Magherafelt
Encyclopedia
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. Magherafelt District Council
is headquartered in the town.
town built around a central diamond, which forms the heart of the town. However, the origins of the town predate the Plantation and go back to 1425. During the Northern Irish Troubles in the late twentieth century eleven people were killed in or near Magherafelt in connection with the conflict.
, the Rainey Old Boys Rugby Club
, Magherafelt Sky Blues F.C.
and Magherafelt Reds.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
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 had a population of 8,372 people recorded 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 the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area. 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...
is headquartered in the town.
History
Magherafelt is a 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...
town built around a central diamond, which forms the heart of the town. However, the origins of the town predate the Plantation and go back to 1425. During the Northern Irish Troubles in the late twentieth century eleven people were killed in or near Magherafelt in connection with the conflict.
Transport
- Magherafelt railway station opened on 10 November 1856, closed for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950 and finally closed altogether on 1 October 1959.
Schools in Magherafelt
- Kilronan Special School
- Gaelscoil an tSeanchaí
- Naíscoil an tSeanchaí
- Woods Primary School
- Magherafelt Controlled Primary School
- Holy Family Primary School
- Saint Pius X CollegeSaint Pius X CollegeSaint Pius X College is a secondary school located in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is a Roman Catholic co-educational secondary school within the North Eastern Education and Library Board area. The school opened in 1964 and was named Saint Pius X High School.- History :St...
- Rainey Endowed SchoolRainey Endowed SchoolRainey Endowed School,known colloquially as "The Rainey", is a voluntary grammar school in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The school was founded in 1707 and currently has an enrolment of approximately 750 pupils. The school borders three counties and draws its students from each...
- St. Mary's Grammar School
- Magherafelt High School
- Sperrin Integrated College
- Spires Integrated Primary School
Sport
Magherafelt has several sporting teams, consisting of O'Donovan Rossa Magherafelt GACMagherafelt GAC
O'Donovan Rossa GAC Magherafelt is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club is a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Camogie and Ladies' Gaelic football. Underage teams play in the South Derry league and...
, the Rainey Old Boys Rugby Club
Rainey Old Boys Rugby Club
Rainey Old Boys Rugby Football Club is situated in the market town of Magherafelt, County Londonderry. It is one of the eleven current senior rugby union clubs in Northern Ireland...
, Magherafelt Sky Blues F.C.
Magherafelt Sky Blues F.C.
Magherafelt Sky Blues is a football club from Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The club, founded in 1970, plays its home matches at Spires Park. Club colours are sky blue and navy...
and Magherafelt Reds.
2001 Census
Magherafelt is classified as a small town by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 4,500 and 10,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 8,372 people living in Magherafelt. Of these:- 27.1% were aged under 16 years and 13.7% were aged 60 and over
- 48.7% of the population were male and 51.3% were female
- 56.2% 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 41.8% 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 - 3.4% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
People
- Peter DohertyPeter Doherty (footballer)Peter Dermot Doherty was a Northern Ireland international footballer and manager who played for Manchester City.An inside left, he was one of the top players of his time, winning a league title with Manchester City, an F.A. Cup final with Derby County in which he scored, and gained 16 caps for...
- former footballer and manager of Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland national football teamThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association... - Barry GillisBarry GillisBarry Gillis is an Irish Gaelic footballer who plays for Derry, with whom he has won the National League twice. He plays his club football for Magherafelt O'Donovan Rossa.Gillis plays full forward for Magherafelt, but plays as goalkeeper for Derry...
- Current DerryDerry GAAThe Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er - Joe Keenan - Current DerryDerry GAAThe Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er - Frank Niblock - Former DerryDerry GAAThe Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er - Mickey NiblockMickey NiblockMickey Niblock is an Irish retired Gaelic footballer who played for Derry between 1966 and 1973. He won an Ulster Senior Football Championship with the county, as well as Ulster Minor, Ulster Under 21, All-Ireland Minor and All-Ireland Under 21 Football Championships.Niblock started his club career...
- Former DerryDerry GAAThe Derry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Derry GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland. It is responsible for Gaelic games in the GAA county of Derry, which covers virtually the same territory as the former administrative county of Londonderry...
