Culnady

Culnady (named after the townland of Culnady) is a small village near Maghera in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 144 people. It lies within the Magherafelt District Council area.

History

• Dunglady fort - an ancient fort, or homestead, is located less than a mile from the village of Culnady. Commonly dated from around 100 CE, though sometimes from as early as 2000 BCE, the fort was built by the Celtic Kings, and is the earliest known instance of resistancy in the Culnady area
• The fort was occupied by tribes during the earliest periods of Irish history, until the arrival of the plantations (c.17th century) in Ireland, at which time settlers began to live in the low lying areas surrounding the Clady river, using it for farming, and thus the village of Culnady was born.

Demography

Culnady lies within

• Upperlands census ward
• Magherafelt Local Government District
• Mid Ulster Parliamentary Constituency
• Northern Health and Social Care Trust
• North Eastern Education and Library Board.

In the 2005 Urban Rural Classification, it was classified as a rural ward. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 144 people.

Notable landmarks

• Culnady Presbyterian Church - The earliest records of the church date from 1801, but it is believed to have been in existence long before this. The church is part of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, and is paired with the presbyterian Church in Swatragh. As of 2010, the Church has roughly 120 attending families.
• Culnady Primary School - The school dates from the late 1800s and as of the academic year 2009-10 has around 60 pupils.
• Culnady Orange Hall - The lodge dates back to 1870, and in 1906 an agreement was drawn up between the members of the lodge and Daniel McAlery, who owned the ground where the present lodge now stands. The lodge is part of the Orange Order and is one of the largest lodges in the surrounding district.
• The village store – Originally established in 1956 by John A. McGuiness, the shop is newly refurbished and serves the village as the village store.

People

• Wendy Houvenaghel - British Olympic and world championship cyclist. Grew up on the Culnady Road, Upperlands- less than 2 miles from the centre of the village, and attended Culnady Girls' Brigade, an organisation run by the Church.
• Sir James Murray - inventor of Milk of Magnesia, was born in Culnady in 1788. He died in Dublin in 1871.^[1]

See also

• List of villages in Northern Ireland
• List of towns in Northern Ireland

References

• NI Neighbourhood Information System

1. http://www.ulsterhistory.co.uk/jamesmurray.htm Sir James Murray

Coordinates: 54°51′54″N 6°37′18″W / 54.86500°N 6.62167°W