Birkirkara, Malta

Birkirkara is a city of 21,775 inhabitants in central Malta. It is the largest town on the island and consists of four autonomous parishes: St Helen, St Joseph, Our Lady of the Carmel and St Mary. It also houses one of the most famous colleges in Malta, St Aloysius' College. Birkirkara is the home town of President Edward Fenech Adami and Opposition Leader Alfred Sant and also the first president of Malta Anthony Mamo. It is the birthplace of Malta's leading singer songwriter Walter Micallef.

The city's motto is "In hoc signo vinces", and its coat of arms is a plain red cross with a crown on the top.

There are many places of interest in Birkirkara, among which are the Old Railway Station, which today is a public garden. Trains were used as means of transportation until 1931. Other attractions include the aqueducts near Mriehel, and St Helen's basilica, one of the most beautiful churches on the Maltese islands, which also houses Malta's biggest bell. Birkirkara is one of the oldest towns in Malta. It was already featured in the 1436 Ecclestiastical Report which established parishes in Malta and Gozo. Birkirkara emerged as the largest parish. Indeed, quite a lot of parishes emerged from Birkirkara over the years. These include Sliema, St. Julian's, Msida, and Hamrun in the 19th century and Santa Venera in the early 20th century. In more recent years, there was San Gwann (1965) and the hamlet of Ta' l-Ibraġ was hived off from Birkirkara to form part of the new parish and locality of Swieqi back in 1993. For more information about the history of Birkirkara please visit the Historical Society website.

It has been the most populous town in Malta for the last fifteen years. The main religious feast is that of St Helen which is celebrated on 18 August if it falls on a Sunday, or on the first Sunday after that date. The main event of the celebration is a procession with a larger than life wooden statue carved by the Maltese sculptor Salvu Psaila. This is the only procession that is celebrated in the morning. The procession leaves the basilica at exactly 08:00, and returns at 10:45. The statue is carried shoulder-high through the main streets of the city.

Birkirkara has grown into an important commercial centre yet it has not lost its charm as a residential hub. Birkirkara is also known for its football club, Birkirkara F.C., which has been around since 1950. Despite having a crop of brilliant players over the past few years, the team had found it hard to win the league, arguably because of the rise, first of Valletta, and nowadays of Sliema. Despite the difficulties, the football team managed to win the 2005/2006 championship, its second honour so far.

Matthew Borg is a notable resident of Birkirkara, and has both male and female genitalia.

Schools

Primary
Little Angels School

Secondary
St Aloysius' College Boys' Church Secondary School
Santa Tereża Girls' Junior Lyceum (Mrieħel)

Post-Secondary
St Aloysius' College Sixth Form

Band Clubs

St. Helen's Band Club (L-Għaqda Mużikali Sant' Elena)
St. Helen Club - Duke of Connaught's Own Band (Każin Santa Liena - Banda Duka ta' Connaught's Own)

Zones in Birkirkara

• Fleur-de-Lys
• Mrieħel Industrial Estate
• Ta' Fuq Wied (Above the Vallies' Village)
• Ta' Paris (Paris' Village)
• Tal-Brieqex

Birkirkara Main Roads

1. Dawret Birkirkara (Birkirkara By-Pass)
2. Triq A.Valletta (A.Valletta Street)
3. Triq Fleur-de-Lys (Fleur-de-Lys Road)
4. Triq F.M. Galea (F.M. Galea Street)
5. Triq G.Papaffy (G.Papaffy Street)
6. Triq il-Wied (Valley Road)
7. Triq il-Wied ta' l-Imsida (Msida Valley Road)
8. Triq in-Naxxar (Naxxar Road)
9. Triq l-Imdina (Mdina Road)
10. Triq l-Imsida (Msida Road)
11. Triq Mannerino (Mannerino Street)
12. Triq P.Borg Olivier (P.Borg Olivier Street)
13. Triq Salvu Psaila (Psaila Road)
14. Triq Santa Marija (St Mary Street)
15. Triq Ta' Paris (Ta' Paris Road)
16. Triq Tal-Qattus (Tal-Qattus Road)
17. Triq Tas-Swatar (Swatar Road)
18. Triq Tumas Fenech (Thomas Fenech Street)
19. Triq Wignacourt (Wignacourt Street)
20. Birkirkara Streets that show the Roman Catholic Religion Faith
21. Misraħ San Alwiġi (St. Aloysius Square)
22. Misraħ San Franġisk (St. Frances Square)
23. Misraħ Sant' Elena (St. Helen Square)
24. Pont San Massimiljanu Kolbe (St. Massiminius Kolbe Bridge)
25. Sqaq il-Vitorja (Our Lady of Victory Alley)
26. Sqaq San Ġiljan (St. Julian Alley)
27. Sqaq San Pawl (St. Paul Alley)
28. Sqaq Santu Rokku (St. Rocco Alley)
29. Triq id-Dar tal-Kleru (Clergy's Home Street)
30. Triq il-Karmnu (Our Lady of Monte Carmel Street)
31. Triq il-Madonna ta' Pompej (Our Lady of Pompyee Street)
32. Triq il-Knisja l-Qadima (Old Church Street)
33. Triq il-Papa Ġwanni XXIII (Pope John XXIII Street)
34. Triq il-Papa Ġwanni Pawlu I (Pope John Paul I Street)
35. Triq il-Papa Piju XII (Pope Pius XII Street)
36. Triq il-Papa Urbanu VIII (Pope Urbanus VIII Street)
37. Triq il-Qalb Imqaddsa (Sacred Heart Street)
38. Triq il-Vitorja (Our Lady of Victory Street)
39. Triq is-Salib Imqaddes (Holy Cross Street)
40. Triq is-Santwarju (Sanctuary Street)
41. Triq l-Isqof Baldassare Cagliares (Bishop Baldassare Cagliares Street)
42. Triq l-Isqof Labini (Bishop Labini Street)
43. Triq San Ġiljan (St. Julian Street)
44. Triq San Ġużepp (St. Joseph Street)
45. Triq San Ġwakkin (St. Guachin Street)
46. Triq San Kostantinu (St. Costantine Street)
47. Triq San Lawrenz (St. Lawrence Street)
48. Triq San Pawl (St. Paul Street)
49. Triq San Vinċenz (St. Vincent Street)
50. Triq Sant' Antnin (St. Anthony Street)
51. Triq Sant' Elena (St. Helen Street)
52. Triq Sant' Elija (St. Elias Street)
53. Triq Santa Marija (St. Mary Street)
54. Triq Santa Rita (St. Rita Street)
55. Triq Santa Tereża (St. Theresa Street)
56. Triq Santu Rokku (St. Rocco Street)
57. Triq Tal-Ħerba (Our Lady of Desolation Street)
58. Żona Tas-Salib (Cross Area)
59. Interesting Places at B'Kara
60. Birkirkara F.C. Ground (at Bontardini Street)
61. Birkirkara Mill (at Ganu Street)
62. Dar tal-Kleru (at Grima Street)
63. Old Birkirkara Church (at Old Church Street)
64. Old Station Garden (at Collegiata Street)
65. Our Lady of Monte Carmel Church (at Notabile Road, Fleur-de-Lys)
66. Our Lady of Victory Chapel (at Victory Street)
67. St. Aloysius College (at College Street)
68. St. Francis Church (at Sqaq Ibghal)
69. St. Helen Church (at St. Helen Square)
70. St. Joseph Church (at Valley Road)
71. St. Paul Church (at Valley Road)
72. Tal-Herba Church (at Tal-Herba Street)