Keady
Encyclopedia
Keady is a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...

 in County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...

, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is situated south of Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

 city and very close to the border with the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. The town had a population of 2,960 people in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....

.

A tributary of the river Callan known as the Clea flows from its source in Tullynawood lake through the centre of the town. The river Clea once powered the towns millwheels. It's prosperity comes from the small village of Darkley which supplied the linen to the tailors and even made its own range of bed linen. In the centre of the town stands the Old Mill, which has been converted into a modern Visitor Centre, Cafe and community enterprise resource. The building is complete with its own millwheel and acts as the entrance to a beautiful riverside walk.

History

The name Keady is recorded as long ago as 1674 in a letter from Symore Richardson to the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...

 (the district was part of a grant of county Armagh lands to that college). However, the town did not emerge as an important centre until the mid 18th century when the use of waterpower led to the growth of great linen
Linen
Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....

 mills and factories. By 1837, Keady was noted as being the centre of an important flourishing linen trade by Samuel Lewis in his Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. The Keady Monument was erected by the local people to honour William Kirk, who through his mills at Keady and Darkley
Darkley
Darkley is a small village and townland near Keady in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 282 people.- History :Historically Darkley was a mill village and produced linen....

, provided so much economic prosperity in the area. The town was also became a centre of tailoring before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, and the arrival of the railway brought the town great commercial benefit, although the lines for both goods and passenger traffic have since closed. Until recently Keady retained its links with clothing manufacture, with a major textiles firm employing many local people, this has since closed. Situated on the river Clea (which flows from Clea Lake to the River Callan), Keady is noted chiefly for the 'Keady trout Lakes'. It is also of interest to the industrial archaeologist as the centre of a district with many derelict watermills. Tassagh Glen, just outside the town has a mill and viaduct of monumental proportions. The newly restored mill in the centre of town offers the visitor a unique glimpse into Keady's industrial heritage.

The Troubles

For more information see The Troubles in Keady
The Troubles in Keady
The Troubles in Keady recounts incidents during, and the effects of, The Troubles in Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland.Incidents in Keady during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities:-1976:...

, which includes a list of incidents in Keady during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.

Transport

  • The railway arrived in Keady in 1909, with the opening of a line from Armagh
    Armagh
    Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

     which was extended to Castleblayney
    Castleblayney
    Castleblayney or Castleblaney is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town has a population of about 3,000.Castleblayney lies near the border with County Armagh and is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry...

     in 1910. Keady railway station opened on 31 May 1909, closed for passenger traffic on 1 February 1932 and finally closed altogether on 1 October 1957. As a cross border line, when the Irish Free State
    Irish Free State
    The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...

     was created in 1922, it lost all passenger traffic in 1923, with freight being withdrawn from the cross border section from Castleblayney
    Castleblayney
    Castleblayney or Castleblaney is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town has a population of about 3,000.Castleblayney lies near the border with County Armagh and is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry...

     to Keady in 1924. The Armagh
    Armagh
    Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...

     to Keady freight service was withdrawn on October 1 1957.
  • There is a viaduct
    Viaduct
    A viaduct is a bridge composed of several small spans. The term viaduct is derived from the Latin via for road and ducere to lead something. However, the Ancient Romans did not use that term per se; it is a modern derivation from an analogy with aqueduct. Like the Roman aqueducts, many early...

     for the railway in Keady as well as one of the more interesting artefacts of Irish railway history, the tunnel
    Tunnel
    A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

     for the Ulster and Connaught Light Railway. This was a proposal for a narrow gauge line from Greenore
    Greenore
    Greenore is a small town, townland and deep water port on Carlingford Lough in County Louth, Ireland. The population of Greenore and the surrounding rural area was 898 in the 2002 Irish census....

    , County Louth
    County Louth
    County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...

     to Clifden
    Clifden
    Clifden is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara's largest town, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". It is located on the Owenglen River where it flows into Clifden Bay...

    , County Galway
    County Galway
    County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...

    , for which the tunnel
    Tunnel
    A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

     under the railway embankment
    Embankment (transportation)
    To keep a road or railway line straight or flat, and where the comparative cost or practicality of alternate solutions is prohibitive, the land over which the road or rail line will travel is built up to form an embankment. An embankment is therefore in some sense the opposite of a cutting, and...

     at Keady was built, but never used. Ulsterbus
    Ulsterbus
    Ulsterbus is a public transport operator in Northern Ireland and operates bus services outside Belfast. It is part of Translink , which also includes Northern Ireland Railways, Metro Belfast and Flexibus.-Services:Ulsterbus is responsible for most of the province-wide bus...

     now use part of the tunnel
    Tunnel
    A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...

     as a bus garage.

People

  • Tommy Makem
    Tommy Makem
    Thomas "Tommy" Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, artist, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem. He played the long-necked 5-string banjo, guitar, tin whistle, and bagpipes, and sang in a distinctive baritone...

    , singer
  • Dessie O'Hare
    Dessie O'Hare
    Dessie O'Hare , also known as "The Border Fox", is an Irish republican paramilitary, who was once the most wanted man in Ireland....

    , the "Border Fox"
  • Cathal Boylan
    Cathal Boylan
    Cathal Boylan MLA has been a councillor on Armagh City and District Council since 2005. In March 2007 Cathal was elected as an MLA to the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent the Newry and Armagh constituency...

    , Sinn Féin MLA
  • Michael Colgan
    Michael Colgan (actor)
    Michael Colgan is a Keady, County Armagh, Northern Ireland-born actor.Born as Michael Hughes, he was educated at Saint Patrick's Grammar School, Armagh, and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he read English...

    , actor
  • Thomas O'Hanlon
    Thomas O'Hanlon
    Thomas O'Hanlon was an Irish Nationalist politician who served as Member of Parliament for East Cavan from 1885 to 1892.He was a native of Newry and became a wholesale and retail grocer in Derry...

    , SDLP Councillor - www.thomasohanlon.com

Education

  • Clea Primary School
  • Keady Primary School
  • St. Francis of Assisi Primary School
  • St Patrick's High School (Keady)
    St Patrick's High School (Keady)
    St Patrick's High School is a Roman Catholic non-selective, all ablity and all inclusive secondary school situated outside Armagh City. It does away with the outdated separation of pupils at 11+ and teaches boys and girls of all abilities, from the high academic achiever to the child with learning...

  • St. Mary's Boy's School (Keady)

2001 Census

Keady is classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people).
On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,960 people living in Keady. Of these:
  • 25.6% were aged under 16 years and 15.5% were aged 60 and over
  • 48.8% of the population were male and 51.2% were female
  • 94.2% were from a Catholic
    Catholic
    The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

     background and 5.6% were from a Protestant
    Protestantism
    Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...

     background
  • 6.2% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.


For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

See also


External links

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