Banagher, County Londonderry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Banagher is a parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and a ward of Derry City Council. The parish is made up of the medieval parish of Banagher and parts of the ancient parish of Boveva and the townland of Tireighter and Park, once in the parish of Cumber.^[1] Banagher has many ancient monuments, including churches, holy wells, standing stones and chambered graves.^[1]

Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Industry 4 Places of worship 5 Sport 6 Census 2001 7 NIMDM Deprivation 2005 8 References 9 External links 10 See also

[edit] Geography

Banagher lies in the western foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, between the rivers Roe and Faughan. The landscape is mostly rugged, with glens and narrow valleys rising into the highlands. Banagher Glen is a good example of the area's terrain and forms an important conservation area, preserving one of the few surviving examples of old-growth deciduous woodland in Ireland. The Glen has a trail which climbs through the woods to Altnaheglish Dam and Reservoir, which supplies water to Derry City. The path up to the dam from the valley floor climbs through deciduous woodland and higher coniferous woodland to moor and heathland.

[edit] History

Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837, says of Banagher:^[2]

“

BANAGHER, a parish partly in the barony of TIRKEERAN, but chiefly in that of KENAUGHT, county of LONDONDERRY and province of ULSTER, 2 miles (w. by.S.) from Dungiven; containing 4086 inhabitants. This parish, which for extent is the second in the county, is situated on the road from Toome to Londonderry (city), and is nine miles (14 km) in length from east to west and seven miles (11 km) in breadth from north to south. It contains 27 townlands, of which 16 are in the barony of Tirkeeran and 11 in that of Kenaught, and comprises, according to the Ordnance survey; 13,475 acres (54.5 km²) statute, of which 17,748.25 acres (71.8 km²) are in the latter barony. The apparent decrease in its population, since 1821, is attributable to the separation of nine townlands, which, together with nine from the parishes of Upper and Lower Cumber were taken in 1831, to form the district curacy of Learmount. The early history of this place is involved in great obscurity; by some writers it is said that St. Patrick; when he crossed the river Foyle, visited it and founded the church, the ruins of which are still remaining; and on a stone is inscribed, in modern capitals, "This church was built in the year of God 474." The style of the building is evidently of much later period, and corresponds with a local tradition that the church was built by St. O'Heney, and with the style of the tomb erected to his memory in the adjoining cemetery. It is also said that a monastery, of which St. O’Heney was abbot, formerly existed here ; but though there are, near the church, the remains of a small square building of more recent erection and evidently used for domestic purposes, which is called the abbey, no mention occurs in historic records of any religious establishment, nor are there any monastic lands in the parish, except such as belonged to the abbey of Dungiven. The parish is divided among several propriators ; seven townlands belong to the see of Derry, six to the Skinners', and three to the Fishmongers Companies ; ten are freeholds, of which nine pay a chief rent to the Skinners and one to the Fishmongers Companies ; and one on which are the church, glebe-house, all parochial schools, belongs to the rector. The land in many places is well drained and in a good state of cultivation, but not less than 13,432 acres (54.4 km²) are mountain land though affording good pasturage; and there are 546 acres (2.2 km²) of flow bog, which is being rapidly reclaimed and brought into cultivation. In the mountains, particularly in Finglen, are found very large and beautiful specimens of rock crystals; or Irish diamonds, generaly truncated pentagonal prisms, with facets often of the clearest lustre, and sometimes of the colour and brilliancy of the beryl. These crystals vary, however, in colour and lustre, and are found of all sizes. The largest ever discovered was found in Finglen water, in 1796; it weighs 844 lb (383 kg)., and is in the possession of Michael Ross, Esq., of Banagher Cottage; it is called the Dungiven Crystal, and has been noticed by several writers as an object of admiration. Freestone is found in great quantities, and is of a bright fawn colour and it is very durable, as appears from tile old churches of Banagher and Dungiven; limestone is also abundant...

