Aghalee
Encyclopedia
Aghalee is a village in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. It is three miles from the southeast corner of Lough Neagh
on the main road between Lurgan
and Antrim
and about 13 kilometres west of Lisburn
. The village lies on the steep wooded slopes of Friary Glen and is beside the now disused Lagan Navigational Canal. In the 2001 Census
, Aghalee had a population of 774.
Aghalee has several places of worship, a community hall, several shops and a post office. The village is home to a vocational training centre, a nursing home, telephone exchange, day nursery, doctor's surgery and chemist. Ulsterbus
services link the village with Lisburn, Antrim, Lurgan and Belfast
.
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Much of the early development of Aghalee was due to its strategic location beside the Lagan Navigational Canal which opened at the end of the 18th century. The village became a distribution centre for the surrounding area and developed as an important lock station on the Lagan Navigation, as it was one of the last sizeable settlements before the canal entered Lough Neagh. While the canal operated, trade continued on a significant scale. When the canal finally ceased to operate in 1954, the area began to decline in commercial importance. The population of the settlement decreased considerably in the latter part of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century.
The village retains many of the 18th century structures and buildings belonging to the canal. From the 1970s Aghalee developed as a commuter area for Belfast and Craigavon and this was accompanied by significant population growth. In recent times, development has occurred on the lands to the west of the village core.
Aghalee is celebrated in the Orange
song, 'The Aghalee Heroes'. This is a ballad about an event in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. A garrison stationed in the village of Aghalee was ordered to march to Lurgan to engage with the rebels. They did so and won a decisive victory.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is three miles from the southeast corner of Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...
on the main road between Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
and Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
and about 13 kilometres west of Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
. The village lies on the steep wooded slopes of Friary Glen and is beside the now disused Lagan Navigational Canal. In the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
, Aghalee had a population of 774.
Aghalee has several places of worship, a community hall, several shops and a post office. The village is home to a vocational training centre, a nursing home, telephone exchange, day nursery, doctor's surgery and chemist. Ulsterbus
Ulsterbus
Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink , which also includes Northern Ireland Railways, Metro Belfast and Flexibus.-Services:Ulsterbus is responsible for most of the province-wide bus...
services link the village with Lisburn, Antrim, Lurgan and Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
History
The village retains many of the 18th century structures and buildings belonging to the canal. From the 1970s Aghalee developed as a commuter area for Belfast and Craigavon and this was accompanied by significant population growth. In recent times, development has occurred on the lands to the west of the village core.
Aghalee is celebrated in the Orange
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
song, 'The Aghalee Heroes'. This is a ballad about an event in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. A garrison stationed in the village of Aghalee was ordered to march to Lurgan to engage with the rebels. They did so and won a decisive victory.
2001 Census
Aghalee is classified as a Small Village or Hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 774 people living in Aghalee. Of these:- 26.0% were aged under 16 years and 8.8% were aged 60 and over
- 51.2% of the population were male and 48.8% were female
- 10.6% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 85.0% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 2.7% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service