Bellaghy
Encyclopedia
Bellaghy is a village
in County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. It lies north west of Lough Neagh
and about 5 miles north of Magherafelt
. At the centre of the village lies the junction of three main roads leading to Magherafelt, Portglenone
and Toome
. It had a population of 1,063 people in the 2001 Census
. It is within the Magherafelt District Council
area.
. The village dates back to the 17th century
when it was one of many towns settled and built under the authority of the Vintners Company of London
as part of the Plantation of Ulster
. In 1622, according to a manuscript of a Captain Thomas Ash, it seems that Bellaghy consisted of a church, a castle, a Corn Mill and 12 houses.
The 17th century Bawn
at Bellaghy is the best restored example to be found anywhere in Northern Ireland. Recent excavations have revealed that the Bawn was constructed on the site of a Gaelic rath or ringfort. The Bawn was attacked, but remained intact, in the 1641 rebellion
when many of the houses were burnt to the ground. Locally it is still referred to as "the castle" and it is located in Castle Street. Bellaghy Bawn was opened to the public in 1996 and features exhibitions on local natural history, the history of the Ulster Plantation and the poetry of local Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney
, who was born and grew up nearby and its where he calls 'home'.
In 1981 two Bellaghy locals died participating in the 1981 hunger strike, Francis Hughes died after 59 days on strike on the 12th of May and his cousin Thomas McElwee died after 62 days on strike on the 8th of August.
In the past there have been many disputes about Orange Order parades in the, now, mainly nationalist village. In the past all parades had been rerouted away from the main street but now have been returned to the original route on William Street, known locally as Billy Street.
The parish is famous for its Gaelic football
tradition , having won several titles including the Ulster Club Championship in 1968 and the All-Ireland Club Championship in 1972. In 2000 Bellaghy won their fourth Ulster title and in 2005 they won their twenty-first title.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
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...
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, 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 lies north west 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...
and about 5 miles north of Magherafelt
Magherafelt
Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...
. At the centre of the village lies the junction of three main roads leading to Magherafelt, Portglenone
Portglenone
Portglenone is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 8.5 miles west of Ballymena. It had a population of 2,900 in the 2001 Census...
and Toome
Toome
Toome or Toom is a small village and townland on the northwest corner of Lough Neagh in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 722.-History:...
. It had a population of 1,063 people 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....
. It is within the Magherafelt District Council
Magherafelt District Council
Magherafelt District Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Council headquarters are in Magherafelt. The Council area stretches from Lough Neagh and the River Bann in the east and into the Sperrin Mountains in the west and is divided by the Moyola River. It covers...
area.
History
Although there were Gaelic settlements in the area beforehand, Bellaghy was one of the first planned towns in IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The village dates back to the 17th century
Century
A century is one hundred consecutive years. Centuries are numbered ordinally in English and many other languages .-Start and end in the Gregorian Calendar:...
when it was one of many towns settled and built under the authority of the Vintners Company of London
Worshipful Company of Vintners
The Worshipful Company of Vintners is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, England.- History and origins :It probably existed as early as the twelfth century, and it received a Royal Charter in 1364. Due to the Royal Charter, the Company gained a monopoly over wine imports from Gascony...
as part of the Plantation of Ulster
Plantation 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...
. In 1622, according to a manuscript of a Captain Thomas Ash, it seems that Bellaghy consisted of a church, a castle, a Corn Mill and 12 houses.
The 17th century Bawn
Bawn
A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house. It is the anglicised version of the Irish word badhún meaning "cattle-stronghold" or "cattle-enclosure". The Irish word for "cow" is bó and its plural is ba...
at Bellaghy is the best restored example to be found anywhere in Northern Ireland. Recent excavations have revealed that the Bawn was constructed on the site of a Gaelic rath or ringfort. The Bawn was attacked, but remained intact, in the 1641 rebellion
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 began as an attempted coup d'état by Irish Catholic gentry, who tried to seize control of the English administration in Ireland to force concessions for the Catholics living under English rule...
when many of the houses were burnt to the ground. Locally it is still referred to as "the castle" and it is located in Castle Street. Bellaghy Bawn was opened to the public in 1996 and features exhibitions on local natural history, the history of the Ulster Plantation and the poetry of local Nobel Laureate, Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
, who was born and grew up nearby and its where he calls 'home'.
In 1981 two Bellaghy locals died participating in the 1981 hunger strike, Francis Hughes died after 59 days on strike on the 12th of May and his cousin Thomas McElwee died after 62 days on strike on the 8th of August.
In the past there have been many disputes about Orange Order parades in the, now, mainly nationalist village. In the past all parades had been rerouted away from the main street but now have been returned to the original route on William Street, known locally as Billy Street.
The parish is famous for its Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
tradition , having won several titles including the Ulster Club Championship in 1968 and the All-Ireland Club Championship in 1972. In 2000 Bellaghy won their fourth Ulster title and in 2005 they won their twenty-first title.
2001 Census
Bellaghy is classified as a Village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,063 people living in Bellaghy. Of these:- 31.4% were aged under 16 years and 12.7% were aged 60 and over
- 49.9% of the population were male and 50.1% were female
- 86.0% 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 14.0% 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 - 4.6% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
See also
- Bellaghy GAC
- List of towns in Northern Ireland
- List of villages in Northern Ireland