Magheralin | |
---|---|
![]() Magheralin Parish Church | |
Location within County Down | |
Population | 2,041 |
District | |
County | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | CRAIGAVON |
Postcode district | BT67 |
Police | Northern Ireland |
Fire | Northern Ireland |
Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
Magheralin (from Irish Machaire Lainne, meaning "plain of the church")[2] is a village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A3 road between Moira and Lurgan, beside the River Lagan. It had a population of 2,041 people in the 2021 Census. The civil parish of Magheralin covers an area of County Down.[3]
Its original name was Lann Rónáin Fhinn, "church of Ronan Finn", a saint from the famous tale Buile Shuibhne (The Madness of Sweeney).[2]
Magheralin is a generally mixed village, with many people from both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds. Protestantism, however, is the largest religion in the village.[4]
Magheralin has two churches: one Protestant Church and one Catholic Church respectively. The Protestant Church is Magheralin Parish, which also has a second church building in Dollingstown.[5]
Magheralin's Catholic Church, Parish of Magheralin, contains two church buildings; similar to Magheralin Parish. These buildings are St. Patrick's & St. Ronan's and St. Colman's Kilwarlin.[6]
There is an old song called "The Ducks of Magheralin". The Ducks of Magheralin is an Irish Polka, with its namesake representing the 'ducks of Magheralin', who were the weavers of the town because they used duck grease to lubricate their looms.[7] In the preface to a well-known version by the Glenfolk Four, a singer insists that the intent of the song is to address the "myth" that the capital of Ireland is Dublin. The first verse is as follows:
See also: The Troubles |
1989
1991
Magheralin has 2 primary schools:
St. Michael's GAC is a Gaelic football club and playing field in Magheralin, founded in 1962.[14]
Magheralin also has a football club, Magheralin Village F.C. In 2018, a member of the club, Niall O'Hanlon, died after being hit by a car on New Forge Road. He was 25 years old. Magheralin Village F.C. posted on their Facebook page, describing him as "the heart and soul of our wee football club and village". DUP MLA Carla Lockhart said that the death was "devastating news".[15][16]
Daniel Wiffen is an Olympic swimmer who grew up and currently lives in Magheralin (as of April 2024). He has broken the 800m freestyle short-course world record. By doing this, he became the first Irish swimmer to break a swimming world record.[17]
Magheralin is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e with a population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (21 March 2021) there were 2,041 people living in Magheralin. Of these: