Broomhedge

Broomhedge is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, near Lisburn, approximately 12 miles (19 km) southwest of Belfast. It lies within the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area, and the Maghaberry electoral ward.

Demographics
In the 2001 Census, the output area which contained Broomhedge (see here) had a population of 403. Of these:
 * 52.9% were male, 47.1% were female
 * 25.6% were under 18 and 20.6% were aged 60 and over
 * All were ethnically 'white'
 * 97% were born in Northern Ireland
 * 4.5% were from a Catholic background and 92.6% from a Protestant background
 * 92% of households were detached
 * 10.9% of persons aged 16–74 were employed in agriculture

For more information, see the NI Statistical Research Agency (NISRA) page for this output area.



Geography
The boundaries of the hamlet of Broomhedge do not exactly correspond with those of the Church of Ireland parish of the same name. Indeed, Broomhedge per se straddles the boundary between the postal districts of Lisburn and Moira (Craigavon), and encompasses several townlands. The exact boundaries depend on whether Upper Broomhedge and Lurganure are considered separately, and the issue is further complicated by the close proximity of Mazetown and the River Lagan which separates counties Antrim and Down. Broomhedge is situated within the Upper Massereene barony.

Education
The only school situated within Broomhedge itself is the new Brookfield Special School, the construction of which was recently completed on the site of the former Broomhedge P.S. Therefore, most children travel to school elsewhere in the Lisburn area, Moira or further afield.

Primary Education

 * Meadow Bridge Primary School (formerly St James' PS, Maze PS and St John's PS). The Maze Primary School was situated on the Kesh Road. It recently amalgamated to become part of Meadow Bridge PS.
 * Moira Primary School
 * Maghaberry Primary School
 * St Aloysius' Primary School

Post-Primary Education
Secondary Grammar
 * Lurgan Junior High School, which follows the 'Dickson Plan' system implemented in the Craigavon area. After attending the Junior High, some pupils go on to study at Lurgan College, while others study at the Lurgan campus of the Southern Regional College (formerly Lurgan 'Tech').
 * Laurelhill Community College
 * Lisnagarvey High School
 * Forthill Integrated College
 * The two main grammar schools for the area are Wallace and Friends'. Some children also travel further, for example to Belfast, Lurgan or Banbridge.



Sport
Broomhedge F.C. plays in the Mid-Ulster Football League at Anvil Park. The world famous Irish band, the Shamrock Tenors are said to be fans of the Anvils and, when not touring, can often be seen on the sideline cheering them on.

Transport
Broomhedge is accessible by turning off the M1 at Sprucefield and reaching the Lurganure Road (later becoming the Halfpenny Gate Road) via Blaris. The nearest train stops are at Moira and Lisburn; Broomhedge Halt railway station opened on 29 April 1935, but eventually closed on 3 July 1973.

Churches
There are two main churches in the area: St Matthew's Parish Church (Church of Ireland, Connor diocese), and Broomhedge Methodist. There is also a Plymouth Brethren gospel hall.



St Matthew's Broomhedge
Originally part of Blaris parish, the church of St Matthew was erected as a chapel of ease to cover the Broomhedge area. The foundation stone was laid in 1839, the church was in use by 1841 and was officially consecrated in September 1848. It was served by curates from Lisburn Cathedral until 1867 when Maurice Knox McKay was appointed as a perpetual curate. The parish itself was set up in 1880 with the Rev. John Leslie as the first rector, who served until his death in 1927. The current incumbent, Rev Peter Galbraith, has ministered in Broomhedge since 1991. In 2001 a new church hall was built, replacing the Bradbury Memorial Hall (built in 1951).

List of rectors:
 * 1880-1927 - Rev J Leslie
 * 1928-1952 - Rev W R N Ruddock
 * 1953-1958 - Rev G Mitchell
 * 1959-1965 - Rev F Rusk
 * 1966-1983 - Rev W J F Moore
 * 1983-1990 - Rev G Graham
 * 1991-now - Rev P Galbraith

Broomhedge Methodist
The church was founded in 1751, though the current building was built in 1897. The present minister, the Rev Ed McDade, previously minister of Cullybackey Methodist Church, was installed at Broomhedge, Magheragall and Trinity on Sunday 13 July 2008. He succeeded the Rev Clive Webster, who preached his final sermon on Sunday 29 June 2008. The building is shared with Magheragall Methodist for evening services every second Sunday of the month.

Broomhedge Gospel Hall
The assembly was formed in about 1890 and met in two different locations before the current hall was built in 1935.

Other denominations
No other Christian or Christian-related denominations have meeting places in Broomhedge itself, so members of other churches generally travel elsewhere. For more information, see Churches in the Lisburn City Council area.