Richhill, County Armagh

Richhill
Irish: Log a' Choire
 Richhill shown within Northern Ireland
Population 2,821 (2011 Census)
Irish grid referenceH941480
   – Belfast 29 mi (47 km)  
DistrictArmagh
CountyCounty Armagh
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post town Armagh
Postcode district BT61
Dialling code 028, +44 28
EU Parliament Northern Ireland
UK ParliamentNewry & Armagh
NI AssemblyNewry & Armagh
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Armagh

Coordinates: 54°22′19″N 6°33′04″W / 54.372°N 6.551°W / 54.372; -6.551

Richhill is a large village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, roughly halfway between Armagh and Portadown. It had a population of 2,821 people in the 2011 Census.[1]

Originally named Legacorry (from Irish: Log a' Choire[2]), it takes its name from Edward Richardson, who built the manor house that the village grew up around. Richhill has won a string of "Best Kept village" awards.

Origins

At the beginning of the 1600s, the area of Richhill had long been part of the Irish Gaelic territory of Oneilland. In 1610, as part of the Plantation of Ulster, the land was granted to Englishman Francis Sacherevall. His granddaughter Ann married Edward Richardson, who was an English officer, Member of Parliament for County Armagh from 1655-96, and High Sheriff of Armagh in 1665.

Around 1660, Richardson built a manor house on the site that would become Richhill, and in 1664 it was reported that there were twenty houses there.[3] At this time, the village was named Legacorry,[3][4] after the townland in which it sprang up. Legacorry comes from Irish: Log a' Choire, meaning "hollow of the cauldron".[2][4]

In Thomas Molyneux's Journey to the North (1708), the townland appears as "Legacorry, a pretty village belonging to Mr Richardson".[3] It gradually became known as Richardson's Hill and this was shortened to Rich Hill. The original gates to the manor house were wrought by two brothers named Thornberry from Falmouth, Cornwall and were erected in 1745. In 1936 they were moved to the entrance of Hillsborough Castle.[5][6]

Village regeneration

In 2012, it was announced that work would begin on a £1.5 million regeneration scheme, which will transform the village and involve the restoration of about 20 buildings. The Richhill Partnership began work in 2013 with the concealing of over head wires and cables on streets within the conservation area and building restoration work began in early March.[7]

Transport

The Ulster Railway opened Richhill railway station on the line between Belfast and Armagh on 1 March 1848.[8] It was part of the Great Northern Railway from 1876.[9] The Government of Northern Ireland forced the GNR Board to close the line on 1 October 1957.[10]

Portadown is the nearest station run by Northern Ireland Railways with trains to Belfast Great Victoria Street and the Enterprise direct to Belfast Central in the east and south to Newry and Dublin Connolly. There are proposals to reopen railway lines in Northern Ireland including the line to Armagh.[11]

Sport

Churches

Education

Notable residents

Demography

2011 Census

It had a population of 2,821 people (1,076 households) in the 2011 Census.[1]

2001 census

The NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) classifies Richhill as an intermediate settlement (i.e. with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,818 people living in Richhill. Of these:

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Richhill, County Armagh.

References

  1. 1 2 "Richhill". Census 2011 Results. NI Statistics and Research Agency. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Log an Choire/Rich Hill or Legacorry". logainm.ie. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 T.G.F. Paterson & Emyr Estyn Evans. Harvest Home: A selection from the writings of T. G. F. Paterson relating to County Armagh. Armagh County Museum, 1975. pp. 155-156
  4. 1 2 Art J. Hughes & William Nolan. Armagh: History & Society. Geography Publications, 2001. p. 317
  5. ↑ "Give Richhill back its gates says UTV man". Portadown Times. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "Dying man wants castle gates back". BBC. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council – Regeneration Projects". Armagh.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Hajducki, S. Maxwell (1974). A Railway Atlas of Ireland. Newton Abbott: David & Charles. map 8. ISBN 0-7153-5167-2.
  9. ↑ Hajducki, op. cit., page xiii
  10. ↑ Baker, Michael H.C. (1972). Irish Railways since 1916. London, UK: Ian Allan. pp. 153, 207. ISBN 0 7110 0282 7.
  11. ↑ "New lines proposed in Northern Ireland rail plan". railjournal.com. 3 May 2014.
  12. ↑ Karen McCaffrey (6 March 2014). "Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council – Richhill Recreation Centre to host National Indoor Bowls Championship finals". Armagh.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "Armagh and Richhill Beagles". Bailyshuntingdirectory.com. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "Pony Club". Lodge Equine Stables. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "Centres of The Pony Club". Pcuk.org. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Richhill Presbyterian". Richhillpc.org.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Richhill | Quakers in Ireland". Quakers-in-ireland.ie. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "Rise 2015". Grace-community.church. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "NINIS Home Page". Ninis.nisra.gov.uk. 2 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
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