Derriaghy, (; also known as Derryaghy), (), is a

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

(of 538 acres) and

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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim, ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the c ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

, south-west of

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

city centre. The townland is situated in the historic

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

of Belfast Upper and the civil parish covers areas of both Belfast Upper and the barony of Massereene Upper.

History

The listed

Church of Ireland The Church of Ireland (, ; , ) is a Christian church in Ireland, and an autonomy, autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. It is organised on an all-Ireland basis and is the Christianity in Ireland, second-largest Christian church on the ...

building Christ Church in Derriaghy occupies the site of an early church. The earliest documentary reference to a church in Derriaghy is in a letter from

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

in 1204. The Taxation of Down, Connor and Dromore of 1306-07 also mentions a church in Derriaghy. The records of an Inquisition in Antrim in 1605 indicate that the parish church of ''Dirreraghie'' was in some disrepair.

Churches

*Christ Church,

listed building *Derriaghy Gospel Hall *St. Patrick's

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Church

Transport

Derriaghy railway station was opened in 1907 and is between

Dunmurry Dunmurry (; ) is a suburb, suburban town and townland near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Dunmurry is in the Collin (District Electoral Area), Collin electoral ward for the Local government in Northern Ireland, local government district of Belfast C ...

and Lambeg stations on the main Belfast-Dublin railway line.

Sport

* Derriaghy Cricket Club, founded in 1920 and plays in the

NCU Senior League The Northern Cricket Union (NCU) Senior League is the provincial cricket league within the Northern Cricket Union of Ireland, NCU jurisdiction in Ireland, which covers counties County Antrim, Antrim, County Armagh, Armagh, County Down, Down and so ...

* Derriaghy Cricket Club F.C.,

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club founded in 1982 that plays in the

Northern Amateur Football League The Northern Amateur Football League, also known as the Northern Amateur League and often simply as the Amateur League, is an association football league in Northern Ireland. It contains 13 divisions. These comprise four intermediate sections: ...

* Éire Óg Derriaghy GAC, GAA club founded in 1932 that draws its membership from Derriaghy, Finaghy and

People

* Henrietta Gayer (1700s – 25 March 1814), early

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...

leader who had

John Wesley John Wesley ( ; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric, Christian theology, theologian, and Evangelism, evangelist who was a principal leader of a Christian revival, revival movement within the Church of England known as Methodism. The societies ...

and other preachers stay at her house * Cosslett Ó Cuinn (1907 – 1995), Church of Ireland minister and poet, theologian, critic and biblical scholar who translated the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

into Irish, born in Derriaghy * Philip Skelton (1707 – 1787),

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

clergyman and writer, born in Derriaghy

Civil parish of Derriaghy

Townlands

The civil parish contains the following townlands: * Aghalislone * Aghnahough * Ballycollin * Ballymacoss * Ballymacward Lower * Ballymacward Upper * Bovolcan * Clogher (Derriaghy) *Derryaghy * Drumankelly * Islandkelly * Killeaton * Kilmakee * Lagmore * Magheralave (Belfast Upper) * Magheralave (Massereene Upper) * Mullaghglass * Poleglass * Slievenacloy (Belfast Upper) * Slievenacloy (Massereene Upper) * Slievenagravery * Tornagrough * Tornaroy * White Mountain

References

{{coord, 54.54, -6.03, display=title Townlands of County Antrim