Maghera
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Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the
Glenshane Pass The Glenshane Pass () is a major mountain pass cutting through the Sperrin Mountains in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is in the townland of Glenshane Pass on the main Derry to Belfast route, the A6. A large wildfire broke out in Gl ...
in
County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within
Mid-Ulster District , settlement_type = District , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_type1 = Constituent country , subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_type3 = , subdivisi ...
, as well as the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of
Maghera Maghera (pronounced , ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,220 in the 2011 Census, increasing from 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster Distri ...
, which it was named after, and the former barony of
Loughinsholin Loughinsholin () is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its southeast borders the northwest shore of Lough Neagh, and itself is bordered by seven other baronies: Dungannon Upper to the south; Strabane Upper to the west; Keenaght ...
.


History

The town dates back at least to the 6th century to the monastery founded by Saint Lurach whose family were possibly evangelised by
Saint Patrick Saint Patrick ( la, Patricius; ga, Pádraig ; cy, Padrig) was a fifth-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", he is the primary patron saint of Ireland, the other patron saints be ...
. The ''
Annals of Ulster The ''Annals of Ulster'' ( ga, Annála Uladh) are annals of medieval Ireland. The entries span the years from 431 AD to 1540 AD. The entries up to 1489 AD were compiled in the late 15th century by the scribe Ruaidhrí Ó Luinín, ...
'' say that the seat of the
Cenél nEoghain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history *Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...
was at Ráth Luraig in Maghera. Standing upon the site of the monastery, the present day ruins of St. Lurach's Church date back to the 10th century. They include, over a doorway, a relief of the crucifixion, possibly the oldest in Ireland. The crucification lintel is reproduced in the contemporary Catholic church, St Mary's. The old church and town were burned in the 12th century. Afterwards, Maghera became the seat of the Bishopric of Cinél nEógain with a cathedral church. In 1246 its bishop, Germanus O'Carolan (Gilla in Choimded Ó Cerbailláin), pleading the remoteness of Maghera, obtained sanction from
Pope Innocent IV Pope Innocent IV ( la, Innocentius IV; – 7 December 1254), born Sinibaldo Fieschi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 25 June 1243 to his death in 1254. Fieschi was born in Genoa and studied at the universitie ...
to have the see transferred to
Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
. As a result of the
Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...
and of the Rebellion of 1641 which drove out many of the first English families, Maghera and district attracted Scottish settlers. They came into conflict not only with the dispossessed Irish, but as tenants and as
Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
also with the land-owning,
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
, Ascendancy. A result was large-scale emigration to the American colonies (
Charles Thomson Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...
, recording himself as from Maghera, signed the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
) and, in the 1790s, the organising of the
United Irishmen The Society of United Irishmen was a sworn association in the Kingdom of Ireland formed in the wake of the French Revolution to secure "an equal representation of all the people" in a national government. Despairing of constitutional reform, ...
. Despairing of reform, and determined to make common cause with their Catholic neighbours, on 7 June 1798 the United Irishmen mustered upwards of 5,000 men in Maghera. But the poorly armed host broke up the following morning on news of the rebel defeat at Antrim and the approach of government troops. A Presbyterian church elder,
Watty Graham Walter (Watty) Graham (also called Watty Grimes) (1763-1798) was a farmer and Presbyterian Church elder in the north of Ireland who was executed for his role as a United Irishman in the Rebellion of 1798. Graham was born outside Maghera, Cou ...
, was executed for his part, and his head was paraded through the town. His minister,
John Glendy John Glendy (1755 – 1832) was a Presbyterian clergyman from County Londonderry in Ireland, who, after being forced into American exile for his association with the United Irishmen, found favour with President Thomas Jefferson and became a leadi ...
, was forced into American exile. On 12 July 1830,
Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants, particularly those of Ulster Scots heritage. It also ...
and
Ribbonmen Ribbonism, whose supporters were usually called Ribbonmen, was a 19th-century popular movement of poor Catholics in Ireland. The movement was also known as Ribandism. The Ribbonmen were active against landlords and their agents, and opposed "Or ...
clashed over demonstrations the Orange Order held in Maghera and
Castledawson Castledawson is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Shanemullagh (, IPA: anˠˈʃanˠˌwʊl̪ˠəx, about four miles from the north-western shore of Lough Neagh, and near the market town of Mag ...
. Several Catholic homes were burnt by Protestants in the aftermath. Some repair of sectarian relations was achieved by an active tenant right movement, but with tenant purchase of land facilitated by the
Land Acts Land, also known as dry land, ground, or earth, is the solid terrestrial surface of the planet Earth that is not submerged by the ocean or other bodies of water. It makes up 29% of Earth's surface and includes the continents and various isla ...
by the end of the century the national question prevailed. Politically the town has remained split between
nationalists Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
, now in the majority, and unionists. The Great Famine of the 1840s and the years that followed, resulted in a since unrecovered loss of population in the surrounding rural districts. In 2003 the
Ancient Order of Hibernians The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH; ) is an Irish Catholic fraternal organization. Members must be male, Catholic, and either born in Ireland or of Irish descent. Its largest membership is now in the United States, where it was founded in New ...
erected a headstone to make the "Famine Plot" were local victims were buried. In the early 20th century, the town itself was relatively prosperous. With its own railway station, an embroidery factory, a busy weekly market and close proximity to Clark's linen mill in
Upperlands Upperlands (Toner, Gregory: ''Place-Names of Northern Ireland''. Queen's University of Belfast, 1996, ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is situated 3 miles north east of Maghera. It lies within the civil parish of M ...
, it was one of two major towns within
Magherafelt Magherafelt (, mˠaxəɾʲəˈfʲiːlt̪ˠə is a small town and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,805 at the 2011 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of the county and is the social, econo ...
Rural District. The town also benefited from post-war advances in education, housing and transport. Separate primary and secondary schools were built for Catholics and Protestants in the 1960s; new housing estates were constructed and motor cars forced a widening of many of the town's narrow streets Maghera suffered violence during
the Troubles The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an "i ...
. Over the three decade from the end of the 1960s a total of 14 people were killed in or near the village Maghera, half of them members of the security forces and a further two as a result of family membership of the
Ulster Defence Regiment The Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) was an infantry regiment of the British Army established in 1970, with a comparatively short existence ending in 1992. Raised through public appeal, newspaper and television advertisements,Potter p25 their offi ...
. The
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...
were responsible for ten of the deaths. Two, including a
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
councillor, were killed by
loyalist paramilitaries Ulster loyalism is a strand of Ulster unionism associated with working class Ulster Protestants in Northern Ireland. Like other unionists, loyalists support the continued existence of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom, and oppose a uni ...
. From what was possibly a low of 879 in 1910 Maghera population has risen in the course of a century to a census figure in 2011 of 4,220. Reflecting
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
employment in local food processing, 213 residents in 2011 did not have English as a first language.


