Read about Portadown from: SLATER'S Royal National Commercial Directory
of Ireland 1818
Portadown's name comes from Port-ne-doon,
"Port of the fortified eminence," from a castle of the
M'Cann's, who occupied this important Station, commanding the pass
of the river Bann. In the reign of Charles I, Portadown consisted
of no more than three or four small houses, and was granted by that
monarch, with the estate, to J. P. Obyns, a street in the town beard
this mans name.
The bustling town of Portadown sits astride
the river Bann, it is sometimes referred to as the 'hub of the north',
referring to its geographical position in the centre of Ulster.
In the past the town was a centre of engineering with two Iron Foundries,
there were also several factories connected with the linen industry,
there are now industrial estates on the outskirts of the town, catering
for the diverse requirements of the local area.
For over two hundred years from 1742 the
town witnessed the passage of barges along the river Bann, carrying
coal from the mines at Coalisland to Dublin, the river and the canal
met a little to the south of Portadown. In 1842 the railway
from Belfast reached Portadown, this was the precursor to the slow
decline of the canal system.
In the late 1950's an
unusual sight sometimes seen about the town was Mary Ann McCartan.
Mary was a lady of advanced years, and would appear in town, with
her donkey and cart to do her shopping, accompanied by a collie.
One story relates that once while Mary was in a shop the donkey
got bored and decided to go home, on its own. The donkey duly arrived
home and was spotted by some local lads who decided to play a prank,
they unhitched the donkey and cart, put the shafts of the cart through
the gate and harnessed the donkey to the cart. No doubt Mary was
perplexed and probably not amused, after her long walk when she
arrived back to her little farm at Bluestone.
