Benburb
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Benburb ()) is a village and
townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
in
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional Counties of Ireland, counties of Ireland. It is no longer used as an admini ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
. It lies 7.5 miles from
Armagh Armagh ( ; ga, Ard Mhacha, , "Macha's height") is the county town of County Armagh and a city in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Pri ...
and 8 miles from
Dungannon Dungannon () is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 14,340 at the 2011 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council had its headquarters in the ...
. The River Blackwater runs alongside the village as does the
Ulster Canal The Ulster Canal is a canal running through part of County Armagh, County Tyrone and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Canal was built between 1825 and 1842 and was 74 km (46&nb ...
.


History

It is best known, in historical terms, for the
Battle of Benburb The Battle of Benburb took place on 5 June 1646 during the Irish Confederate Wars, the Irish theatre of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It was fought between the Irish Confederation under Owen Roe O'Neill, and a Scottish Covenanter and Anglo-I ...
that took place there in 1646. This was fought between the armies of
Confederate Ireland Confederate Ireland, also referred to as the Irish Catholic Confederation, was a period of Irish Catholic self-government between 1642 and 1649, during the Eleven Years' War. Formed by Catholic aristocrats, landed gentry, clergy and military ...
led by
Owen Roe O'Neill Owen Roe O'Neill (Irish: ''Eoghan Ruadh Ó Néill;'' – 1649) was a Gaelic Irish soldier and one of the most famous of the O'Neill dynasty of Ulster. O'Neill left Ireland at a young age and spent most of his life as a mercenary in the Spanish ...
and the Scottish
Covenanters Covenanters ( gd, Cùmhnantaich) were members of a 17th-century Scottish religious and political movement, who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland, and the primacy of its leaders in religious affairs. The name is derived from ''Covenan ...
led by Munro. The battle resulted in a crushing victory for O'Neill's men at the townland of Drumflugh around a mile outside the village. It was commemorated in the ballad "
The Battle of Benburb "The Battle of Benburb" is an Irish song commemorating the 1646 Battle of Benburb. The tune was composed by Tommy Makem, with the lyrics drawn from a nineteenth century poem by Robert Dwyer Joyce.Manganiello p.54 On 5 June 1646 Owen Roe O'Neill, ...
". Since the Battle of Benburb was a rare 17th-century Irish military victory, in 1890 new
Irish nationalist Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...
dominated Corporation in Dublin city renamed Barrack Street in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
's north inner city after the battle. Benburb Street runs between Queen Street and Blackhall Place. There is also a Benburb Street in south
Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...
just off the
Donegall Road The Donegall Road is a residential area and road traffic thoroughfare that runs from Shaftesbury Square on what was once called the " Golden Mile" to the Falls Road in west Belfast. The road is bisected by the Westlink – M1 motorway. The lar ...
. In later years Benburb became known for its linen production, as did many areas in Northern Ireland and later still for agriculture, most notably apple farming, and mushroom production. Benburb was the home of the 17th century poet Maurice O'Dugan (fl.1660), who was reputed to have written the poems ''Gluas do chabhlach'', ''Bhi Eoghan air buile'', '' Faraoir chaill Eire a céile fircheart'' and the famous air '' The Coolin''.''Dictionary of National Biography'', v.41 (1895), p.458


Places of interest

The village is also home to the impressive Benburb Castle built in 1611 by
Sir Richard Wingfield Sir Richard Wingfield KG of Kimbolton Castle (c. 1469 – 22 July 1525) was an influential courtier and diplomat in the early years of the Tudor dynasty of England. Life He was born at Letheringham, Suffolk to Sir John Wingfield (c. 1428 &nda ...
on the ruins of a military fortification constructed by Prince Shane O'Neill, circa 1558, at the base of a limestone cliff overlooking the River Blackwater, the border between County Tyrone and
County Armagh County Armagh (, named after its county town, Armagh) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the southern shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and ha ...
. The castle is in excellent condition having been recently restored and stands in the grounds of the imposing
Servite The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...
Priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of mon ...
, a religious order based in the village.


Benburb Priory

Wingfield was made
Viscount Powerscourt Viscount Powerscourt ( ) is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of Ireland, each time for members of the Wingfield family. It was created first in 1618 for the Chief Governor of Ireland, Richard Wingfield. However, this creat ...
in 1618 and the estate remained in the Wingfield family until sold in 1877 to Belfast distiller James Bruce, who died in 1917. It then went to his brother who sold it. The manor house passed through a number of owners before being requisitioned by the War Office as military hospital during World War II. From 1943 – 1944 the members of the British Army Medical Corp were stationed there, and from October 1943 to April 1944 it was the home to personnel of the American 7th Field Hospital. The hospital had 135 beds. The
Servite Order The Servite Order, officially known as the Order of Servants of Mary ( la, Ordo Servorum Beatae Mariae Virginis; abbreviation: OSM), is one of the five original Catholic mendicant orders. It includes several branches of friars (priests and brothe ...
acquired the property in 1947, initially for a seminary. In more recent years the Priory has been a cross-community centre supporting over 30 groups spanning culture and heritage, older people, St Peregrine cancer support, education and rehabilitation. The Priory is also home to Benburb Priory Library and Museum which holds extensive collections of Servite and Marian books and artefacts, the Servite archives for Britain and Ireland, the Priory (formerly Wingfield/Powerscourt) estate and local history. The Library and Museum was established in 2016 (Professor Gerry McKenna MRIA; founding chair) and includes the extensive and valuable private collection of Hugo Ricciardi O'Neill, Chief of the Clans of O'Neill, who resides in Setubal, Portugal.


Education

*Benburb Primary School *Benburb Community Playgroup


Demography


19th century population

The population of the village decreased during the 19th century:


21st century population

Benburb in the Northern Ireland UK Census in 2011 was classified as a ''Hamlet'', with a population of 598 people. *8.9% were 18 or younger *11.7% were aged 60 and over *40.0% were male *60.0% were female *55.6% were from a Catholic background *25.4% were from a Protestant background *19.0% stated another Religion or had no religion


Townland

The townland is situated in the historic
barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of
Dungannon Middle Dungannon Middle (named after Dungannon town) is a barony in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It was created in 1851 with the splitting of the barony of Dungannon. It is bordered by Lough Neagh to the east and six other baronies: Dungannon Upper ...
and the
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...
of
Clonfeacle Clonfeacle is a civil parish in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is split across the historic baronies of Armagh and Oneilland West in County Armagh and Dungannon Lower and Dungannon Middle in County Tyrone. The Parish co ...
and covers an area of 185 acres. The population of the townland declined during the 19th century: The increase seen in the 1881 Census was ascribed mainly to the building of houses for millworkers.


See also

* Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Tyrone) *
List of villages in Northern Ireland This is an alphabetical list of towns and villages in Northern Ireland. For a list sorted by population, see the list of settlements in Northern Ireland by population. The towns of Armagh, Lisburn and Newry are also classed as cities (see city stat ...
*
List of townlands of County Tyrone This is a sortable table of the approximately 2,162 townlands in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.Irish Placenames Database
Retrie ...
*
Ulster Canal The Ulster Canal is a canal running through part of County Armagh, County Tyrone and County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. The Ulster Canal was built between 1825 and 1842 and was 74 km (46&nb ...


References


External links

{{authority control Villages in County Tyrone Townlands of County Tyrone Civil parish of Clonfeacle