Beragh

Summary

Beragh (from Irish: Bearach, meaning "place of points/hills/standing stones"[1]) is a village and townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is about 8 miles (13 kilometres) southeast of Omagh and is in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 520.

Beragh
Beragh is located in Northern Ireland
Beragh
Beragh
Location within Northern Ireland
Population520 (2001 Census)
• Belfast49 mi (79 km)
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townOMAGH
Postcode districtBT79
Dialling code028
UK Parliament
NI Assembly
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Tyrone
54°33′00″N 7°10′01″W / 54.55°N 7.167°W / 54.55; -7.167

History edit

One of the first known references to the village was on a 1690 Plantation map of Ireland. In the 1820s this village, the property of Earl Belmore, was described as having "one long wide street of very mean houses whose tenants for the most part appear to be poor". The inhabitants mostly worked in trade and agriculture. In 1841 the population was 617, the village having 103 houses. The village had a market patent granted under the name "Lowrystown".

The Portadown, Dungannon and Omagh Junction Railway opened Beragh railway station on 2 September 1861. The Ulster Transport Authority closed the station and the PD&O line on 15 February 1965.[2]

Demography edit

19th century population edit

The population of the village decreased during the 19th century:[3][4]

Year 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Population 219 155 170 119 121 109
Houses 44 35 33 33 28 31

21st century population edit

Beragh is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with a population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 520 people living in Beragh. Of these:

  • 28.5% were aged under 16 years;
  • 18.1% were aged 60 and over;
  • the average age was 34.3 years (NI average age 35.8 years);
  • 47.5% of the population were male and 52.5% were female;
  • 62.8% were from a Catholic Community Background;
  • 35.4% were from a Protestant and Other Christian (including Christian related)' Community Background;
  • 6.3% were born outside Northern Ireland; and
  • 0.0% were from an ethnic group other than white.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

Sport edit

  • Beragh Red Knights is the local Gaelic football club.
  • Beragh Swifts F.C. is the local football club which plays in the Fermanagh & Western 1st Division; reserve team plays in the F&W 2nd Division.[5]

Beragh Townland edit

 
Standing stone in Beragh townland, 2005

The townland is situated in the historic barony of Omagh East and the civil parish of Clogherny and covers an area of 481 acres.[6]

The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:[3][4]

Year 1841 1851 1861 1871 1881 1891
Population 216 112 128 60 55 65
Houses 40 22 21 13 16 14

The village of Beragh is in the townland of the same name and in 1891 had an area of 17 acres.

Notable people edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Beragh". Place Names NI. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Beragh station" (PDF). Railscot - Irish Railways. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Census of Ireland 1851". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Census of Ireland 1891". Enhanced Parliamentary Papers on Ireland. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  5. ^ https://www.fermanaghandwestern.com/league/173089/
  6. ^ "Townlands of County Tyrone". IreAtlas Townland Database. Retrieved 29 December 2012.

External links edit