Augher
Encyclopedia
Augher is a small village
and townland
in County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. It is 18 miles (28 km) southwest of Dungannon
, on the A4
Dungannon to Enniskillen
road, halfway between Ballygawley and Clogher
. The 2001 Census
recorded a population of 399.
, which has since been converted to a coffee house. Once a year the famous Clogher Valley Show is held which displays the high quality farm produce of this very rural area. 'Clogher Valley Cheese', which is locally made is one of the region's food specialities.
In 1613, after the war and as part of the Plantation of Ulster an area of 315 acres (127.5 ha) around Augher was given to Sir Thomas Ridgway who had been the Treasurer at War for Ireland. The land grant was strict about what the Undertaker i.e. Ridgway, could do with the land in terms of who had to be settled there and what provisions had to be given to the settlers. Ridgway was successful in developing the town that within two years it awarded a borough charter by James I.
By 1630 the ownership of Augher had passed to Sir James Erskine and during the Irish Rebellion of 1641 the castle was successfully defended against rebel attack. In retalisation the rebels massacred all the English inhabitants in the area.
On the death of Sir James Erskine, Augher Castle and the estate passed into the ownership of the Richardson family who retained the estate well into the 19th century. The castle itself burnt down in 1689 but was restored and extended in 1832. Spur Royal Castle stands to this day.
Under the borough charter, Augher returned two members of parliament to the Irish Parliament, a practice that continued until the abolition of the parliament in 1801. The borough was by the time of the abolition of parliament owned by John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn and when the parliament was abolished he received £15,000 compensation for the loss of the electoral rights of Augher and Strabane - the other borough he owned. Also abolished at the same time was the civil court established under the charter.
castle. It was built in 1615 by Lord Ridgeway on the site of an older fortress and was burnt in 1689 by the Jacobites
as the Siege of Derry
was underway. It was restored and extended in 1832 and a large and handsome mansion built adjoining it by Sir J. M. Richardson Bunbury, Bart
. The ancient building consisted of a pentagonal tower surrounded by a wall 12 feet (3.7 m) heigh and flanked by four circular towers; the wall has been removed, but one of the round towers has been restored; and the entrance gateway has also been removed and rebuilt on an elevated situation commanding some fine views, in which the remains of the old castle form an interesting object: the mansion is situated in a well-wooded demesne of 220 acre (0.8903092 km²), and upon the margin of a beautiful lake.
The River Blackwater
, on which the village is built, and the lakes of Dunroe and Fymore amid the hills to the south of Augher make this a good fishing area.
Just outside Augher on the Hill of Knockmany stands the famous cairn of Queen Anya, reputed to be over 2000 years old. There are a number of forests in the vicinity; namely Knockmany and Favour Royal Forest ; the latter is remarkable for its huge stones with inscribed designs of the Bronze Age
Tomb of Knockmany. It is arguably the finest example of Megalithic Art in Ulster.
St Patrick's Chair and Well, another ancient site, set in Altadavin (the foot of the wood), is reputed to have mystical powers.
. It is a red brick single storey building built by James Harvey of Enniskillen
. The railway closed on 1 January 1942. The original station building became a coffee shop known as Rosamunde's. After a period of being closed, the now Station House Cafe came under new ownership, was refurbished and reopened once more.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, 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 18 miles (28 km) southwest of Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, on the A4
A4 road (Northern Ireland)
The A4 is a major road in Northern Ireland. It travels through County Armagh, County Tyrone and County Fermanagh and continues to Sligo in the Republic of Ireland as the N16....
Dungannon to Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
road, halfway between Ballygawley and Clogher
Clogher
Clogher is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Blackwater, south of Omagh. The United Kingdom Census of 2001 recorded a population of 309.-History:...
. 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....
recorded a population of 399.
Features
The historic core of the village developed in linear form along Main Street and is intersected by the A4 road. Augher is a busy community in the Clogher Valley. In the village is the interesting parish church and the quaint old station house for the Clogher Valley RailwayClogher Valley Railway
The Clogher Valley Railway was a 37 mile long narrow gauge railway in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It opened in May 1887 and closed on 1 January 1942 .-Route:...
, which has since been converted to a coffee house. Once a year the famous Clogher Valley Show is held which displays the high quality farm produce of this very rural area. 'Clogher Valley Cheese', which is locally made is one of the region's food specialities.
Historical
By the time of the Nine Years' War Augher was important enough to be used as a garrison town by the forces of Lord Mountjoy, Elizabth I's, Lord Deputy of Ireland, to disrupt the army of the Earl of Tyrone.In 1613, after the war and as part of the Plantation of Ulster an area of 315 acres (127.5 ha) around Augher was given to Sir Thomas Ridgway who had been the Treasurer at War for Ireland. The land grant was strict about what the Undertaker i.e. Ridgway, could do with the land in terms of who had to be settled there and what provisions had to be given to the settlers. Ridgway was successful in developing the town that within two years it awarded a borough charter by James I.