Governance

The town is part of the
Mid-Ulster District Council Mid Ulster District Council ( ga, Comhairle Ceantair Lár Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Mid Ulstèr Airts Cooncil'') is a local authority that was established on 1 April 2015. It replaced Cookstown District Council, Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough ...
. It is located within the Carntogher district electoral area (DLE) which contains the areas Lower Glenshane,
Swatragh Swatragh () is a small village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Swatragh is on the main A29 road north of Maghera, and is situated within Mid-Ulster District. The population was 438 in the 2011 Census. The village has three ...
, Tamlaght O'Crilly, Valley and Maghera. In the 2015 district elections, Carntogher DLE elected three
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
, one
SDLP The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) ( ga, Páirtí Sóisialta Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre) is a social-democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Irela ...
and one DUP representatives to the council.


Churches

* Old St Lurach's Church, a church dating to the 10th century which has one of the oldest depictions of the
crucifixion Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross or beam and left to hang until eventual death from exhaustion and asphyxiation. It was used as a punishment by the Persians, Carthagin ...
in Ireland. * St Lurach's Church, which is the site of the local
Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland ( ga, Eaglais na hÉireann, ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Kirk o Airlann, ) is a Christian church in Ireland and an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the second ...
congregation. * St Mary's Catholic Church one of two catholic churches in the town. * Maghera
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
Church, which is a reformed church. The current building dates from at least 1843 * St Patrick's Church, Glen. The older Catholic Church on the outskirts of the town. * Maghera Elim Church


Demographics


2011 Census

On Census Day (27 March 2011) the usually resident population of Maghera (Magherafelt Lgd) Settlement was 4,220 accounting for 0.23% of the NI total. *99.55% were from the white (including Irish Traveller) ethnic group *74.86% belong to or were brought up in the Catholic religion and 22.61% belong to or were brought up in a 'Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' religion *22.56% indicated that they had a British national identity, 48.82% had an Irish national identity and 27.44% had a Northern Irish national identity*. *21.23% had some knowledge of Irish *6.46% had some knowledge of Ulster-Scots *5.06% did not have English as their first language.


