Coagh


Coagh is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, five miles east of Cookstown. Part of the village also extends into County Londonderry. It had a population of 545 people in the 2001 Census. It owes its existence to George Butle Conyngham of Springhill, and was founded in 1728 when King George II of Great Britain granted Conyngham a market charter allowing the village to host four fairs yearly. It is situated within Mid-Ulster District.
The village nestles among gentle, low-lying land between the Sperrins and Lough Neagh. The main feature of the village is Hanover Square, which was named after the reigning Hanoverian George II by Conyngham. The village has been an ancient settlement for several thousand years; overlooking Coagh is Tamlaght Stone, a Mesolithic dolmen erected c. 4500 BCE.

History

The Troubles

See The Troubles in Coagh, which includes a list of incidents in Coagh during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities. On 3 June 1991, Provisional IRA members Lawrence McNally, Peter Ryan and Tony Doris were killed in an ambush by an SAS unit. The British Army stated that the PIRA members had been intercepted on their way to an attack. Over 200 rounds were fired at the car.

Education

Coagh has its own primary school, Coagh Primary School, a feeder school for many local schools including Cookstown High School.

Sport

Coagh has a surgery which serves local areas, such as Ardboe, Ballinderry, Moortown, Drummullan, The Loup and Moneymore.

Demography

19th century population

The population of the village increased slightly overall during the 19th century:
Year184118511861187118811891
Population388385403526400394
Houses9082861159396

21st century population

Coagh is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency . On Census day there were 545 people living in Coagh. Of these:
For more details see:

Coagh Townland

The townland is situated in the historic barony of Dungannon Upper and the civil parish of Tamlaght and covers an area of 616 acres.
The population of the townland declined during the 19th century:
Year184118511861187118811891
Population207160136160115100
Houses373229322822

In 1891, the town of Coagh, standing in the townlands of Coagh and Urbal, covered an estimated area of 13 acres.

Notable people