Craigavon: a new town that was designated in 1965. It is in the parish of Shankill and Seagoe and in the barony of ONeilland East. The town is named after James Craig 1871-1940, are Lord Craigavon. He was the 1st prime minister of Northern Ireland in the 1920's. The plan for this town was to take the over spill of population from Belfast city and thus joining the 2 towns of Lurgan and Portadown. There is an old 18th century Quaker's graveyard near Craigavon with a large plaque at it's entrance that lists all who were buried in it.
Craigavon Balancing Lakes, May 2000
Drumbeg Housing Estate, Tullygally East Road, Craigavon. May 2000.
Lynastown Quaker graveyard, Bluestone road, Craigavon.
An engraved list of some of the dead buried at Lynastown graveyard.
Loughgall: (approx population: 500) a small village approximately 5 miles (8km) NNE of Armagh city. It is in the parish of Armagh and in the Barony of O'Neilland West. The village takes it name from the nearby small lake named Lough Gall. The ruins of a medieval church are in a graveyard in the townland of Levalleglish, which in Irish means 'church half-town' A portion of Loughgall is in the Barony of Armagh. There is approx. 5,000 acres of of apple orchards surrounding Loughgall. The yew walk was planted here by the Cope family in 1610. In 1795 the Orange Order was founded after the battle of the Diamond. The Order was founded in the village at Sloane's Bar, which is now kept as a museum.
Family names originating from this area include, O'Heron and McLoughran.
Richhill: (approx pop. 2,700) a village approx 4.5 miles (7km) ENE of Armagh City. It is in the parish of Kilmore and in the barony of ONeilland West. It also stands on the townland of Rich Hill or Legacorry which is the Irish meaning for 'hollow of the cauldron'. It takes it's name from Edward Richardson, who was M.P. for the area from 1655 to 1696. Richardson constructed Richhill Castle, a Dutch-garbled manor house. Richhill was built in approx. 1664.
Tynan: a small village approx 7 miles (11km) WSW of Armagh City. It is in the parish of Armagh and in the barony of Tiranny. The Irish meaning of the word Tynan translates as 'place of the water course' The place name may provide evidence of an early water mill. The site of a medieval parish church is marked by the graveyard of the Church of Ireland church in the village. There is also an ancient Celtic Cross in the village.
Crossmaglen: a town which is approx 13 miles (22km) SW of Newry. It is in the parish of Creggan and in the barony of Fews Upper. It's Irish name is Crois Mhic Lionnain which simply means Mac Lionnain's cross.
Blackwatertown: a village, which is approx 5 miles or 8km NNW of Armagh city. The village is in the parish of Clonfeacle and in the Barony of Armagh. It is situated on the east bank of the river Blackwater. The Irish name of the village is 'An Port Mor' which means 'the great fort' this applies to a fort built by the Earl of Essex in 1575. The townland of Blackwatertown is named Lisbofin, which is from the Irish Lios Bo Finne which means in English 'Fort of the white cow'.
Tandragee: (approx. pop 3,000) a village about 5 miles (8km) south of Portadown. The village is built on a hill with an imposing castle on its summit, which in recent years has been converted to a potato crisp factory. Tandragee is in the parish of Ballymore and in the barony of Orior Lower. It is also in the townland of Ballymore.
Markethill: (approx. pop 1,300) A small town approximately 6 miles (10km) south of Armagh city. During the Irish Plantation, 1,000 acres was granted to Henry Acheson, in 1610. Acheson was the Earl of Gosford, near Edinburgh in Scotland. A Norman revival castle was designed and built in 1843for Acheson by Thomas Hooper.. This castle replaced a manor house that had been burnt in approx 1805. Jonathan Swift spent many months in the manor house between 1726 and 1730 as a guest of the Achesons. The town still has thriving livestock markets and the main street in the town is very steep. Markethill is in the parish of Mullaghbrack and Kilclooney. It is also in the barony of Fews Lower.
