| Magheralin | |
|---|---|
 Magheralin Parish Church | |
  Magheralin Location withinCounty Down | |
| Population | 2,041 |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | CRAIGAVON |
| Postcode district | BT67 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| |
Magheralin (fromIrishMachaire Lainne, meaning 'plain of the church')[2] is avillage andcivil parish inCounty Down,Northern Ireland. It is on the mainA3 road betweenMoira andLurgan, beside theRiver Lagan. It had a population of 2,041 people in the2021 census. The civil parish of Magheralin covers an area of County Down.[3]
Its original name wasLann Rónáin Fhinn, "church of Ronan Finn", a saint from the medieval Irish taleBuile Shuibhne (The Madness of Sweeney).[2]
Magheralin has two churches: one Protestant and one Catholic. The Protestant parish has a second church building inDollingstown.[4] Magheralin's Catholic parish also has two churches: St. Patrick's & St. Ronan's and St. Colman's in Kilwarlin.[5]
There is an old song called "The Ducks of Magheralin". The Ducks of Magheralin is an IrishPolka, with its namesake representing the 'ducks of Magheralin', who were the weavers of the town because they used duck grease to lubricate their looms.[6] In the preface to a well-known version by theGlenfolk Four, the singers insist that the intent of the song is to address the "myth" that the capital ofIreland isDublin. The first verse is as follows:
Magheralin has twoprimary schools: Maralin Village Primary School[8] and St. Patrick's Primary School.[9]
During the period ofThe Troubles (1960s–1998), a number of incidents occurred in the area. On 18 October 1989, Robert Metcalfe, a 40-year-old Protestantcivilian, was shot and killed by theProvisional Irish Republican Army while at his home in Drumnabreeze Road, Magheralin.[10] And, in January 1991, Jervis Lynch, a 26-year-old Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by theUlster Volunteer Force (UVF) while at his home in Acres Road, Magheralin.[11]
St. Michael's GAC is aGaelic football club with its playing field in Magheralin.[12]
Magheralin also has a football club, Magheralin Village F.C., they play in theMid Ulster Football League.[13]
Daniel Wiffen, an Irish professional swimmer from Magheralin, broke the 800m freestyle short-course world record on 10 December 2023 in Romania, becoming the first Irish swimmer to break a swimming world record.[14] RepresentingIreland, he won the gold medal in the 800m Freestyle final in theParis Olympics on 30 July 2024, setting a new Olympic record.[15]
Magheralin is classified as a village by theNorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e with a population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On census day (21 March 2021) there were 2,041 people living in Magheralin. Of these:
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)during the early linen years when local weavers, known as the Ducks of Magheralin due to their practice of using duck grease to lubricate their brooms.
