| Laurelvale | |
|---|---|
_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1180439.jpg) Mullavilly parish church | |
  Location withinNorthern Ireland | |
| Population | 1,288 (2011 census) |
| Irish grid reference | J006478 |
| • Belfast | 25.5 mi (41.0 km) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRAIGAVON |
| Postcode district | BT62 |
| Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
| |
Laurelvale is avillage inCounty Armagh,Northern Ireland. It is beside the smaller village of Mullavilly and the two are sometimes referred to as Laurelvale-Mullavilly[2][3] or Mullavilly-Laurelvale.[4][5] The village is three miles south ofPortadown and 1.5 miles northwest ofTandragee.[6] It had a population of 1,288 people in the 2011 census.[7]
Laurelvale is within thetownland of Tamnaghvelton (formerly Tawnavaltiny, fromIrishTamhnaigh Bhealtaine, meaning 'Bealtaine field').[1][8] Laurelvale was taken from the name of amansion that was built in the 19th century. Mullavilly was named after the townland in which it lies. The name comes fromIrishMullach a' Bhile, meaning 'hilltop of the sacred tree'.[9][10]
Laurelvale was founded in the 1850s byThomas SintonJP (1826–1887) to house the workers in his linen mill ofThomas Sinton & Co. Ltd, which was in the village. At its height, Sintons' Mill had over 1000 workers. The mill has since been demolished. The company remained in family ownership until 1945 when it was taken over by theMinistry of Defence and operated byHoffmans (who madeball bearings forgun turrets). The Sinton family also ran mills and bleach-works inTandragee,Killyleagh,Tullylish and at Ravarnet outsideHillsborough, County Down.
Thomas Sinton also built a large house in the village,Laurelvale House, which, following theSecond World War, was the home ofMichael Torrens-Spence,Lord Lieutenant of County Armagh.Laurelvale House has since been demolished to make way for housing development.
Laurelvale F.C. has a ground in the Laurel Park area of the village. The football club currently play in theMid-Ulster Football League Intermediate B Division.
Laurelvale Cricket Club has a clubhouse on Mullavilly Road and are currently competing in the NCU League Section 2, having just missed out on promotion in the 2015 season by way of Net Run Rate. Lee Edgar had a club record breaking season with 63 wickets winning the club's and league's Player of the Year.
In the 2011 census Laurelvale-Mulavilly had a population of 1,288 people.[7] Of these:
Mullavilly-Laurelvale is classified as a village by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA). On census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,258 people living in Mullavilly-Laurelvale.
