Toome

---

title: "Toome" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["villages-in-county-antrim", "townlands-of-county-antrim", "civil-parish-of-duneane"] description: "Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland" topic_path: "general/villages-in-county-antrim" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toome" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox UK place"]

Field	Value
official_name	Toome
irish_name	Tuaim
scots_name	Toome Brig
static_image_name	Toome Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 78227.jpg
static_image_caption	The bridge over the River Bann at Toome
(built 2004)
map_type	Northern Ireland
coordinates
population	1,017
population_ref	(2021 census)
irish_grid_reference	H9990
unitary_northern_ireland	Antrim and Newtownabbey
country	Northern Ireland
post_town	ANTRIM
postcode_area	BT
postcode_district	BT41
dial_code	028
constituency_westminster	South Antrim
lieutenancy_northern_ireland	County Antrim
constituency_ni_assembly	South Antrim
belfast_distance	24
hide_services	yes
pushpin_map	Northern Ireland County Antrim
::

| official_name = Toome | irish_name = Tuaim | scots_name = Toome Brig | local_name = | static_image_name = Toome Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 78227.jpg | static_image_width = | static_image_caption = The bridge over the River Bann at Toome (built 2004) | map_type = Northern Ireland | coordinates = | population = 1,017 | population_ref = (2021 census) | irish_grid_reference = H9990 | unitary_northern_ireland = Antrim and Newtownabbey | country = Northern Ireland | historic_county = | post_town = ANTRIM | postcode_area = BT | postcode_district = BT41 | dial_code = 028 | constituency_westminster = South Antrim | lieutenancy_northern_ireland = County Antrim | constituency_ni_assembly = South Antrim | belfast_distance = 24 | website = | hide_services = yes | pushpin_map = Northern Ireland County Antrim Toome or Toomebridge () is a village and townland on the northwest corner of Lough Neagh in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies in the civil parish of Duneane in the former barony of Toome Upper, and is in Dunsilly electoral area of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. It had a population of 1,017 in the 2021 census.

History

In the 5th and/or 6th centuries, there was a woman in the parish of Duneane () known as Ercnat ingen Dáire. In 800 she was remembered as a saint but her cult was forgotten.

Roddy McCorley, a Presbyterian radical, was a local of the parish of Duneane. He fought as a United Irishman in the Rebellion of 1798 against British rule in Ireland but was captured. He was hanged on 28 February 1800 "near the bridge of Toome", which had been partially destroyed by rebels in 1798 to prevent the arrival of reinforcements from west of the River Bann. His body was then dissected by the British and buried under the road that went from Belfast to Derry. In 1852, while the bridge at Toome was being replaced as part of drainage works on Lough Neagh, a nephew had McCorley's body exhumed between March 1852 and October 1853, and McCorley was then given a proper burial in an unmarked grave in Duneane. Although a memorial was made for McCorley's grave later, repeated desecration led to the grave becoming unmarked once more. In November 1954, a memorial in honour of McCorley was erected in Toome, but was destroyed by loyalists using explosives on 1 January 1969, anticipating a People's Democracy civil rights march through the village. In the late 1970s another monument was erected and stands in Toome as you enter the village from County Londonderry. His story became the subject of a popular song written in 1898 by Ethna Carbery.

Economy

Eel fishing is a major industry around Lough Neagh, with Toome hosting the largest eel fishery in Europe. These fisheries supply both the British and European markets. The eel fisheries have been commemorated in a number of poems by Seamus Heaney. In September 2011, the eel fished in Lough Neagh were the first food product in Northern Ireland to achieve a Protected Geographical Indication status in the European Union.

Within the last century, diatomite production has developed as extensive deposits are found in the Toome area. This mineral was used as an absorbent for explosives such as gelignite and as an abrasive in toothpastes and some cleaning products.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club in the area is Erins Own GAC, Cargin.

In 1928, Toome was the scene of a hydroplane race on the River Bann. Hydroplanes from all across Ireland and the United Kingdom took part in the 'Bann 100'. The main trophies was The Belfast Newsletter Challenge trophy. Hydroplanes reached speeds of 34.77 mph. The hydroplane, 'Non Sequiter', won the 100 mi outboard race.

