Forkill
| Forkill/Forkhill Irish: Foirceal | |
| County Armagh | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | J013158 |
| Location: | 54°4’60"N, 6°27’0"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 498 (2011) |
| Post town: | Newry |
| Postcode: | BT35 |
| Local Government | |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
Newry and Armagh |
Forkill or Forkhill is a small village and parish in southern County Armagh. It is within the Ring of Gullion and in the 2011 Census it had a recorded population of 498.[1]
The name is pronounced either 'fork-hil' or 'for-kil' and comes from the Irish foirceal, meaning "trough" or "hollow".[2][3] This may refer to the village's position on flat land between the large hills of Tievecrom (to the east) and Croslieve (to the west).
History
Development
A £550,000 community project comprising retail/office units and a light industrial unit was developed by Forkhill and District Development Association and funded by the Community Regeneration and Improvement Special Programme](CRISP). It opened in May 2004. With the British Army's demilitarization of South Armagh, the site of the old barracks is earmarked for future developments.
Sport
Forkhill is the home of Forkhill Peadar Ó Doirnín GAC, which is one of the oldest clubs in Armagh GAA, having been founded in 1888. It currently plays Gaelic football at Senior level. Its name commemorates the 18th-century poet Peadar Ó Doirnín.
References
- ↑ See Census 2011 - Headcount and Household Estimates for Settlements published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, available at http://www.nisra.gov.uk/census/2011/results/settlements.html
- ↑ Placenames Database of Ireland: Forkill
- ↑ Newry & Mourne Council Area, Northern Ireland Place-name Project
