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Richhill, County Armagh

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Population
  
2,821 (2011 Census)

County
  
County Armagh

Sovereign state
  
United Kingdom

Local time
  
Thursday 1:02 AM

Dialling code
  
28

UK parliament constituency
  
Newry and Armagh

Irish grid reference
  
H941480

Country
  
Northern Ireland

Post town
  
Armagh

Province
  
Ulster

Ni assembly
  
Newry and Armagh

Richhill, County Armagh

Weather
  
12°C, Wind S at 16 km/h, 93% Humidity

District
  
Armagh City and District Council

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.

Contents

Map of Richhill, Armagh, UK

Originally named Legacorry (from Irish: Log a' Choire), 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. At this time, the village was named Legacorry, after the townland in which it sprang up. Legacorry comes from Irish: Log a' Choire, meaning "hollow of the cauldron".

In Thomas Molyneux's Journey to the North (1708), the townland appears as "Legacorry, a pretty village belonging to Mr Richardson". 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.

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.

Transport

The Ulster Railway 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.

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.

Sport

  • Broomhill F.C.
  • Richhill F.C.
  • Richhill Recreation Centre
  • Orchard Wheelers Cycling Club
  • Armagh and Richhill Beagles
  • Lodge Equine Stables and Pony Club Centre
  • Intouch Equestrian and Richhill Pony Club Centre
  • Richhill Raiders Volleyball Club
  • Churches

  • St Matthew's Church of Ireland
  • Richhill Methodist Church
  • Richhill Presbyterian Church
  • Quakers, The Society of Friends Richhill
  • Richhill Elim Church
  • Richhill Evangelical Presbyterian Church
  • Grace Community Church
  • Education

  • Hardy Memorial Primary School
  • Notable residents

  • Alexander Campbell (clergyman)
  • William Richardson (1749-1822), landowner; Member of Parliament
  • Max Clendinning, architect
  • Kenneth Hooks, 6 International rugby caps for Ireland, 1981-1991
  • 2011 Census

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

    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 Catholic background and 94.6% were from a Protestant background
  • 11.9% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
  • References

    Richhill, County Armagh Wikipedia


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