Richhill, County Armagh
Encyclopedia
Richhill is a large village in County Armagh
, Northern Ireland
. It is in the townland
of Legacorry , roughly halfway between Armagh
and Portadown
. The 2001 Census
recorded a population of 2,818 people.
Richhill, originally named Legacorry, takes its name from Edward Richardson (Member of Parliament
for County Armagh from 1655 to 1696), who built Richhill Castle, a Dutch-gabled manor house
. Richhill has won a string of "Best Kept village" awards. The bottom of the village is overlooked by Saint Matthew’s Church of Ireland
, which provides a backdrop to most views of the village.
. It was built in about 1665 for Major Edward Richardson. The original gates to Richhill Castle were wrought by two brothers named Thornberry from Falmouth, Cornwall
and were erected in Richhill for William Richardson in 1745. In 1936 they were moved to the entrance to Hillsborough Castle
.
opened Richhill railway station on the line between Belfast and Armagh on 1 March 1848. It was part of the Great Northern Railway
from 1876. The Government of Northern Ireland
forced the GNR Board to close the line on 1 October 1957.
On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,818 people living in Richhill. Of these:
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
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 in the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Legacorry , roughly halfway between 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...
and Portadown
Portadown
Portadown is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town sits on the River Bann in the north of the county, about 23 miles south-west of Belfast...
. 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....
recorded a population of 2,818 people.
Richhill, originally named Legacorry, takes its name from Edward Richardson (Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for County Armagh from 1655 to 1696), who built Richhill Castle, a Dutch-gabled manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
. Richhill has won a string of "Best Kept village" awards. The bottom of the village is overlooked by Saint Matthew’s Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, which provides a backdrop to most views of the village.
Places of interest
Richhill Castle is in Richhill about 6 miles (10 km) from ArmaghArmagh
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...
. It was built in about 1665 for Major Edward Richardson. The original gates to Richhill Castle were wrought by two brothers named Thornberry from Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth, Cornwall
Falmouth is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It has a total resident population of 21,635.Falmouth is the terminus of the A39, which begins some 200 miles away in Bath, Somerset....
and were erected in Richhill for William Richardson in 1745. In 1936 they were moved to the entrance to Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. It is the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the official residence in Northern Ireland of HM Queen Elizabeth II The Secretary of State combines two roles...
.
Transport
The Ulster RailwayUlster Railway
The Ulster Railway was a railway company operating in Ulster, Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1836 and merged with two other railway companies in 1876 to form the Great Northern Railway .-History:...
opened Richhill railway station on the line between Belfast and Armagh on 1 March 1848. It was part of the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
from 1876. The Government of Northern Ireland
Government of Northern Ireland
The Government of Northern Ireland is, generally speaking, whatever political body exercises political authority over Northern Ireland. A number of separate systems of government exist or have existed in Northern Ireland....
forced the GNR Board to close the line on 1 October 1957.
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:
- 2.8% were aged under 16 years and 92.1% were aged 16 and over
- 49.8% of the population were male and 50.3% were female
- 3.4% were from a CatholicCatholicThe 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 94.6% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism 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 - 11.9% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service