghy Road North and Finaghy Road South. [citation needed]
Amenities
[edit]Finaghy has no pubs or betting shops as it was stipulated in land deeds that there were to be no public houses on the land belonging to Ballyfinaghy House, the past residence of Ralph Charley, a wealthy Belfast linen merchant.[citation needed] Behind the crossroads is the new Finaghy Campus, which houses a freshly built public library, the non-denominational Finaghy Primary School and community playing fields.[citation needed]
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Finaghy is home to several Protestant congregations – Presbyterian, Methodist, Church of Ireland, Plymouth Brethren and Baptist. There is also a large Roman Catholic congregation in nearby Dunmurry. Aside from the older Presbyterian Church, which now has a community centre, there is a relatively modern Methodist church which has a representation of Jacob's Ladder in its skyline. The Church of Ireland church is dedicated to St. Polycarp. St. Anne's Roman Catholic parish church and centre is located opposite the top of the Black's Road.
St Anne's Roman Catholic Primary School is situated next to St. Anne's Catholic church. Also nearby is Rathmore Grammar School, a Catholic grammar school.[citation needed] Malone Integrated College, a co-educational secondary school opened in 1997, is also located in the area.[4]
Sport
[edit]Finaghy Football Club play in the Northern Amateur Football League, and were originally known as Lowe Memorial YM when they were founded in 1962 [5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Pointon, Graham E. (1990). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 92. ISBN 0-19-282745-6.
'finəxi
- ↑ "An Fionnachadh / Finaghy". logainm.ie. Placenames Database of Ireland.
- ↑ "Ballyfinaghy, County Antrim". Placenames NI. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ "Education and Training Inspectorate - Report of a Standard Inspection - Malone Integrated College, Belfast - 2006" (PDF). education-ni.gov.uk. Department of Education. November 2006. Retrieved 17 July 2026.
Malone College is a co-educational grant maintained integrated school, located in an extensive campus off Finaghy Road North, in south Belfast [..] founded in temporary premises in 1997 [..] it moved into new premises on its present site in 1998
- ↑ Fullerton, Gareth (5 May 2022). "Football club trying to track down past players ahead of anniversary dinner". Belfast Live. Retrieved 10 February 2025.
External links
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