MAGHERA

In 1868, the parish of Maghera contained the following places:

"MAGHERA, a parish, post, and market town, in the barony of Loughinsholin, county Londonderry, province of Ulster, Ireland. The parish is 8 miles long, and its extreme breadth is 6 miles. It contains the villages of Maghera, Swatteragh, and Curran. The surface is mountainous, heathy, and boggy. The river Moyola traces one of its boundaries, and the Grellagh is a stream of the interior, which is also intersected by the roads from Bellaghy to Dungiven, and from Coleraine to Newry. The living is a rectory in the diocese of Derry, value £1,412, in the patronage of the bishop. The church was erected in 1819 by means of a loan from the late Board of First Fruits. The parish likewise contains two Presbyterian meeting-houses and two Roman Catholic chapels which are mutually united. Here are several daily schools, besides two or three Sunday-schools. Maghera House is the chief seat. The town is situated at the cross roads from Coleraine to Armagh, and from Londonderry to Belfast, 26 miles S.E. of Londonderry, and 121 from Dublin. The ecclesiastical history of the place dates from a very early period. It appears to have been an episcopal seat from the close of the 6th century to 1158, at which period it was transferred to Derry. During the rebellion of O'Neal in 1641, the town was partially destroyed by fire at the hands of the Macdonnells. Here is a chief police station, and petty sessions are held once a fortnight. The town contains a market-house, bleach-grounds, flax-mills, &c. A dispensary in the town is within the Magherafelt Poor-law Union. Tuesday is market day. Fairs are held on the last Tuesday in every month."

"CURRAN, a village in the parish of Maghera, barony of Loughinsholin, in the county of Londonderry, province of Ulster, Ireland. It is situated on the river Moyola, and is surrounded by bogs. Fairs are held on the 23rd June and 22nd November."

"SWATRAGH, a village in the parish of Maghera, barony of Loughinsholin, county Londonderry, province of Ulster, Ireland, 3 miles N. of Maghera. It is situated on the river Clody, and contains a Presbyterian meeting-house and a large school."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2018