Loughinisland

Loughinisland
Loughinisland shown within County Down
Population ? (2001 Census)
District
County
Country Northern Ireland
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town DOWNPATRICK
Postcode district BT30
Dialling code 028
EU Parliament Northern Ireland
UK Parliament
NI Assembly

Loughinisland (/ˌlɒxɪnˈaɪlənd/ LOKH-in-EYE-lənd, from Irish Loch an Oileáin, meaning 'lake of the island')[2] is a small village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is between Downpatrick and Ballynahinch, about 21 miles (34 kilometres) south of Belfast.

History

The three ruined ancient churches on the island in the lake

The village grew up beside a lake, which has a small island on it. This island was the headquarters of the MacCartans, a Gaelic clan who ruled the surrounding territory of Kinelarty.[3]

Three churches were built on this island between the 13th and 17th centuries. In 1659, following the Plantation of Ulster, there were 17 English/Scots and seven Irish Catholic families in Loughinisland.

In 1836 it is recorded that there was a school in Loughinisland.[4]

Built in 1787, Loughinisland's Catholic church

Today, the village is home to a primary school and a Catholic church, both named 'St Macartan's'.

1994 memorial to villagers, in St McCartan's churchyard, Loughinisland, County Down

Loughinisland was relatively untouched by the Troubles. However, on 18 June 1994, it was the scene of the Loughinisland massacre. The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a loyalist paramilitary group, attacked O'Toole's Pub with assault rifles, killing six Catholic civilians and wounding five. That evening, about 24 people had gathered there to watch the Ireland team playing in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, on television.

Places of interest

Loughinisland Churches are a group of three ruined churches in a cemetery on the island in Loughinisland Lake reached by a causeway. The churches range in date from the 13th century to the 17th century.

Annadorn Dolmen is on the north east shore of Loughinisland Lake, within sight of the Churches. The dolmen consists of a slightly displaced capstone covering a rectangular chamber of which three side stones survive.

People

Sport

Loughinisland Gaelic Football Club has won the Down GAA Senior Football Championship on two occasions; 1975 and 1989. As well as a Down GAA Intermediate Football Championship and Ulster Intermediate Football Championship in 2015.

Civil parish of Loughinisland

The civil parish is in the historic barony of Kinelarty and contains the following villages:[7]

Townlands

The civil parish contains the following townlands:[7]

  • Annadorn
  • Ardilea
  • Ardtanagh
  • Castlenavan
  • Claragh
  • Clough
  • Creeghduff
  • Cumran
  • Drumanaghan (also known as Drumulcaw)
  • Drumanakelly
  • Drumcaw
  • Drumgooland
  • Drumroad
  • Drumulcaw (also known as Drumanaghan)
  • Dunnanew
  • Dunturk
  • Farranfad
  • Knocksticken
  • Naghan
  • Scrib
  • Seaforde Demesne
  • Seavaghan
  • Tannaghmore
  • Tievenadarragh

References

  1. ↑ Inch Abbey – Ulster-Scots translation Archived 25 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine. DOE. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  2. ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland
  3. ↑ PlaceNames NI
  4. ↑ "Loughinisland village". Ros Davies' Co. Down, Northern Ireland Genealogy Research Site. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  5. ↑ "Edward Gribben". The Aerodrome. Retrieved 6 February 2010.
  6. ↑ McAdam, Noel (17 June 2017). "Daughter of Loughinisland victim vows to represent all as Sinn Fein MLA". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 17 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  7. 1 2 "Loughinisland". IreAtlas Townlands Database. Retrieved 20 May 2015.

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