”

It is clear from the Annals of Ulster that there was a church at Banagher in 1121. In that year it is recorded that Giolla Easpaig Eoghain O hAindiaraidh, King of Keenacht, was killed by kinsmen in the Banagher cemetery. His name means 'servant of Bishop Eoghan, apparently a reference to St Eugene, Bishop of Ardstraw.^[3]

On a sandy ridge by the River Owenreagh are the ruins of the old church and of a small square building sometimes called 'the abbey', with sharply pointed gables which once supported a stone roof. The church had a nave and chancel, but little remains of it. In the nearby cemetery is an ancient cross and a monument to St Muriedhach O'Heney, who is said to have founded the church and to have been abbot of the building next to it, and on one side of this is an effigy of him.^[2] However, St Muriedhach O'Heney appears in no calendar of saints. According to local legend, St Muriedhach was led to the site of his church by a stag which carried his book on its antlers, acting as a movable lectern.^[4]

Beside the remains of the ancient church is the hole from which sand called 'Banagher sand' is drawn, long believed to give good luck to race horses when thrown over them.^[4][5]

There were also ruins of ancient churches at Straid and Templemoile, and the parish had a vitrified fort, on which by tradition fires were lit at Midsummer. Near the parish church is a large man-made cave.^[2]

At the time of the Plantation of Ulster in the seventeenth century, some townships of Banagher, including Ballyhanedin, were granted by the Crown to the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers of the City of London, and others to the Worshipful Company of Skinners. Banagher became a distinct Presbyterian congregation about 1753, and its first minister was John Law who was ordained in 1756.^[6]

The 18th century Church of Ireland church at Banagher, with a tower and octagonal spire, is on a rise in the ground and was built in 1782. The spire was paid for by Frederick Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, then Bishop of Derry, who was responsible for the construction of the famous Mussenden Temple. A Presbyterian meeting house at Ballyhanedin, in the Classical Greek style, was built by the Fishmongers' Company.^[2]

As early as 1837 there were parish schools for boys and girls at Ballagh, at Tyrglassen (supported by the Fishmongers Company) and at Fincarn.^[2]

Church of Ireland records exist for the parish of Banagher from 1821 for baptisms, 1827 for marriages, and 1837 for burials.^[7]

Griffith's valuation of Ireland, completed in 1864, shows tenements in Aughlish, Ballyhanedin, Carnanbane, Coolnamonan, Derrychrier, Drumcovit, Feeny, Fincarn, Finglen, Gallany, Killunaght, Knockan, Magheramore, Rallagh, Tamnyagan, Teeavan, Templemoyle, Tirglassan, and Umrycam.^[8]

Ten other townlands or streets of Banagher are listed at ireland.com: Ballydonegan, Dreen, Eden, Glenedra, Kilcreen, Loughtilube, Moneyhoghan, Straid, Tamnagh, and Terrydreen.^[9]

[edit] Industry

The main industries are agriculture and sand quarrying, and local pastimes include fishing and hill walking.^[1]

In the 19th century, there was a large bleach-green at Knockan, where eight thousand pieces of linen were bleached and finished every year for the English markets. Some linen cloth was also woven by local farmers in their own houses.^[2]

[edit] Places of worship

There are Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland and Presbyterian churches in the parish. The Presbyterian Church at Banagher supports the work of the Church at home and overseas and also has a Boys' Brigade.^[10] There are Catholic churches at Fincairn, Altinure, and Ballymonie, where Mass is celebrated every morning on week days and in the evenings on Sundays.^[11]

[edit] Sport

The Banagher GAC (in full, the St Mary's Banagher GAC, and in Irish CLG Naomh Mhuire Beannchar) is a Gaelic Athletic Association club. Notable members include Seán Marty Lockhart, an All Star Derry footballer.

[edit] Census 2001

Banagher is classified by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as being within Derry Urban Area (DUA). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2932 people living in Banagher. Of these:

• 27.3% were aged under 16 years and 15.9% were aged 60 and over
• 51.7% of the population were male and 48.3% were female
• 3.5% were from a Protestant background and 94.8% were from a Catholic background
• 4.4% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

[edit] NIMDM Deprivation 2005

Of 582 wards in Northern Ireland, Banagher was ranked as the 205th most deprived.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Banagher Parish at banagherparish.com
• Banagher, Derry at ireland.com

[edit] See also

• List of villages in Northern Ireland