Derrytrasna: Is a small village situated near the shores of Lough Neagh. It is about 6 miles North of Lurgan. It is in the parish of Montiaghs and in the barony of ONeilland East. It's Irish name is Doire Trasna which means 'Transverse oak wood' .
Keady: (approx pop. 2,500) A small town about 6 miles (10km) south of Armagh. It is in the parish and barony of Armagh. Keady was once a busy linen center and many old mills can be found in and around the town. One old flax scutch mill that was below the Tassagh Railway Viaduct was powered by the River Callan.
Bessbrook: (approx pop. 3,000) A village about 3 miles North West of Newry. It is in the parish of Killevy and the barony of Orior Upper. Bessbrook is name after Elizabeth (Bess) Nicholson, wife of Joseph Nicholson, who owned linen mills in the area from 1806 to 1845. The village itself was founded by b John Grubb Richardson in 1846. Richardson was a Quaker and a son of James Nicolson Richardson and a relation by marriage to the Nicholson family. The Richardson's were originally from Gloucestershire, England and had first settled in Ireland , in Loughgall in the 1590's. The town is covered by 3 townlands which are Clogharevan, Maghernahely and Maytown. The Richardson's built schools, a butchers shop, dairy, a savings bank and several churches. But they refused to build any public houses and refused any building permission to sell alcohol. To this day there are still no licensed buildings in Bessbrook and is probably the only dry town or village in Ireland!! A mile outside Bessbrook is an 18 arch viaduct, which was built in 1851. It is still being used today for the Belfast to Dublin railway service
Jonesborough: is a village in the parish of Armagh and in the barony of Orior Upper. The village is approx. 5 miles south of Newry. A man named Roth Jones founded the village in 1706. Jones was the landlord of this area in the early part of the 18th century. Also, the village was known as Four Mile House. Every Sunday there is a large open air market which attracts lots of people from both Northern and Republic of Ireland.
Hamiltonsbawn: Is a village in the parish of Mullaghbrack and in the barony of Few Lower. The village is 4 miles or 7km east of Armagh city. Hamiltonsbawn is named after the small fort that was built by John Hamilton in 1619. Hamilton was connected to the other Hamilton's that acquired thousand's of acres in the Bangor area of North Down. The fort itself was destroyed during the 1641 Rebellion. John Hamilton is also connected to the Hamilton's that founded Newtownhamilton, which is also in County Armagh.
Charlestown: Is a small village also known as Bannfoot, because of where it is situated at the point where the river Bann enters Lough Neagh. The village is approx 5 miles NW of Portadown. The name Charlestown is from Charles Brownlow, of the Lurgan Brownlow's. Charles built 20 or more houses here in 1830.
Other Towns and Villages:
Cullyhanna, village in Parish of Creggan and Barony of Fews Upper.
Forkhill, village in parish of Armagh and in the barony of Orior Upper.
Cullaville, village in the parish of Creggan and in the barony of Fews Upper.
Annaghmore, a townland in the parish of Loughgall and in the barony of ONeilland West.
Milford, a hamlet 1 mile from Armagh City. Parish of Lisnadill and barony of Armagh.
Middletown, a small town which is 8 miles south of Armagh City and 3 miles north of the Armagh and Monaghan county border. It is in the parish of Tynan and the barony of Tiranny.
Killylea, is a village approx 4 miles west of Armagh City. It is the parish of Tynan and in the barony of Armagh.
Maghery, is a village approx 6 miles north west of Portadown and is situated on the shores of Lough Neagh where the river Blackwater enters the Lough. It is in the parish of Tartaraghan and in the barony of ONeilland West.
There will be a few photos of towns and villages of Co Armagh uploaded hopefully before May 2000. I haven't had time to take any snaps as I am spending all of my time at my PC!!
If you have any queries about this page or if you cannot find a certain town in county Armagh then email the address below, putting 'More Towns' in the subject box segment of the email.
Emerald Home Page Towns Index For Sale Links