Doagh ( ; ) is a
village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...
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 orig ...
in
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
,
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 is in the
Six Mile Water
The Six Mile Water is a river in southern County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is an indirect tributary of the River Bann, via Lough Neagh.
Name
The river was historically called the ''(river) Ollar'' and is known in Irish as ''Abhainn na bhFiodh ...
Valley, about two miles south-west of
Ballyclare
Ballyclare () is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,953 according to the 2011 census, and is located within the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area.
It sits on the river Six Mile Water. The town ...
, 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
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
whinstone
Whinstone is a term used in the quarrying industry to describe any hard dark-coloured rock. Examples include the igneous rocks, basalt and dolerite, as well as the sedimentary rock, chert.
Etymology
The Northern English/Scots term ''whin'' is f ...
megalith
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
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
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy to ...
can be found on the southern outskirts of the village at Lindsays Corner roundabout, overlooking the
Six Mile Water River.
The first
Sunday school in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
was alleged to have been held in 1770 in Doagh on the site where the
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
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
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 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
References
Culture Northern Ireland
{{authority control
Villages in County Antrim