By 1630 the ownership of Augher had passed to Sir James Erskine and during the Irish Rebellion of 1641 the castle was successfully defended against rebel attack. In retalisation the rebels massacred all the English inhabitants in the area.
On the death of Sir James Erskine, Augher Castle and the estate passed into the ownership of the Richardson family who retained the estate well into the 19th century. The castle itself burnt down in 1689 but was restored and extended in 1832. Spur Royal Castle stands to this day.
Under the borough charter, Augher returned two members of parliament to the Irish Parliament, a practice that continued until the abolition of the parliament in 1801. The borough was by the time of the abolition of parliament owned by John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn and when the parliament was abolished he received £15,000 compensation for the loss of the electoral rights of Augher and Strabane - the other borough he owned. Also abolished at the same time was the civil court established under the charter.
Places of interest
To the west of Augher is Spur Royal Castle, a typical plantationPlantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
castle. It was built in 1615 by Lord Ridgeway on the site of an older fortress and was burnt in 1689 by the Jacobites
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
as the Siege of Derry
Siege of Derry
The Siege of Derry took place in Ireland from 18 April to 28 July 1689, during the Williamite War in Ireland. The city, a Williamite stronghold, was besieged by a Jacobite army until it was relieved by Royal Navy ships...
was underway. It was restored and extended in 1832 and a large and handsome mansion built adjoining it by Sir J. M. Richardson Bunbury, Bart
Richardson-Bunbury Baronets
The Richardson, later Richardson-Bunbury Baronetcy, of Augher in the County of Tyrone, is a title in the Baronetage of Ireland. It was created on 30 August 1787 for William Richardson. The family is originally of Scottish descent...
. The ancient building consisted of a pentagonal tower surrounded by a wall 12 feet (3.7 m) heigh and flanked by four circular towers; the wall has been removed, but one of the round towers has been restored; and the entrance gateway has also been removed and rebuilt on an elevated situation commanding some fine views, in which the remains of the old castle form an interesting object: the mansion is situated in a well-wooded demesne of 220 acre (0.8903092 km²), and upon the margin of a beautiful lake.
The River Blackwater
River Blackwater, Northern Ireland
The River Blackwater is a river in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, as well as County Monaghan and County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, which has its source to the north of Fivemiletown, County Tyrone...
, on which the village is built, and the lakes of Dunroe and Fymore amid the hills to the south of Augher make this a good fishing area.
Just outside Augher on the Hill of Knockmany stands the famous cairn of Queen Anya, reputed to be over 2000 years old. There are a number of forests in the vicinity; namely Knockmany and Favour Royal Forest ; the latter is remarkable for its huge stones with inscribed designs of the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
Tomb of Knockmany. It is arguably the finest example of Megalithic Art in Ulster.
St Patrick's Chair and Well, another ancient site, set in Altadavin (the foot of the wood), is reputed to have mystical powers.
Transport
Augher Railway Station was opened on 2 May 1887 by the Clogher Valley RailwayClogher Valley Railway
The Clogher Valley Railway was a 37 mile long narrow gauge railway in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It opened in May 1887 and closed on 1 January 1942 .-Route:...
. It is a red brick single storey building built by James Harvey of Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
. The railway closed on 1 January 1942. The original station building became a coffee shop known as Rosamunde's. After a period of being closed, the now Station House Cafe came under new ownership, was refurbished and reopened once more.
People
- Eugene McKennaEugene McKennaEugene McKenna is a retired Gaelic footballer, and former Tyrone manager. With three All Stars, three Ulster Senior Football Championship medals as a player, two as a manager to his name, and his guiding of Tyrone to their first all-Ireland triumph, the 2002 National League, he is often considered...
– former Tyrone Gaelic Football Captain in the 1980s and joint manager from 1999 to 2002 was from Augher. He collected three Ulster Senior Championship medals as a player, and represented his province in the Irish Interprovincial Railway Cup Tournament on several occasions.
Education
- Augher Central Primary School
- St. Brigid's Primary School
- St. Patrick's Primary School
Sport
- Augher St. Macartan'sAugher St. Macartan'sAugher St. Macartan's is a Gaelic Athletic Association club. The club is based in Augher, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.The club concentrates on Gaelic football, a Ladies Gaelic football club is also in existence in Augher called St...
Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic AssociationThe Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
Club - Augher Stars Football Club
See also
- List of villages in Northern Ireland
- Augher (Parliament of Ireland constituency)Augher (Parliament of Ireland constituency)Augher was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until the Acts of Union 1800 came into force on January 1, 1801.-History:In the Patriot Parliament of 1689 summoned by King James II, Augher was not represented.-1689–1801:...