is still active today with a flute band called Crossgar Young Defenders (CYD) started in 1987. Crossgar is home of a football club called Kilmore Rec, they play at Robert Adams Park Tobar Mhuire Retreat and Conference Centre is run by the resident Passionist community. The centre is in a former manor house, known as Crossgar House, bought from Colonel Llewellyn Palmer by the Passionists in 1950 to house their Juniorate until 1980. In 1976 Tobar Mhuire became a noviciate, before turning into a retreat and Prayer Centre in 1982. Gallery Transport Crossgar is on the main A7 road, 5 miles (8 km) north of Downpatrick and 16 miles (26 km) south of Belfast, and on the B7 minor road between Ballynahinch and Killyleagh. The village is served by Ulsterbus route 15 and 215 Downpatrick to Belfast. Crossgar railway station opened on 23 March 1859, but finally closed on 16 January 1950. Parts of it from Downpatrick to Inch abbey then opened as a tourist attraction in late 2009 to celebrate the closing of the line 60 years ago. Demography Crossgar is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (25 March 2011) there were 1,872 people living in Crossgar, making it the 2643rd UK largest town. Of these: 22.3% were aged under 16 and 13.74% were aged 65 and over 49.26% of the population were male and 50.74% were female 59.45% were from a Catholic background and 34.95% were from a Protestant background 39.65% indicated that they had a British national identity, 35.46% had a Northern Irish national identity and 30.20% had an Irish national identity. In 2001 there were 1,539 people living in Crossgar. Of these: 23.8% were aged under 16 and 18.6% were aged 60 and over 49.2% of the population were male and 50.8% were female 60% were from a Catholic background and 38.2% were from a Protestant or other Christian background Population change of Crossgar Town 1831 Census = 474 1841 Census = 695 1851 Census = 860 1861 Census = 817 1871 Census = 688 1881 Census = 743 1891 Census = 583 1901 Census = 582 1911 Census = 553 1926 Census = 555 1937 Census = 577 1951 Census = 640 1961 Census = 842 1966 Census = 845 1971 Census = 1098 1981 Census- 1225 1991