Darkley
| Darkley | |
| County Armagh | |
|---|---|
 Main Street, Darkley | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | H861312 |
| Location: | 54°13’20"N, 6°40’46"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 224 |
| Post town: | Armagh |
| Postcode: | BT60 |
| Dialling code: | 028 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Newry and Armagh |
Darkley is a small village and townland near Keady in County Armagh. It had a population of 224 people (in 80 households) at the 2011 Census.
The name of the place, notwithstanding its apparently English form, is from the Irish Dearclaigh, meaning 'Place of caves or hollows'.[1]
History
Darkley is first mentioned on the Maps of the Escheated Counties (1609) which were drawn up at the beginning of the Plantation of Ulster. It was part of an ancient precinct called Toaghy (Tuath Uí Eachaidh), a narrow strip of land that stretched from Darkley to Killyleagh.
The first school in Darkley was built in 1856 by William Kirk M.P. and opened its doors in 1857. The first principal was Master James Young, who had previously taught at Berry Street National School in Belfast. In 1932, a piece of land was donated by Mr. James E. Calvert for the purpose of building a new school. The other school had fallen into disrepair and had been condemned. On 30 May 1932, the new school opened in Moss Row.
Sport
- Gaelic games: Phelim Brady's