Coagh

Coagh (IPA: /koːk/, from the Irish: An Uiach meaning "cup-shaped hollow") is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, situated five miles east of Cookstown. It had a population of 545 people in the 2001 Census. It owes its existence to George Butle Conyngham,and was founded in 1728 when King George II granted Conyngham a market charter allowing the village to host 4 fairs per year. The name derives from 'an uiach' meaning 'a cup shaped hollow' as the village nestles among gentle low lying land between the Sperrins and Lough Neagh.

The main feature of the village is Hanover Square, which was named after the reigning Hanoverian King George II by Conyngham. The village has been an ancient settlement for several thousand years, overlooking Coagh is Tamlaght Stone a mesolithic domen erected circa 4,500BC.

1 History
- 1.1 The Troubles
2 Education
3 Sport
4 2001 Census
5 References
6 See also

[edit] History

[edit] The Troubles

For more information see The Troubles in Coagh, which includes a list of incidents in Coagh during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.

The first attack of the Troubles came on 5 December 1971 when the IRA launched a mortar attack on the village police station.

Two further 500lb IRA bombs were planted at the front of the police station during the 1970s. On 7 September 1988 a 1,000lb van bomb exploded destroying the base and adjacent houses etc.

On 3 June 1991, three Catholic Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) members were killed by the British Army, believed to be from the SAS. The IRA said its members were on "active service"^[1]. The men were shot as they drove over the bridge. No attempt was made to arrest the men.

The actions of the soldiers were unpopular amongst republicans. Seamus Mallon of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) also voiced concerns that the IRA members were shot pre-emptively rather than arrested and Archbishop Cahal Daly said that the actions of the army would "play into the hands of terrorists"^[2]. Some Unionists, however, welcomed the ambush.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Education

Coagh Primary School

[edit] Sport

Ógra Colmcille GAA
Coagh United

[edit] 2001 Census

Coagh 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 545 people living in Coagh. Of these:

20.9% were aged under 16 and 20.4% were aged 60 and over
48.3% of the population were male and 51.7% were female
26.4% were from a Catholic background and 72.8% were from a Protestant background
2.3% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service