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Maghera is a town
Town

A town is a type of human settlement ranging from a few to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition....
 in County Londonderry
County Londonderry

County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. Its population was 2,876 in 1991 and had risen to 3,711 people in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
. It lies within the 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....
 area. It provides the local commercial centre for the surrounding viillages of Swatragh
Swatragh

Swatragh is a small village in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland, at approximately . Swatragh is situated on the main A29 Coleraine to Dundalk road, to the north of Maghera....
, Tobermore
Tobermore

Tobermore is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland It is located two and a half miles south of Maghera and five miles west of Magherafelt....
, Upperlands
Upperlands

Upperlands was originally called Amfordlan is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is situated 3 miles north east of Maghera....
, Gulladuff
Gulladuff

Gulladuff is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 405 people. It lies within the Magherafelt District Council area....
 and Knockcloghrim
Knockcloghrim

Knockloughrim is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, near Maghera. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 186 people....
. The town is also the educational centre for the surrounding area and St. Patrick’s is one of the largest schools in Mid-Ulster. The Slaughtneil / Carntogher area around the town is unique for being the only rural community in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 outside of the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht

is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Republic of Ireland, The Gaeltacht, or An Ghaeltacht, refers to any of the districts where the government recognizes that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home....
 where the majority of primary school children are educated through the Irish language
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
.






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Maghera is a town
Town

A town is a type of human settlement ranging from a few to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition....
 in County Londonderry
County Londonderry

County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. Its population was 2,876 in 1991 and had risen to 3,711 people in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
. It lies within the 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....
 area. It provides the local commercial centre for the surrounding viillages of Swatragh
Swatragh

Swatragh is a small village in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland, at approximately . Swatragh is situated on the main A29 Coleraine to Dundalk road, to the north of Maghera....
, Tobermore
Tobermore

Tobermore is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland It is located two and a half miles south of Maghera and five miles west of Magherafelt....
, Upperlands
Upperlands

Upperlands was originally called Amfordlan is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is situated 3 miles north east of Maghera....
, Gulladuff
Gulladuff

Gulladuff is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 405 people. It lies within the Magherafelt District Council area....
 and Knockcloghrim
Knockcloghrim

Knockloughrim is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, near Maghera. In the United Kingdom Census 2001 it had a population of 186 people....
. The town is also the educational centre for the surrounding area and St. Patrick’s is one of the largest schools in Mid-Ulster. The Slaughtneil / Carntogher area around the town is unique for being the only rural community in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 outside of the Gaeltacht
Gaeltacht

is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Republic of Ireland, The Gaeltacht, or An Ghaeltacht, refers to any of the districts where the government recognizes that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home....
 where the majority of primary school children are educated through the Irish language
Irish language

Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic languages of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people....
. The Annual Twelfth of July Celebrations will be held in Maghera this year. The last time this happened was 1993. Maghera also has parishes of Fallalea, Ranaghan and Glen. In the Roman Catholic parish church of St Patrick's there is a headstone remembering the large number of people who died during the plague.

Places of interest


Notable buildings in Maghera include St. Lurach's Church, which was founded in the year 500AD, originally as a monastery
Monastery

Monastery , a term derived from the Greek language word ???ast?????, neut. of ???ast????? - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of Monk, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in Cenobium or alone ....
. The town of Maghera grew up around this church. The importance of the monastery was such that Maghera was a Bishop
Bishop

A bishop is an ordination or consecration member of the Clergy#Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight....
’s seat in the 12th century and 13th century. However, the Church was allowed to fall into disrepair and is now a roofless ruin. Within the ruins, as an insert to the west wall is a sculpture
Sculpture

Sculpture is Three-dimensional space artwork created by shaping or combining hard and or plastic material, sound, and or text and or light, commonly Stone sculpture , metal, glass, or wood....
 of the crucifixion
Crucifixion

Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution , whereby the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead....
, which is thought to date from the 10th century - making it one of the oldest in Ireland.St Lurach is also the saint of the town.

History

Maghera suffered significant violence during the Northern Irish Troubles. In total, 14 people were killed, half of them members of the security forces and a further two as a result of family membership of the Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment

The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines as other British reserve forces but with the operational task of "guarding key points and installations, to carry out patrols and to establish check points and road blocks" against "armed guerilla-type attacks"....
. The Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army

The Provisional Irish Republican Army , is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that considers itself a direct continuation of the Irish Republican Army that fought in the Irish War of Independence....
 were responsible for ten of the 14 deaths.