Gaelic footballGaelic footballGaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
er - Willie McCreaWilliam McCrea (politician)Robert Thomas William McCrea is a politician from Northern Ireland, and a member of the Democratic Unionist Party.-Career:...
(born 6 August 1948), former MP for Mid Ulster from 1983-1997. He took South Antrim at a by-election in 2000, but failed to retain this seat at the 2001 election. In the 2005 election he regained the seat. He has been a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Mid Ulster. At the 2007 election, he was elected as Assembly Member for South Antrim. - Laura PyperLaura PyperLaura Pyper is a Northern Irish actress, known for portraying Ella Dee in the second season of Hex, Jane Fairfax in Emma and Lexine in the video game Dead Space: Extraction.-Background:...
- actress (HexHex (TV series)Hex is a British television programme developed by Shine Limited and aired on the Sky One satellite channel. The story is about a remote English country school that becomes the battleground between a demonic entity and the witches who oppose it...
, Reign of Fire and HeadrushHeadrushHeadrush may refer to:*Vertigo, a medical symptom of a balance disorder*Orthostatic hypotension, a sudden drop in blood pressure and coordination when a person stands up too quickly...
) - Dean ShielsDean ShielsDean Andrew Shiels is a Northern Irish footballer who plays for Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premier League. Shiels is on loan to Kilmarnock from Doncaster Rovers...
- professional association football player - Terry McFlynnTerry McFlynnTerence Martin "Terry" McFlynn is a football player from Swatragh, Northern Ireland. He plays as a central midfielder for the Australian A-League team Sydney FC. He is the current captain.-Club career:...
- a current football player for Sydney FCSydney FCSydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...
was born in Magherafelt but raised in SwatraghSwatraghSwatragh is a small village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Swatragh is on the main A29 road north of Maghera. The population was 435 in the 2001 Census....
; former Northern IrelandNorthern IrelandNorthern 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...
Under 21 player - Sir James Starritt, KCVOJames StarrittSir James Starritt KCVO , often known as Jim Starritt, was a British police officer in the London Metropolitan Police....
(born 15 May 1914, CarrigansCarrigansCarrigans is a village in The Laggan, a district in the east of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The village is located only a short distance from the River Foyle on the R236 regional road....
, County DonegalCounty DonegalCounty Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
— died 2001) was the son of a land auctioneer His family were staunchly Presbyterian. The family moved to Magherafelt after the Irish Civil WarIrish Civil WarThe Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
. He attended Rainey Endowed SchoolRainey Endowed SchoolRainey Endowed School,known colloquially as "The Rainey", is a voluntary grammar school in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The school was founded in 1707 and currently has an enrolment of approximately 750 pupils. The school borders three counties and draws its students from each...
in Magherafelt. He joined the Metropolitan PoliceMetropolitan policeMetropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
in 1935 at PaddingtonPaddingtonPaddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
. During the Second World War, he served with the Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
in the Far East, rising to captain. Returning to the Met, he was promoted sergeant in 1947 and by 1955 was a chief inspector. He was a Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police from 1972-75 when he retired. Upon his retirement he was appointed KCVORoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
. - Paul CharlesPaul Charles (novelist)Paul Charles is a Northern Irish novelist, music promoter, and talent agent.Charles managed his first act, The Blues by Five, when he was 15 years old, and had to list the number of his local telephone call box on business cards...
- novelist, music promoter and talent agent - Thomas NiblockThomas NiblockThomas Niblock is a Northern Irish broadcast journalist. He was a features presenter for UTV Live from August 2006 until January 2007, when he became a sports presenter...
- Television sports presenter for BBC NewslineBBC NewslineBBC Newsline is the BBC's regional television news service for Northern Ireland. The programme is broadcast on BBC One from BBC Northern Ireland's headquarters in Broadcasting House, Ormeau Avenue, Belfast.... - General FiascoGeneral FiascoGeneral Fiasco are an indie rock group from Bellaghy, Northern Ireland. Since their formation in 2007, they have toured with Fighting With Wire, The Wombats, One Night Only, The Pigeon Detectives, The Enemy, Jet and Kids In Glass Houses...
- Indie Rock Band from Magherafelt who have released one studio album and have received much critical acclaim in the UK. - Colm Mc Gurk- All Ireland medalist in gaelic and hurling played for derry along with brother Johnny Mc Gurk man of the match 1993 .