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LUR
LURGAN, a market and post-town, in the parish of
SHANKIIL, barony of ONEILLAND EAST, county of
ARMAGH, and province of ULSTER, 13½ miles (N. E.)
from Armagh, on the road to Belfast, and 67½ (N.)
from Dublin; containing, in 1831, 2842 inhabitants, since
which period the population has very much increased.
This place formed part of the territory of the O’Nials,
and on the settlement of Ulster was, with the lands of
Dowcorran and Ballenemony, together comprising 2500
acres, granted by Jas. I. to “William Brownlow, Esq., who
erected a handsome house at Dowcorran, and shortly
after built the town of Lurgan, in which, in 1619,
were 42 houses, all occupied by English families. On
the other parts of the estate were 45 families, and the
colony continued to flourish till the war in 1641, when
the town was burned by the insurgents, who converted
the church into a garrison, and afterwards demolished
it; they also destroyed the mansions of Dowcorran and
Ballenemony. After the restoration the town was re-
built, but was again destroyed by the army of Jas. II.,
and its proprietor declared an outlaw. It was, however,
restored in 1690, when a patent for a market and fairs
was obtained, and soon afterwards an important branch
of the linen manufacture was established here, which
has continued to flourish till the present time. The
town is situated in the midst of a fertile and well-cul-
tivated district, and consists of one spacious street,
containing 482 houses, substantially built of stone and
roofed with slate, many of which are large and hand-
some. The manufacture of diapers was introduced
here by William Waring, Esq., M.P. for Hillsborough,
during the whole of the reign of Anne; and the Lur-
gan and Waringstown manufacturers have always been
eminent in this branch of the trade. Damasks of su-
perior quality, and cambrics, are made here in large
quantities, and sold in the market weekly, to the
amount of from £2500 to £3000; and there is scarcely
a family in the district that is not more or less con-
nected with the linen trade. There are two large
tobacco-manufactories, two ale-breweries, and an exten-
sive distillery, in which 15,000 tons of grain are annu-
ally consumed. A facility of intercourse with Belfast
is afforded by Lough Neagh and the Lagan navigation,
and the trade of the town is progressively increasing.
The market is on Friday, and is abundantly supplied
with provisions; and great quantities of linens are sold
on the market days in the brown linen-hall, a spa-
cious building, erected by subscription in 1825. Fairs
are held on Aug. 5th and 6th, and Nov. 22nd and 23rd.
A chief constabulary police force is stationed in the
town; a manorial court is held every three weeks, and
petty sessions every Friday; the quarter sessions for
the county are also held here. The court-house is a
large, handsome, and well-arranged building; and there
is a district bridewell, containing 7 cells, with day-
rooms and airing-yards, and well adapted for classifi-
cation. The parish church, a handsome edifice with a
tower surmounted by an octagonal spire; the R. C.
parochial chapel, a neat Gothic building; and meeting-
houses for Presbyterians and the Society of Friends,
are in the town. A mendicity society and a voluntary
poor fund have been established, to which Mr. Brown-
low contributes £100 per annum. Near the town is
Lurgan House, the residence of the Rt. Hon. Charles
Brownlow, now being rebuilt on an extensive scale and
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LUR
in the Elizabethan style, with freestone brought from
Scotland; the approach is by a handsome lodge and
gateway of the same character, and the demesne, which
is very extensive, is embellished with a profusion of
stately timber, and with an artificial lake of 100 acres;
there are various other seats in the vicinity, which, with
the schools and other institutions, are noticed under the
head of SHANKILL.
LURGAN, a parish, in the barony of CASTLERA-
HAN, county of CAVAN, and province of ULSTEE, on the
road from Kells to Cavan; containing, with the post-
town of Virginia (which is separately described), 6387
inhabitants. It comprises, according to the Ordnance
survey, 11,327¾ statute acres, including 922¾ acres of
water, of which the greater portion is in Lough Ramor;
8423 acres are applotted under the tithe act, and there
is a large portion of bog and moor. In 1831, two
townlands were separated from this parish to form part
of the district parish, or perpetual cure, of Ballyjames-
duff. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese
of Kilmore, united by act of council to the rectory and
vicarage of Munterconnaught, together constituting the
union of Lurgan, in the patronage of the Bishop. The
tithes amount to £233. 9., and the gross tithes of the
benefice to £381. 9.: the glebe of the union, which
comprises 999¼ acres, is valued at £694. 2. 6. per an-
num. The glebe-house, situated about two miles from
the church, was erected about 1814, at an expense of
£3276. 18. 5¼., of which £1384. 12. 3¾. was granted as
a loan, and £92. 6. 1¾, as a gift from the late Board of
First Fruits. The church, in the town of Virginia, was
erected in 1821, at a cost of £2492. 6. 1¾., of which
£1846. 3. 1. was a loan from the same Board, and the
remainder was contributed by the parishioners; having
been accidentally burnt in the winter of 1830, it was
repaired by subscriptions amounting to £900, contri-
buted chiefly by the bishop and the parishioners. In
the R. C. divisions the parish forms the head of a union.
or district, comprising also part of the parish of Loghau.
in the diocese and county of Meath, and containing the
chapels of Lurgan and Maghera. In the national
schools at Whitegate, Caponagh, and Lattoon, and a
school aided by subscriptions, about 360 children are
educated; and there are four private schools, contain-
ing about 290 children.
LURGANBOY, a village, in the parish of KILLAS-
NET, half-barony of ROSSCLOGHER, county of LEITRIM,
and province of CONNAUGHT, 1¼ mile (“W. by N.) from
Manorhamilton, on the road to Sligo; containing 240
inhabitants. This place is most romantically situated
in a rich and highly improved tract of country watered
by the small river Boonid, which has its winding
course through ancient woods and flourishing plan-
tations, with which the surrounding district is embel-
lished. The scenery is singularly picturesque and pleas-
ing, and the view of the distant mountains by which it
is encompassed is strikingly beautiful. The nearest of
the group, at a short distance to the south-east of the
village, is that of Benbo, which has an elevation of 1403
feet above the level of the sea, and is of very peculiar
conformation. The higher portion is of fine granite
flanked with stratifications of micaceous quartz; and
having at the base hornblende rock, hornblende and
mica slate, with a profusion of garnets, sienite with,
green hornblende, and serpentine and green steatite
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