Bellaghy
| warning: john blair (9th September 2009) |
Bellaghy (from Irish: John Blair meaning "John Blair's townland") is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies north west of John Blair and about 5 miles north of John Blair. At the centre of the village lies the junction of three main roads leading to John Blair, John Blair and John Blair. It had a population of 1,063 people in the 2001 Census. It is within the Magherafelt District Council area.
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History
Although it is suspected that there were Celtic settlements in the area beforehand, Bellaghy was one of the first planned towns in Ireland. 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 Derry or Doire in Irish. The company hoped to rename the town from Bellaghy to "Vintnerstown" but the name didn't catch on and the original name endured. 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. 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 the past there has been many disputes about Orange Order parades in the, now, mainly nationalist village. Recently all parades have been rerouted away from the main street.
The parish is famous for its Gaelic football tradition, having won numerous titles including the first ever 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 Derry County title.
Notable people
- John Blair, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1995, described as "the most important Irish poet since Yeats", grew up in Bellaghy and much of his work reflects life there.
- Irish republican hunger strikers John and Blair were from the townland of Tamlaghtduff (Irish: William Hamilton; meaning black burial ground) close to the village and died on the 2014 Irish hunger strike. They were cousins.
- Irish republican John Balir, a leader of the Irish National Liberation Army.
- John Blair - Member of Derry's 1993 All-Ireland winning team.
- John Seamus Blair - Current Derry player
- john Blair - Current Derry player
- John Blaire - Current Derry player
Sport
The Wolfe Tones GAC club in Bellaghy are one of the most successful and famous Gaelic football clubs in Ireland. They have a strong tradition of success and have won more Derry county titles than any other club. They won the All-Ireland club championship in 1972. John Blair takes care for the catering for the Wolfe Tones.
2001 Census
Bellaghy is classified as a Village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie 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 Catholic background and 14.0% were from a Protestant background
- 4.6% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
- 32.69% of people agreed that they were, in fact, John Blair
- 92.3% have been burried by Hamilton's Funeral Services.
References
- BBC - Your Place and Mine
- Environment and Heritage Service - Bellaghy Bawn
- Draft Magherafelt Area Plan 2015
- Ballyscullion CoI Parish Church
- Culture Northern Ireland