Transport

Maghera railway station Maghera railway station was on the Derry Central Railway which ran from Magherafelt to Macfin Junction in Northern Ireland. History The station was opened by the Derry Central Railway on 18 December 1880. It was taken over by the Northern Cou ...
opened on 18 December 1880, shut for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950 and shut altogether on 1 October 1959.


Rivers

The Biggest Major Rivers Near Maghera are the Moyola River ,
Clady River The River Clady is a mid-scale river in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, a tributary of the Lower Bann. It forms from the confluence of the Grillagh River and Knockoneil River. Course The river flows through the flatlands outside C ...
,
Grillagh River The Grillagh River is a small river located outside Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It starts in Slaughtneil a rural area northwest of Maghera southwest of Swatragh south of Glenullin and north of Glen. Slaughtneil means Niall ...
and
Knockoneil River The Knockoneil River sometimes spelled Knockoneill and is even called Clady River this river is a small to medium sized river in Northern Ireland located near Maghera and is a major artery river which merges with the Grillagh River to form the ...
. Milltown Burn In the town itself there is the Milltown Burn sometimes known as the Fallagloon or Sheskin Burn on up is a small river or burn that starts on the top of Glenshane Mountain and flows eastwards merging with the Altavaddyvacky Burn in Fallylea its second largest tributary flowing onwards into Glen and Maghera passing Glen Chapel the old Milltown Mill and through Cunningham's Industrial Estate before merging with the Black Burn the largest tributary. Onwards The small river is well locally known as the Mullagh River because of the townland in which it flows. The Milltown now approaches the Mullagh Bridge and then under the Original Mullagh Bridge now retained as a picnic area and park onwards for a few miles through open floodplain dipping under the A6 Culvert and then under the old Widow Steeles Bridge before joining the Moyola River.. The burn being urban in Maghera flowing through quite a few housing estates and an industrial estate is quite polluted and dirty with sewer, storm runoff flowing straight into the burn and fly tipping. The Main Bridges which span the burn overall are Sheskin Bridge, A6 Ranaghan Culvert, Ranaghan Bridge , Fallagloon Bridge , Upper Fallylea Bridge , Fallylea Bridge, Galwilly Bridge , Milltown Bridge , New Bridge , Mullagh Bridge , Old Mullagh Bridge , A6 Ballynahone Culvert And Widow Steeles Bridge. Black Burn is a small stream which starts in Lisnmamuck a townlands a few miles southwest of Maghera. The lower stretches of this burn are very prone to flooding around Black Bridge on the Craigadick Road it joins the Milltown after emerging from a large culvert which the A6 passes over. Largantogher Burn The Largantogher named after the townland it mainly flows through is a minor burn a very small stream which mostly flows under Maghera in storm drains it emerges briefly in places but is mostly flows and mainly seen in the Largantogher Plantin (Largantogher Walkway) it winds its way through the wooded area a small tributary stream flowing from an old storm drain which can be seen from the path below Meeting House before opening up into fields flowing for about half a mile before flowing into its last culvert then into the Milltown Burn via a Penstock Gate.


Notable people


1700s

*
Charles Thomson Charles Thomson (November 29, 1729 – August 16, 1824) was an Irish-born Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress (1774–1789) throughout its existence. As secretary, Thomson ...
(1729–1824), signatory to the
U.S. Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House (l ...
, secretary of the
Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...
. *
John Glendy John Glendy (1755 – 1832) was a Presbyterian clergyman from County Londonderry in Ireland, who, after being forced into American exile for his association with the United Irishmen, found favour with President Thomas Jefferson and became a leadi ...
(1755–1832), republican Presbyterian minister, in American exile twice elected to chaplaincies in the
U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is Bicameralism, bicameral, composed of a lower body, the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives, and an upper body, ...
*
Adam Clarke Adam Clarke (176226 August 1832) was a British Methodist theologian who served three times as President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference (1806–07, 1814–15 and 1822–23). A biblical scholar, he published an influential Bible commentary ...
(1762–1832), Methodist theologian and bible scholar. *
Watty Graham Walter (Watty) Graham (also called Watty Grimes) (1763-1798) was a farmer and Presbyterian Church elder in the north of Ireland who was executed for his role as a United Irishman in the Rebellion of 1798. Graham was born outside Maghera, Cou ...
(1768–1798),
United Irishman ''The United Irishman'' was an Irish nationalist newspaper co-founded by Arthur Griffith and William Rooney.Arthur Griffith ...
, Colonel of the Maghera National Guard, executed in 1798. * Henry Cooke (1788–1868),
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
theologian and Moderator.


1800s

*
James Johnston Clark James Johnston Clark (1809 – June 1891) was a Unionist politician in Ireland. Clark was born the son of Alexander and Margaret (née Johnston) Clark of Maghera. He inherited Largantogher House, Maghera, County Londonderry on the death of his fa ...
(1809–1891), Unionist MP for
County Londonderry County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...
, born at Largantogher House. * Robert Hawthorne (1822–1879),
Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...
, assault on Delhi,
Indian Rebellion of 1857 The Indian Rebellion of 1857 was a major uprising in India in 1857–58 against the rule of the British East India Company, which functioned as a sovereign power on behalf of the British Crown. The rebellion began on 10 May 1857 in the fo ...
*
William Shiels William Shiels (3 December 1848 – 17 December 1904) was an Australian colonial-era politician, serving as the 16th Premier of Victoria. Biography Shiels was born in Maghera, County Londonderry, a town in the centre of Ulster in the north of ...
(1848–1904), Australian colonial politician and 16th Premier of
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
. *
James Lenox-Conyngham Chichester-Clark James Jackson Lenox-Conyngham Chichester-Clark (September 1884 – 31 January 1933) was a Member of Parliament of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland for South Londonderry from 1929 until his death; his mother-in-law was elected to replace h ...
(1884–1933), Unionist MP for South Londonderry in the
House of Commons of Northern Ireland The House of Commons of Northern Ireland was the lower house of the Parliament of Northern Ireland created under the ''Government of Ireland Act 1920''. The upper house in the bicameral parliament was called the Senate. It was abolished wit ...
. *
Helena Concannon Helena Concannon (; 28 October 1878 – 27 February 1952) was an Irish historian, writer, language scholar and Fianna Fáil politician. Born in Maghera, County Londonderry, she attended secondary school in Dublin in Loreto North Great Georges S ...
(1878–1952) Irish historian, writer, language scholar and
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. * Louis Joseph Walsh (1880–1942) solicitor, playwright,
Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Gri ...
politician.


1900s

* Eve Bunting (1928– ), American-based children's author and novelist. * Erwin Gabathuler OBE FRS (1933–2016) particle physicist. * John Kelly (1936–2007), founder member and a leader of the
Provisional Irish Republican Army The Irish Republican Army (IRA; ), also known as the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and informally as the Provos, was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that sought to end British rule in Northern Ireland, facilitate Irish reun ...
. *
Mickey Moran Mickey Moran is a former Gaelic footballer and manager-coach, who has been manager of Kilcoo since 2019, with a background as an inter-county manager who most recently managed the Leitrim county team. He played at senior level for the Der ...
(1951– ) Gaelic footballer and manager-coach, *
Kenny Shiels Kenny Shiels (born 27 April 1956 in Magherafelt)Marshall Gillespie, ''The Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996/97'', UTV Books, 1996, p. 59 is a former Northern Irish football player and manager, who is currently the manager of the Northern ...
(1956– ), footballer, Northern Ireland team manager.


Schools

There are three primary schools and one secondary school in Maghera.


Primary schools

* St Mary's Primary School, Glenview * Maghera Controlled Primary School * St Patrick's Primary School, Glen


Secondary school

* St. Patrick's College, a co-educational college.


Sport

*The local
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
club is Watty Graham's Gaelic Athletic Club. *The local football team is Maghera Strollers F.C. *The nearest golf driving range is at
Tobermore Tobermore (, named after the townland of Tobermore) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies south-south-west of Maghera and north-west of Magherafelt. Tobermore lies within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan and is ...
. *The local leisure centre is Maghera Leisure Centre, on the Coleraine Road. *The local Cycling Club is Carn Wheelers *The local Cricket Club is Maghera Cricket Club.


References


External links


Culture Northern Ireland
{{authority control Towns in County Londonderry Mid-Ulster District