Coagh
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Looking towards the village, from the County Londonderry side | |
Coagh Location within Northern Ireland | |
Population | 545 (2001 Census) |
Irish grid reference | H8978 |
• Belfast | 45 miles |
District | |
County | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | COOKSTOWN MAGHERAFELT |
Postcode district | BT80 BT45 |
Dialling code | 028 |
UK Parliament | |
NI Assembly | |
Coagh (/koʊk/ KOHK; from Irish An Cuach, meaning 'the hollow'[1]) is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, five miles (8 km) east of Cookstown. Part of the village also extends into County Londonderry. It had a population of 545 people in the 2001 Census. It owes its existence to George Butle Conyngham of Springhill, and was founded in 1728 when King George II of Great Britain granted Conyngham a market charter allowing the village to host four fairs yearly.[2] It is situated within Mid-Ulster District.
The village nestles among gentle, low-lying land between the Sperrins and Lough Neagh. The main feature of the village is Hanover Square, which was named after the reigning Hanoverian George II by Conyngham. The village has been an ancient settlement for several thousand years; overlooking Coagh is Tamlaght Stone, a Mesolithic dolmen erected c. 4500 BCE.
History
The Troubles
On 3 June 1991, Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers Lawrence McNally, Peter Ryan and Tony Doris were killed in an ambush by an SAS unit. The British Army stated that the IRA members had been intercepted on their way to an attack. Over 200 rounds were fired at the car.[3]
Education
Coagh has its own primary school, Coagh Primary School, a feeder school for many local schools including Cookstown High School.
Sport
- Coagh United Football Club, which plays in the IFA Championship
Amenities
Coagh has a surgery which serves local areas, such as Ardboe, Ballinderry, Moortown, Drummullan, The Loup and Moneymore.
Demography
19th century population
The population of the village increased slightly overall during the 19th century:[4][5]
Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | 388 | 385 | 403 | 526 | 400 | 394 |
Houses | 90 | 82 | 86 | 115 | 93 | 96 |
21st century population
Coagh is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 545 people living in Coagh. Of these:
- 20.9% were aged under 16 and 20.4% were aged 60 and over
- 48.3% of the population were male and 51.7% were female
- 26.4% were from a Catholic background and 72.8% were from a Protestant background
- 2.3% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
Coagh Townland
The townland is situated in the historic barony of Dungannon Upper and the civil parish of Tamlaght and covers an area of 616 acres.[6]
The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:[4][5]
Year | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Population | 207 | 160 | 136 | 160 | 115 | 100 |
Houses | 37 | 32 | 29 | 32 | 28 | 22 |
In 1891, the town of Coagh, standing in the townlands of Coagh and Urbal, covered an estimated area of 13 acres.[4]
Notable people
- Jimmy Kennedy, Tin Pan Alley composer, grew up here.
- Stuart Dallas (born 1991), Northern Ireland international footballer, grew up in Coagh, having been born in Cookstown.[7][8]
See also
References
- ↑ "Coagh". Place Names NI. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ↑ "Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) - nidirect" (PDF). proni.gov.uk. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ↑ "BBC ON THIS DAY | 3 |1991: IRA men shot dead by British army". BBC News. 3 June 1991.
- 1 2 3 "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- 1 2 "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ↑ "Townlands of County Tyrone". IreAtlas Townland Database. Retrieved 19 March 2013.
- ↑ Beacom, Steven (30 March 2018). "I'm determined to land medal that my Northern Ireland international brother hasn't got, says Loughgall star Dallas". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ↑ "Stuart Dallas". irishfa.com. Irish Football Association. Retrieved 11 April 2021.