Doagh ( ; ) is a
village and
townland in
County Antrim,
Northern Ireland. It is in the
Six Mile Water Valley, about two miles south-west of
Ballyclare, and had a population of 1,388 people in the
2011 census. It is known as ''Doach'' in
Scots.
While older 19th century housing stands in the village centre, the village has gradually grown and new housing estates have been built on its outskirts.
History and built heritage
There is evidence of settlement in the vicinity at least from the Iron Age, and possibly the Bronze Age - as represented by the Holestone, a
Bronze Age whinstone megalith known as The Holestone, and traces of numerous souterrains in the surrounding fields. Couples used to promise marriage by clasping hands through the hole in the stone, a convention that can be traced back to about 1830.
W.G. Wood-Martin, writing in 1902, asserted that it was anciently "connected with aphrodisiac customs". Even today, newlyweds, together with the wedding party, will visit the stone in observance of the ancient local custom.
The remnants of a
Norman
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
motte can be found on the southern outskirts of the village at Lindsays Corner roundabout, overlooking the
Six Mile Water River.
The first
Sunday school
A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West.
Su ...
in
Ireland was alleged to have been held in 1770 in Doagh on the site where the
Methodist church now stands, although there is no firm evidence to support this claim. The Methodist church was established in 1844.
There are a number of buildings of architectural interest either in or proximate to the village. These include Fisherwick Lodge - a hunting lodge built for the Marquess of Donegall (1805), and Holestone House. Examples of industrial architecture include the remaining mill buildings, such as at nearby Cogry.
The nearby cemetery at
Kilbride contains the 19th century Stephenson Mausoleum - a listed building modelled off the Taj Mahal - and numerous gravestones reflecting a history of emigration and war. Also in the cemetery is the headstone of William Gault, a
United Irishman and founder of the aforementioned Sunday school.
Transport
Doagh was formerly the terminus of a branch line of the narrow gauge
Ballymena and Larne Railway
The Ballymena and Larne Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The first part opened in July 1877 and regular passenger services began in August 1878, the first on the Irish gauge railways. Passenger services ende ...
. The line was extended from Ballyclare to Doagh in 1884. Passenger services between Doagh and Ballyclare were withdrawn in 1930, and freight services in 1933.
Sport
*
Parkview Hockey Club
Parkview Hockey Club is a hockey club affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association. It was founded as Fisherwick Hockey Club in 1898, changing its name to Parkview in 1924. It is based in the County Antrim village of Doagh, ne ...
is based in Doagh.
*
F.C. Ballynure
F. C. Ballynure was an intermediate and junior-level football club in Northern Ireland. The club was formed in 2004 and played its home matches at Parkview Hockey Club in Doagh, County Antrim.
The club started off as Ballynure Young Men in ju ...
References
Culture Northern Ireland
{{authority control
Villages in County Antrim