Transport

  • Maghera railway station opened on 18 December 1880, closed for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950 and finally closed altogether on 1 October 1959.


People


  • Maghera is the birthplace of Charles Thomson
    Charles Thomson

    File:CharlesThomson.jpgCharles Thomson was a Patriot leader in Philadelphia during the American Revolution and the secretary of the Continental Congress throughout its existence....
    , who emigrated to the United States
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
     where he became secretary of the Continental Congress
    Continental Congress

    The Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that became the governing body of the United States during the American Revolution....
    . Thomson designed the Great Seal of the United States
    Great Seal of the United States

    The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the Federal government of the United States. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it....
    .
  • Another famous person born in Maghera who later moved to the United States is the children's author Eve Bunting
    Eve Bunting

    Eve Bunting is an author with more than 250 books. Her books are diverse in age groups, from picture books to chapter books, and topic, ranging from Thanksgiving to riots in Los Angeles....
    .
  • Robert Hawthorne
    Robert Hawthorne

    Robert Hawthorne Victoria Cross born in Maghera, County Londonderry was an Irish people recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to United Kingdom and Commonwealth of Nations forces....
     who won a Victoria Cross
    Victoria Cross

    The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration which is, or has been, awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth of Nations countries, and previous British Empire territories....
     during the Indian Mutiny was from the town.
  • Maghera was the birth place of the noted theologian Dr Henry Cooke
    Henry Cooke (minister)

    Henry Cooke, Doctor of Divinity , was an Irish Presbyterianism leader of the early and mid-nineteenth century....
    . A statue of Cooke called the "Black Man" (due to its former colour, when covered in soot) stands outside Royal Belfast Academical Institution
    Royal Belfast Academical Institution

    The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, commonly known as 'Inst.', is a Voluntary secondary school non-denominational grammar school for boys, founded in 1810, in College Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland and is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference ....
     in Belfast
    Belfast

    Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
    .
  • James Lenox-Conyngham Chichester-Clark
    James Lenox-Conyngham Chichester-Clark

    James Jackson Lenox-Conyngham Chichester-Clark was a Member of Parliament of the House of Commons of Northern Ireland for South Londonderry from 1929 until his death....
     and his grandfather James Johnston Clark
    James Johnston Clark

    James Johnston Clark was a Unionist politician in Ireland.Clark lived in Largantogher House, Maghera, County Londonderry and was a Unionist Member of Parliament for County Londonderry from 9 March 1857 until 1859....
    , both MPs for County Londonderry
    County Londonderry

    County Londonderry or County Derry is one of the six Counties of Ireland of Northern Ireland in the Provinces of Ireland of Ulster in Ireland....
    , were born here at Largantogher House.
  • William Shiels was born in Maghera[](3 December 1848 – 17 December 1904), Australian colonial politician, was the 16th Premier of Victoria.


Sport


  • The local Gaelic football
    Gaelic football

    Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football", "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland. It is, together with hurling, one of the two most popular spectator sports in Ireland today....
     club is Watty Graham's Gaelic Athletic Club
    Glen GAC

    Watty Graham's GAC Glen is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Maghera, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The team draws players from Maghera and some surrounding townlands....
    .
  • The local soccer team is


2001 Census


Maghera is classified as an intermediate settlement by the (ie with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 3,711 people living in Maghera. Of these:
  • 28.6% were aged under 16 years and 13.3% were aged 60 and over
  • 49.3% of the population were male and 50.7% were female
  • 72.4% were from a Catholic
    Catholic

    Catholic is an adjective derived from the Greek language adjective , meaning "whole" or "complete". In the context of Christianity ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages....
     background and 27.1% were from a Protestant
    Protestantism

    Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
     background
  • 3.9% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.


For more details see:

See also


  • List of villages in Northern Ireland
    List of villages in Northern Ireland

    This is a list page for villages in Northern Ireland.The defines a town as having a population of 4,500 or more. Settlements of 2,250 to 4,500 people are defined as intermediate settlements, villages are defined as having populations of 1,000 to 2,250 people and small villages and hamlets are defined as having fewer than 1,000 people ...
  • List of towns in Northern Ireland
    List of towns in Northern Ireland

    This is a list page for towns in Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch....
  • Market Houses in Northern Ireland
    Market Houses in Northern Ireland

    Market houses are a notable feature of many Northern Ireland towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape....


External links