Upperlands
Encyclopedia
Upperlands is a small village
in County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. It is situated 3 miles north east of Maghera. It lies within the civil parish of Maghera, the barony of Loughinsholin, and is situated in Magherafelt District Council
. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 535 people.
of Upperland in which part of it lies (the rest lies in the townland of Tirgarvil). The townland of Upperland gets its name from the garbled pronunciation of the Irish Áth an Phoirt Leathain. This has historically been anglicised
as Aghfortlany, Aportlaughan, Apportlane, Amfordlan, Ampurtain and Ampertaine. The latter is the name of the local primary school.
industry and the Clark family who established the first linen mill there in 1736. Subsequent development of the industry led to the construction of substantial residences and small groups of workers homes, and shaped the form and character of Upperlands. Boyne Row (a group of listed buildings), in its riverside setting, represents workers housing, built by the mill-owners. There are four man-made lakes or "dams" in Upperlands. These used to serve the linen mills. They are Craig's dam, Island dam, Green dam and Lapping-room dam. There is a scenic walk around the dams and they are kept stocked with fish for the benefit of anglers.
Upperlands also has a Hibernian Hall which was built in 1907 and also a Protestant Hall which was used by the local Orange Lodge which was called Upperlands Purple Marksmen LOL 817 and which was founded around 1900 by Nathaniel McCoord, It had many notable members throughout its history including Henry Maitland Clark who was the MP for North Antrim (he would later resign after marrying a Roman Catholic), Alfred E. Lee who became a Deputy Grand Master (who would in the 1960s transfer from this lodge) among others. According to the last Grand Lodge membership reports Upperlands Lodge has the highest numbers of transfers and resignations of any Lodge with their district and almost the entire county... in fact they have more transfers/resignations than every other lodge in the district combined with the membership having dropped by 20% in the past year.
The Apprentice Boys of Derry Upperlands branch Murray club which used to be one of the largest clubs on parade at the Londonderry celebrations but now has a steady membership of around 30 or so men use the hall for meetings as did the local Royal Black Preceptory which folded around 2007.
Upperlands had a lambeg drumming club at the start of the 20th Century and also renowned pipe band in the 1930s but this was later replaced with a number of flute bands which have since died out, at the present time a couple of men are trying to form a new flute band in the village, this will be (if successful) the fourth flute band in the last ten years formed in the village.
On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 535 people living in Upperlands. Of these:
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
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 is situated 3 miles north east of Maghera. It lies within the civil parish of Maghera, the barony of Loughinsholin, and is situated in 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...
. 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 had a population of 535 people.
Name
Upperlands takes its name from the townlandTownland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Upperland in which part of it lies (the rest lies in the townland of Tirgarvil). The townland of Upperland gets its name from the garbled pronunciation of the Irish Áth an Phoirt Leathain. This has historically been anglicised
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
as Aghfortlany, Aportlaughan, Apportlane, Amfordlan, Ampurtain and Ampertaine. The latter is the name of the local primary school.
History
Upperlands owes its existence to the linenLinen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
industry and the Clark family who established the first linen mill there in 1736. Subsequent development of the industry led to the construction of substantial residences and small groups of workers homes, and shaped the form and character of Upperlands. Boyne Row (a group of listed buildings), in its riverside setting, represents workers housing, built by the mill-owners. There are four man-made lakes or "dams" in Upperlands. These used to serve the linen mills. They are Craig's dam, Island dam, Green dam and Lapping-room dam. There is a scenic walk around the dams and they are kept stocked with fish for the benefit of anglers.
Amenities
The village has a small shop locally called Brian's shop and also a smaller shop called Junes Superstore, and a Royal British Legion and also a community centre.Upperlands also has a Hibernian Hall which was built in 1907 and also a Protestant Hall which was used by the local Orange Lodge which was called Upperlands Purple Marksmen LOL 817 and which was founded around 1900 by Nathaniel McCoord, It had many notable members throughout its history including Henry Maitland Clark who was the MP for North Antrim (he would later resign after marrying a Roman Catholic), Alfred E. Lee who became a Deputy Grand Master (who would in the 1960s transfer from this lodge) among others. According to the last Grand Lodge membership reports Upperlands Lodge has the highest numbers of transfers and resignations of any Lodge with their district and almost the entire county... in fact they have more transfers/resignations than every other lodge in the district combined with the membership having dropped by 20% in the past year.
The Apprentice Boys of Derry Upperlands branch Murray club which used to be one of the largest clubs on parade at the Londonderry celebrations but now has a steady membership of around 30 or so men use the hall for meetings as did the local Royal Black Preceptory which folded around 2007.
Upperlands had a lambeg drumming club at the start of the 20th Century and also renowned pipe band in the 1930s but this was later replaced with a number of flute bands which have since died out, at the present time a couple of men are trying to form a new flute band in the village, this will be (if successful) the fourth flute band in the last ten years formed in the village.
Sport
Upperlands F.C. is the local football club founded in the 1950s. It currently plays in the premier division of the Coleraine & district league. Their home ground is Festival Park, and most recently won the Constitution Cup 2009/10.People
- Wendy HouvenaghelWendy HouvenaghelWendy Louise Houvenaghel is a British racing cyclist from Upperlands, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, riding on both the road and track, but specialising in the latter...
(b. November 27, 1974) is a United Kingdom|British cyclist from Upperlands, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland,[1] riding on both the road and track, but specialising in the latter. She has represented the United Kingdom in various world events, most notably winning an Olympic silver medal in the 3000m pursuit in Beijing and a gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2008 and 2009 Track World Championships. She has also won various British national competitions and represented England at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Houvenaghel is based in Cornwall, England.
- 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...
(born 1 February 1985) is a Northern Irish professional footballer currently playing for Doncaster Rovers in the English Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
. He was previously contracted to Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
team HibernianHibernian F.C.Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
for five years. Shiels was with ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
as a youngster, but made no first team appearances for the club. He was born and grew up in Upperlands. Dean is also a regular member of the Northern Ireland national football teamNorthern 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...
squad. He has achieved a successful football career despite the disability of losing an eye in a childhood accident.
Transport
- Upperlands railway station opened on 18 December 1880, closed for passenger traffic on 28 August 1950 and finally closed altogether on 1 October 1959.
2001 Census
Upperlands is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 500 and 1,000 people).On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 535 people living in Upperlands. Of these:
- 21.5% were aged under 16 years and 21.2% were aged 60 and over
- 51.2% of the population were male and 48.8% were female
- 4.9% 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 94.4% 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 - 4.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service