Coordinates: 54°31′13″N 6°16′16″W / 54.520235°N 6.2711334°W
| Aghalee | |
| Irish: Achadh Lí | |
  Aghalee
Aghalee shown within Northern Ireland |
|
| Population | 774 (2001 Census) |
|---|---|
| District | Lisburn City |
| County | County Antrim |
| Constituent country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRAIGAVON |
| BT67 | |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| European Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | Lagan Valley |
| List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Antrim | |
Aghalee (from the Irish: Achadh Lí meaning "field of calves") is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is situated three miles from the south-east corner of Lough Neagh on the main road between Lurgan and Antrim and about 13 kilometres to the west of Lisburn. The village is attractively placed on the steep, wooded slopes of Friary Glen, and is situated beside the now disused Lagan Navigational Canal. In the 2001 Census, Aghalee had a population of 774 people.
Aghalee has a wide range of facilities including several places of worship, a community hall, several shops and a post office. The village is home to a vocational training centre, a nursing home, telephone exchange, day nursery, doctor's surgery and chemist. Ulsterbus services link the village with Lisburn, Antrim, Lurgan and Belfast.
Although the village is sometimes considered as being in County Armagh due to the fact that Craigavon is the postal town, however it in fact sits in south-west County Antrim. The village also lies in the north-west corner of the Lisburn City local government district.
Contents |
History
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Much of the early development of Aghalee was due to its strategic location beside the Lagan Navigational Canal which opened at the end of the 18th century. The village became a distribution centre for the surrounding area and developed as an important lock station on the Lagan Navigation, as it was one of the last sizeable settlements before the canal entered Lough Neagh. While the canal operated, trade continued on a significant scale. When the canal finally ceased to operate in 1954, the area began to decline in commercial importance. The population of the settlement decreased considerably in the latter part of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th century.
The village retains many of the 18th century structures and buildings belonging to the canal. From the 1970s Aghalee developed as a commuter area for Belfast and Craigavon and this was accompanied by significant population growth. In recent times, development has occurred on the lands to the west of the village core.
Aghalee is celebrated in the Orange song, 'The Aghalee Heroes'. This is a ballad about an event in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. A garrison stationed in the village of Aghalee was ordered to march to Lurgan to engage with the rebels. They did so and won a decisive victory.
2001 Census
Aghalee is classified as a Small Village or Hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 774 people living in Aghalee. Of these:
- 26.0% were aged under 16 years and 8.8% were aged 60 and over
- 51.2% of the population were male and 48.8% were female
- 10.6% were from a Catholic background and 85.0% were from a Protestant background
- 2.7% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
References
- Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015
See also
External links
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