Was it Brenainn, abbot of Clonfert, whose dedication date was May 16th, from whom Kirk Braddan derived its name? Braddan is one of the seventeen parishes of the Isle of Man. It sits on the east side of the island. This is part of the traditional South Side division. It is in the sheading of Middle.
Administratively, part of historic Braddan now falls under Douglas. Douglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man. Other Braddan settlements include Port Soderick, Strang, Tromode, and Union Mills.
For local government, most of the historic parish forms a single parish district. This district has five elected Commissioners. In 1896, a small area in southeast Braddan became part of Douglas. It is governed by a municipal corporation with 18 councillors and an elected mayor. Since 1996, the Captain of the Parish has been Thomas Philip Caley.
Braddan parish district is part of the Middle constituency. This elects two Members to the House of Keys. The part of historic Braddan within Douglas elects MHKs to separate Douglas constituencies.
Braddan stretches from Druidale in the north to Port Soderick in the south. It is nearly 10 miles long. In two places, it is less than 1 km wide. Braddan borders Michael and Lezayre parishes to the north. It also borders German, Marown and Onchan in the middle. Santon is to the south. Braddan’s name is another form of Brendan. Brendan was an Irish saint and patron of voyagers.
The north end of Braddan is mountainous and uninhabited. The south end is flatter. It includes Union Mills and residential areas near Douglas. The Middle River runs through Braddan. It is in the Kewaigue Oakhill area. The original Fairy Bridge is there.
The parish church, Kirk Braddan, was built in 1876. John Loughborough Pearson designed it. The former parish church, Old Kirk Braddan, dates to 1777. It holds some ancient crosses.
Hampton Court House is near Port Soderick. Thomas Stowell built it around 1800. He was a Manx advocate. He became acting Attorney General in 1796 and Clerk of Rolls in 1804.
The 2016 Isle of Man census recorded a Braddan population of 3,621. This was a 1% increase from 3,586 in 2011. But, the 2021 census recorded a population decline to 3,404.
The ecclesiastical parish of Braddan used to include Braddan district. It also included almost all of present-day Douglas. Several Douglas parishes were established later. These are St George, St Barnabas, St Matthew, St Thomas, and St Ninian. Only Anagh Coar, Ballaughton, and Farmhill suburbs remain in the ecclesiastical parish today.
The Baldwin area, with St Luke’s chapel, moved to Marown parish in 1978. In 2012, two more areas were transferred. One area between the Middle River and Douglas Head went to St Matthew parish. Another area between Mount Murray and Port Walberry went to Santan parish.
Braddan Parish Commissioners are a local authority. They represent the people of Braddan. They are in the sheading of Middle. This includes Marown and Santon parishes. The Board of Braddan Commissioners has 5 members. They serve for four years. Meetings happen every two weeks.
The Roundhouse is a community hub in Braddan. It houses Braddan Commissioners’ offices. The Commissioners want your voice to be heard.
The ecclesiastical parish of Braddan is about 6 miles long and 2 miles wide. It is south and west of Douglas. Braddan includes Anagh Coar, Ballaughton, and Farmhill suburbs. It also includes Union Mills and Kewaigue villages. This rural area stretches from near the east coast to Mount Rule.