Transport

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/Former_railway_bridge_at_Toome_-geograph.org.uk-_374157.jpg" caption="Spanning time and missing a span on the [[Northern Counties Committee]] lines over the [[River Bann]] at [[Toome Bridge railway station]]."] ::

Toome had long been a bottleneck to traffic on the main Belfast to Derry road route. Construction of a bypass began in May 2002 and was completed in March 2004, shortening journey times and relieving congestion in the village.

Toome Bridge railway station was opened on 10 November 1856, shut for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950 and shut altogether on 1 October 1959.

Population

2021 census

In the 2021 census, Toome had a population of 1,017 (381 households).

2011 census

In the 2011 census, Toome had a population of 781 (263 households); 91% were from a Catholic background and 6.3% were from a Protestant background.

2001 census

Toome is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000). On census day (29 April 2001) there were 722 people living in Toome. Of these: :27.2% were aged under 16 years and 10.9% were aged 60 and over :48.8% were male and 51.3% were female :96.3% were from a Catholic background and 2.9% were from a Protestant background :6.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed

1911 census

In the 1911 census, Toome had a population of 194. Of these: :72.7% were Catholic and 27.3% were Protestant

Notable people

• Motorcycle road racers Michael, John, and Eugene Laverty are from Toome.
• Willie John McBride (born 1940), Rugby union player, is a native of Toome who lives in Ballyclare.
• Robin John Bailie (born 1937), solicitor, businessman and former Ulster Unionist Party and Alliance politician.
• Deirdre Madden (born 1960), writer, was born in Toome.

References

Notes

Sources

• Toome By-Pass
• Palaeoenvironmental Investigations at Toome By-pass
• Culture Northern Ireland

References

1. "Leevin in tha Day of Quaen Victoria: Kintra dwallin-hooses". Ulstèr Fowk an Convoyin Museum.
2. Elliott, Richard. (18 December 2023). "Census 2021: Person and household estimates for settlements CT0046".
3. "Tuaim/Toome".
4. Kelly, Conal. (16 November 2019). "Antrim and Newtownabbey District Council".
5. Charles-Edwards, T. M.. (4 January 2007). "[[The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography]]". [[Oxford University Press]].
6. Beiner, Guy. (23 October 2017). "Rhythms of the Revolt: European Traditions and Memories of Social Conflict in Oral Culture". [[Routledge]].
7. "The Poetry and Balladry of the North in ‘98". An Chartlann.
8. McCambridge, Jonathan. (15 April 2025). "It's back: first confirmed 2025 case of blue-green algae on Lough Neagh". [[News Letter]].
9. Watson, Audrey. (13 August 2015). "NI eel fishery hopes to repeat open day success". [[BBC News]].
10. (22 May 2025). "Lough Neagh eel fishery not consulted on action plan to tackle environmental crisis". [[The Irish News]].
11. (26 April 2024). "A Lough Neagh Sequence by Seamus Heaney". [[RTÉ]].
12. Old, R. A.. (27 October 1970). "Geological Survey of Northern Ireland: The Geology of the Toome Development Area". [[British Geological Survey#Northern Ireland.
13. Townsend, Brian. (1 October 2022). "Skye’s explosive past and its link to the Nobel Prize". [[The Press and Journal]].
14. (11 June 2018). "Minutes of the proceedings of the meeting of the Community Planning and Regeneration Committee held in Mossley Mill on Monday 11 June 2018 at 6.30 PM". [[Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council]].
15. (1928). "Hydroplane racing on River Bann (1928)". [[Gaumont-British]].
16. The Northern Whig, 13 October 1930
17. Lowry, Ben. (15 March 2004). "New £18m Toome bypass hits the road". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
18. (22 September 2009). "Toome Bypass". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
19. "Toome station". Railscot - Irish Railways.
20. "Toome". NI Statistics and Research Agency.
21. 2001 census
22. Harris, Roy. (30 August 2011). "Manx Grand Prix: Treble joy overshadowed by tragedy". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
23. (3 April 2012). "Famous faces provide window of opportunity for Toome". [[BBC News]].
24. Harris, Roy. (22 July 2013). "Andrea Antonelli death casts shadow over World Superbike race in Moscow". [[Belfast Telegraph]].
25. Boothroyd, David. "Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons".
26. Ingman, Heather. (January 2016). "Deirdre Madden". [[Trinity College Dublin]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::