Laurelvale

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Laurelvale
Irish: Tamhnaigh Bhealtaine[1]
County Armagh

Mullavilly parish church
Location
Grid reference: J006478
Location: 54°22’8"N, 6°27’5"W
Data
Population: 1,284  (2001)
Post town: Craigavon
Postcode: BT62
Dialling code: 028
Local Government
Parliamentary
constituency:
Newry & Armagh

Laurelvale is a village in County Armagh. It is beside the smaller village of Mullavilly and the two are sometimes referred to as Laurelvale-Mullavilly[2][3] or Mullavilly-Laurelvale.[4][5] The village is three miles south of Portadown and 1½ miles north-west of Tandragee.[6] It had a population of 1,284 people in the 2011 Census.[7]

Name

Laurelvale is within the townland of Tamnaghvelton. The name was taken from the name of a mansion that was built in the 19th Century. Mullavilly was named after the townland in which it lies. The name comes from the Irish Mullach a' Bhile, meaning "hilltop of the sacred tree".[8][9]

History

Laurelvale was founded in the 1850s by Thomas Sinton JP (1826–1887) to house the workers in his linen mill of Thomas Sinton & Co. Ltd, which was in the village. At its height, Sintons' Mill had over a thousand workers. The mill has since been demolished. The company remained in family ownership until 1945 when it was taken over by the Ministry of Defence and operated by Hoffmans (who made ball bearings for gun turrets). The Sinton family also ran mills and bleach-works in Tandragee, Killyleagh, Tullylish and at Ravarnet outside Hillsborough, County Down. Thomas Sinton also built a large house in the village, Laurelvale House, which, following the Second World War, was the home of Michael Torrens-Spence, Lord Lieutenant of County Armagh. Laurelvale House has since been demolished to make way for housing development.

Churches

  • Mullavilly Parish Church
  • St Mary's Roman Catholic Church (Laurelvale)

Sport

Laurelvale F.C. has a ground in the Laurel Park area of the village. Laurelvale Cricket Club has a clubhouse on Mullavilly Road.

References

Further Reading

  • Mullavilly - Portrait of an Ulster Parish, by Brett Hannam, Lulu, 2010.

Outside links