Editing Irlam (section)

==History==
Irlam is on the north bank of the [[River Irwell]], from which it almost certainly takes its name, being known in the 13th century as ''Irwellham''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Townships:Barton |work= A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 4 |year=1911 | url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=41441&strquery=irlam |access-date=26 June 2007}}</ref> Until the arrival of the [[Cheshire Lines Committee]] railway and the opening of [[Irlam railway station]] in 1873, Irlam remained a largely undeveloped village, on the southern edge of the peat bog known as [[Chat Moss]].<ref name="SalfordIrlam">{{cite web|title=Irlam & Cadishead – Local History |publisher=Salford City Council |url=http://www.salford.gov.uk/living/yourcom/salfordlife/aboutsalford/salfordlocalhistory/localhistory-irlcadi.htm |access-date=24 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061126174227/http://www.salford.gov.uk/living/yourcom/salfordlife/aboutsalford/salfordlocalhistory/localhistory-irlcadi.htm |archive-date=26 November 2006 }}</ref>

From at least the beginning of the 13th century, Irlam was held by the Irlam family, whose seat was Irlam Hall. By 1688 Irlam Hall had become the home of Thomas Latham, who played an important part in bringing [[William III of England|William of Orange]] to the throne of England in 1689.<ref>Cooper, ''Salford: An Illustrated History'', p.&nbsp;169.</ref>

Irlam Urban District was created in 1894, the same year that the Manchester Ship Canal opened. A pair of locks and a ship coaling berth were constructed here. The subsequent industrial development of Irlam owed much to the construction of the canal, which effectively rendered the River Irwell navigable to large ocean-going ships up to [[Manchester Docks]]. The Latham family's importance to the local area was acknowledged when their features were incorporated into the arms of Irlam's former urban district council.<ref name="SalfordIrlam"/>

Council-owned housing passed to the [[City West Housing Trust]]. It was while renovating some of these properties that there was a large gas explosion at 7:00&nbsp;am on 2 November 2010. Four houses were destroyed, 15 people were injured and 80 families were subsequently evacuated. There were no fatalities.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/nov/02/salford-gas-explosion-15-injured |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Helen |last=Carter |title=Salford gas explosion leaves 15 injured |date=2 November 2010}}</ref>