Greysteel
{{short description|Village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland}}
{{for|the medieval Scots poem|Greysteil}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
|official_name= Greysteel
|irish_name= Glas-stiall
|scots_name=
|local_name=
|static_image_name= Clooney Road, Greysteel - geograph.org.uk - 1455670.jpg
|static_image_caption= Clooney Road, on the A2
|map_type= Northern Ireland
|coordinates = {{coord|55.031667|-7.120556|display=inline,title}}
|label_position=none
|irish_grid_reference=
|population = 1,418
|unitary_northern_ireland= Causeway Coast and Glens
|lieutenancy_northern_ireland=County Londonderry
|constituency_westminster= East Londonderry
|constituency_ni_assembly= East Londonderry
|country= Northern Ireland
|post_town= LONDONDERRY
|postcode_area= BT
|postcode_district= BT47
|dial_code= 028
|website=
}}
Greysteel or Gresteel{{Cite web |url=http://www.logainm.ie/1167015.aspx |title=Placenames Database of Ireland |access-date=13 September 2010 |archive-date=9 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609115101/http://www.logainm.ie/1167015.aspx |url-status=live }} is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies {{convert|9|mi|km}} to the east of Derry and {{convert|7|mi|km}} to the west of Limavady on the main A2 coast road between Limavady and Derry, overlooking Lough Foyle. In the 2021 Census it had a population of 1,418 people. It is situated within Causeway Coast and Glens district.
History
The village lies mostly within the townlands of Gresteel More and Gresteel Beg. The name "Greysteel" may be a part-translation of the Irish Glas-stiall, meaning "grey strip (of land)",{{Cite web |url=http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=529 |title=Placenames NI: Gresteel Beg |access-date=28 November 2013 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203005605/http://www.placenamesni.org/resultdetails.php?entry=529 |url-status=live }} and the Placenames Database of Ireland gives this as the Irish name of the village. An older English name for the area was "Glasteele".
=The Troubles=
During the Troubles, nine people were killed in the Greysteel area:
- On 14 November 1976, Jim Loughrey was shot dead by loyalists at his home.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
- On 30 October 1993, members of the Ulster Defence Association carried out a mass shooting at the Rising Sun public house, killing eight civilians. This became known as the Greysteel massacre.
Features
Places of interest
- Nearby Faughanvale Old church dates back to the medieval period and is dedicated to Saint Canice.{{cite web|title=Greysteel|work=Culture Northern Ireland|url=http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/YourArea.aspx?location=440|access-date=23 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609022606/http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/YourArea.aspx?location=440|archive-date=9 June 2008}}
Transport
The village is adequately served in terms of public transport and City of Derry Airport is located 4 km to the west.{{cite web|title=Greysteel Settlement Designation|work=Planning Service - Draft Northern Area Plan 2016|url=http://www.planningni.gov.uk/AreaPlans_Policy/Plans/Northern/draft_plan/Volume2/Part6/Villages/Greysteel.htm|access-date=23 June 2008}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025}}
Sport
- Faughanvale GAC is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club.
2001 Census
Greysteel is classified as a village by the [http://www.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)] (i.e. with a population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,229 people living in Greysteel.{{cite web|title=Area Profile of Greysteel - Based on 2001 Census|work=NI Neighbourhood Information Service|url=http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/mapxtreme_towns/report.asp?settlementName=Greysteel&BandName=Village|access-date=23 June 2008|archive-date=4 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604210446/http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/mapxtreme_towns/report.asp?settlementName=Greysteel&BandName=Village|url-status=live}} Of these:
- 25.4% were aged under 16 years and 11.7% were aged 60 and over
- 50.2% of the population were male and 49.8% were female
- 96.6% were from a Catholic background and 2.9% were from a Protestant background
- 0.8% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: [http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Neighbourhood Information Service]