About Us

The prime purpose of this community website, A Town Called Irvine,  is as a gateway to information on the local area in order to promote the interests of the residents and businesses in all aspects of their lives and work. It is also for visitors to the area, prospective visitors and prospective residents.

 

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A Town Called Irvine is a local community website with something for everyone, find out what's on, visit local attractions and meet people from Irvine either for fun or for business.

On the site you will find a local business directory, if you woul like to add your business to this directory please email us for more information - the local business directory for the local community.

To find out whats on, what local attractions there are to visit or even meet local people, take a look at our pages.  We offer the opportunity to book hotels (both local and further afield) and we are always looking to improve the site so please let us know if there is anything you wish to see on this - your local community website - a town called Irvine. 

The town was once a haunt of Robert Burns, after whom two streets in the town are named: Burns Street and Burns Crescent. Despite being classed as a new town, Irvine has had a long history stretching back many centuries and was classed as a Royal Burgh. There are also conflicting rumours that Mary, Queen of Scots was briefly involved in the town's history. Some say she stayed briefly at Seagate Castle. To this day there is still an annual festival, called Marymass, held in the town. It is the birthplace of the present Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon and the former First Minister of Scotland, Jack McConnell. Its twin town is Saint-Amand-les-Eaux in northern France just outside Lille.

Irvine was granted its first Burgh Charter in around 1249. This entitled the town to organise its own affairs under a Town Council. In circa 1372 a dispute arose between Irvine and Ayr as to which of the two burghs had rights to control trade in the Barony of Cunninghame and Barony of Largs. The Burgesses of Irvine were able to produce Royal Charters showing that the town had the right to control trade in the Baronies of Cunninghame and Largs. The dispute was resolved by Robert II's Royal Charter of 8 April 1372 conferring Royal Burgh status.

Originally Fullarton remained outwith the Royal Burgh of Irvine as a distinct village and latterly burgh in its own right in the Parish of Dundonald until the Irvine Burgh Act 1881 extended the town's boundaries.

Irvine continued to administer itself with the usual Royal Burgh administrative arrangements of Provost, Bailies and Burgesses. Responsibility for public health, schools and strategic services such as roads passed to Ayr County Council in 1930 when the town was re-classified as a Small Burgh. On 16 May 1975 the Royal Burgh of Irvine Town Council was abolished and its functions were transferred to the now defunct Cunninghame District Council. One of the last acts of the old town council was to present the bulk of the Royal Burgh records and the Provost's regalia to the Irvine Burns Club Museum on Eglinton Street.

There is a Community council in Irvine. However, unlike counterparts elsewhere in Scotland, it opts not to use 'Royal Burgh of' in its title.

The motto used on the coat of arms of the Royal Burgh is 'Tandem Bona Causa Triumphat.' This means the Good Cause Triumphs in the end


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