Donaghcloney
| Donaghcloney | |
| Irish: Domhnach Cluana | |
 St Patrick's church |
|
  Donaghcloney shown within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 972 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| Irish grid reference | J129537 |
| - Belfast | 23 mi (37 km) |
| District | Craigavon |
| County | County Down |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRAIGAVON |
| Postcode district | BT66 |
| Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | Upper Bann |
| NI Assembly | Upper Bann |
| |
Donaghcloney or Donacloney (from Irish: Domhnach Cluana, meaning "church of the meadow")[1][2] is a small village and townland in County Down,[1][2][3] Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Lagan between Lurgan and Dromore. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 972.
Linen industry
Donaghcloney is a typical Ulster village linked to the Irish linen industry since 1742. The most recent Ewart Liddell company was formed in 1973 by a merger between William Ewart and Sons which started business in Belfast in 1814 and William Liddell and Company which started in Donaghcloney in 1866. Their factory was the biggest Irish linen, Jacquard weaving company in Ireland, and made the linen for the RMS Titanic.[4]
Sport
The village has a history of cricket playing over many generations with the Donaghcloney Cricket Club.
Education
- Donaghcloney Primary School
Transport
Donaghcloney is served by the Ulsterbus route 56, linking the village with Lurgan. There are relatively good roads to many towns nearby, such as Dromore, Moira and Lisburn. The nearest railway station is Moira five miles away. Until 1956, the nearest station was Mullafernaghan on the GNRI line from Knockmore to Newcastle.
2001 Census
Donaghcloney is classified as a small village by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 972 people living in Donaghcloney. Of these:
- 21.8% were aged under 16 years and 21.9% were aged 60 and over,
- 48.6% of the population were male and 51.4% were female,
- 4.0% were from a Catholic background and 93.5% were from a Protestant background,
- 2.5% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
People
- Loyalist Robin "the Jackal" Jackson, former leader of the Ulster Volunteer Force's (UVF) Mid-Ulster Brigade, was a notable resident of Donaghcloney up until his death of lung cancer at the age of 52 on 30 May 1998.
- Bernard McQuirt, recipient of the Victoria Cross