Loughgall
Encyclopedia
Loughgall is a small village
and townland
in County Armagh
, Northern Ireland
. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 285 people.
Loughgall was named after a small nearby loch
. The village is at the heart of the apple-growing industry and is surrounded by orchard
s. Along the village's main street is large set of gates leading to Loughgall Manor. An imposing building, the Manor was once the home of the Cope family who arrived as part of the Plantation of Ulster
in the 17th century.
and Protestant Peep-o'-Day Boys
fought a bloody skirmish called the Battle of the Diamond
, that left around 80 people dead. The Orange Order
was founded in Loughgall following these events.
, which includes a list of incidents in Loughgall during the Troubles
resulting in two or more fatalities.
On 8 May 1987, eight Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) volunteers launched an attack on the village's Royal Ulster Constabulary
(RUC) base, but were ambushed by a Special Air Service
(SAS) unit of twenty-five. The SAS shot dead all eight IRA volunteers and a passing civilian. This is known as the Loughgall Ambush
.
The NI Horticulture and Plant Breeding Station is set in the Loughgall Manor Estate, surrounded by mature woodlands and overlooking the Lough Gall. The estate was established in the late 17th century by Sir Anthony Cope of Hanwell, Oxfordshire
and became the Cope family home for 350 years. In 1947 the estate was purchased from General Sir Gerald Templer
, a descendant of the original owner, by the (then) Ministry of Agriculture.
, which plays in the IFA Championship.
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 Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, 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...
. 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 had a population of 285 people.
Loughgall was named after a small nearby loch
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
. The village is at the heart of the apple-growing industry and is surrounded by orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s. Along the village's main street is large set of gates leading to Loughgall Manor. An imposing building, the Manor was once the home of the Cope family who arrived 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 the 17th century.
History
In 1795, rival sectarian gangs, the Catholic DefendersDefenders (Ireland)
The Defenders were a militant, vigilante agrarian secret society in 18th century Ireland, mainly Roman Catholic and from Ulster, who allied with the United Irishmen but did little during the rebellion of 1798.-Origin:...
and Protestant Peep-o'-Day Boys
Peep O'Day Boys
The Peep o' Day Boys was a Protestant secret association in 18th century Ireland, active in the 1780s and '90s and a precursor of the Orange Order.-Origins:The Peep-of-day Boys arose in the year 1784, in County Armagh, Ireland...
fought a bloody skirmish called the Battle of the Diamond
Battle of the Diamond
The Battle of the Diamond was a violent confrontation between the Catholic Defenders and a Protestant faction including Peep o' Day Boys, Orange Boys and local tenant farmers that took place on 21 September 1795 near Loughgall, County Armagh, Ireland. The Protestants were the victors, killing...
, that left around 80 people dead. The Orange Order
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...
was founded in Loughgall following these events.
The Troubles
For more information see The Troubles in LoughgallThe Troubles in Loughgall
The Troubles in Loughgall recounts incidents during, and the effects of the Troubles in Loughgall, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.Incidents in Loughgall during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities:-1974:...
, which includes a list of incidents in Loughgall during the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
resulting in two or more fatalities.
On 8 May 1987, eight Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) volunteers launched an attack on the village's Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
(RUC) base, but were ambushed by a Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
(SAS) unit of twenty-five. The SAS shot dead all eight IRA volunteers and a passing civilian. This is known as the Loughgall Ambush
Loughgall Ambush
The Loughgall ambush took place on 8 May 1987 in the village of Loughgall, Northern Ireland. An eight-man Provisional Irish Republican Army group launched an attack on the village's Royal Ulster Constabulary station, but was ambushed by a British Army Special Air Service unit of twenty-five. The...
.
Places of interest
Loughgall Country Park is set in a 188 hectare estate of open farmland & orchards and includes an 18 hole golf course and 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) coarse fishery.The NI Horticulture and Plant Breeding Station is set in the Loughgall Manor Estate, surrounded by mature woodlands and overlooking the Lough Gall. The estate was established in the late 17th century by Sir Anthony Cope of Hanwell, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
and became the Cope family home for 350 years. In 1947 the estate was purchased from General Sir Gerald Templer
Gerald Templer
Field Marshal Sir Gerald Walter Robert Templer KG, GCB, GCMG, KBE was a British military commander. He is best known for his defeat of the guerrilla rebels in Malaya between 1952 and 1954...
, a descendant of the original owner, by the (then) Ministry of Agriculture.
Sport
It is home to Loughgall Football ClubLoughgall F.C.
Loughgall F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1967, is situated in the village of Loughgall, near Armagh in County Armagh...
, which plays in the IFA Championship.
Education
- The Cope Primary SchoolThe Cope Primary SchoolThe Cope Primary School is a primary school located in Loughgall in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is a Mixed school of Non Denominational religion.The pupils come from the village itself and the surrounding rural areas...
- There was also a Roman Catholic primary school located on the Eagralougher Road, just outside Loughgall, but due to lack of funding and low enrolment figures the school closed in June 1996.
People
- W. R. RodgersW. R. RodgersWilliam Robert Rodgers , known as Bertie, and born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was probably best known as a poet, but was also a prose essayist, a book reviewer, a radio broadcaster and script writer, a lecturer and, latterly, a teacher, as well as a former Presbyterian minister.-Early life:He...
(1909 – 1969), probably best known as a poet, was ordained as a PresbyterianPresbyterianismPresbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
minister in 1935 and was first appointed to Loughgall Presbyterian Church, Loughgall, where he was minister for 12 years. (Loughgall Presbyterian Church is in the townland of Cloveneden) He later gave up the ministry and became a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
radio producer and scriptwriter. He died in CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1969 and was buried in Loughgall.