Wikipedia

Loughgall

Loughgall (/lɒxˈɡɔːl/ lokh-GAWL; from Irish Loch gCál)[1][2] is a small village, townland (of 131 acres) and civil parish in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the historic baronies of Armagh and Oneilland West.[3] It had a population of 282 people (in 116 households) as of the 2011 census.[4] Loughgall was named after a small nearby loch. The village is surrounded by orchards.

Loughgall
St Luke's Church of Ireland
Loughgall is located in Northern Ireland
Loughgall
Location within Northern Ireland
Population282 (2011 census)
Irish grid referenceH908522
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townARMAGH
Postcode districtBT61
Dialling code028
UK Parliament
NI Assembly
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Armagh
54°24′32″N 6°36′11″W / 54.409°N 6.603°W / 54.409; -6.603
Sloan's Inn - Orange Order heritage Museum, Main Street

History

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In the Middle Ages the chiefs of the Uí Nialláin, a Gaelic clan, resided at Loughgall crannog, a fortified lake dwelling.[5] By the 16th century the O'Neills of Tír Eoghain had taken over the area, and the crannog became the residence of the O'Neill chief's brother or eldest son.[6]

In the early 1600s, the area was settled by English and Scottish Protestants as part of the Ulster Plantation. During the 1641 Irish Rebellion, settlers were held at a prison camp at Loughgall by Catholic rebels led by Manus O'Cane.[7]

In 1795, rival sectarian gangs, the Catholic Defenders and Protestant Peep-o'-Day Boys fought a bloody skirmish near the village, called the Battle of the Diamond, that left around 30 people dead. Following this, the Protestant Orange Order was founded in Dan Winter's House nearby.

The Troubles

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The Loughgall area experienced a number of fatal incidents during The Troubles, the best known of which is arguably the 1987 Loughgall ambush.[8]

Loyal Orders

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Orange Order

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Loughgall has a historically significant association with Ulster's Loyal Orders, most notably serving as the birthplace of the Orange Order. Following the Battle of the Diamond nearby in September 1795, a meeting was held at James Sloan’s inn on the village’s Main Street, where the first official Orange warrants were signed.[9] Sloan went on to establish the first ever Orange Lodge, which was located in Dyan under Orange warrant No. 1.[10]

In June 2015, Sloan’s House was refurbished and expanded to serve as a key site for the Museum of Orange Heritage, complete with a replica of the 1795 parlor where the institution was founded.[11][12][13]

The Loughgall District LOL No. 3 are associated with the County Armagh Grand Orange Lodge.[14] The district oversees 22 Orange Lodges in the Diamond area with over 700 members.[15][16] They host an annual Battle of the Somme Commemoration Parade in the village on the 1st of July.[17]

Drumnahuncheon Apprentice Boys LOL 371 is an Orange Lodge within the Portadown District No. 1 of the Orange Order[18][19][20]. The lodge was established in October 1887.[21] Their name commemorates the Apprentice Boys of Derry.

The village's seasonal Orange Arch celebrates the marching season and Twelfth of July.[22]

Orange Arch, Loughgall

Royal Black Institution

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The headquarters of the Royal Black Institution is located on Main Street. The grand opening took place in April 2022, which was marked with a parade consisting of Sir Knights and marching bands.[23][24]

Summerisland Royal Black District Chapter No. 6 is a regional district within the Royal Black Institution. They host the "Last Saturday" parade in the village, which rotates annually with the other districts.[25][26]

Sport

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It is home to Loughgall Football Club, which plays in the NIFL Championship, the second tier of football in Northern Ireland.

Education

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The Cope Primary School serves the area.[27] A Roman Catholic primary school was also previously located on the Eagralougher Road, just outside Loughgall, but this closed in 1996.[citation needed]

People

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Civil parish of Loughgall

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The civil parish of Loughgall, which spans the villages of Annaghmore, Charlemont and Loughgall, also contains the following townlands:[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Placenames NI Archived 2012-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland
  3. 1 2 "Loughgall". IreAtlas Townlands Database. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Loughgall". Census 2011 Results. NI Statistics and Research Agency. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  5. ↑ Ireland's History in Maps - Uí Nialláin
  6. ↑ "Plantation papers: containing a summary sketch of the great Ulster plantation in the year 1610". Belfast. 23 March 1889. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  7. ↑ Mac Cuarta, Brian. Ulster 1641: Aspects of the Rising. Institute of Irish Studies, Queen's University of Belfast, 1993. p.126
  8. ↑ McDonald, Henry (29 September 2002). "True tale of IRA 'martyrs' revealed". The Observer. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "The history of Sloan's House". Belfast News Letter. 18 October 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Lurgan Ancestry ~ The Orange Order". www.lurganancestry.com. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Geograph:: Sloan's Inn Museum, Loughgall © P Flannagan cc-by-sa/2.0". www.geograph.ie. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Orange Order: New heritage museum opens in Loughgall". BBC News. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Museum of Orange Heritage - Sloan's House". discovernorthernireland.com. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "APD - Co. Armagh". Orange Order. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Co Armagh Grand Orange Lodge detail 11 districts' Twelfth 'near home' plans". Armagh I. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Where and what time to see the 2026 Twelfth parades in 18 venues in Northern Ireland". Northern Ireland World. 10 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  17. ↑ Today, Armagh. "Loughgall's Annual Mini-Twelfth & Celebration". www.armaghtoday.com. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  18. ↑ McLaughlin, Sophie (12 July 2026). "Co Armagh Twelfth parade details for 'largest Orange gathering in the world'". Belfast Live. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Mood is building as 19 major parades set for Monday - plus Rossnowlagh today: here are all their details". Belfast News Letter. 12 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Gray, Kellie (16 June 2026). "Everything you need to know ahead of Newtown Twelfth of July demonstration". Armagh I. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "Portadown District LOL No.1". www.portadowndistrictlolno1.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Geograph:: Orange Arch, Loughgall © Dean Molyneaux". www.geograph.ie. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "The Royal Black Institution » Royal Black Institution to open new headquarters". Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Landmark day as Royal Black Institution opens new headquarters". Belfast News Letter. 1 April 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  25. ↑ Reporter, Staff (23 August 2023). "Getting set for the 'Last Saturday' in Loughgall". www.ulstergazette.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "Details ahead of the Royal Black institution's 'Last Saturday' parades". Impartial Reporter. 26 August 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  27. ↑ Authority, Education (12 December 2019). "The Cope PS [Loughgall]". Education Authority Northern Ireland. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Introduction - WR Rodgers Papers" (PDF). Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
  29. ↑ "The Orange Institution: The Early Years | Museum of Orange Heritage". Museum. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "The Orange Institution: The Early Years | Museum of Orange Heritage". Museum. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
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