Down the tarry
cas
29
tor bay
n circular road
rd
THE WIMPEY 4
7
5
9
es lak
6
8
t
GH
35
A RO D
10
12
16
27 35
3
21
head of the plain 23
24 T E E STR
30
28
19
t 33
39
hi g hs t
31 up the blough
RO AVENUE
37
AD
rd g ee dr a
D OA ER
ta n
G RID
drIVE
NB
pollo ck
BA
40
gilfo rd ro ad
OLD
AD O R
18
14
un ion
t
DO A RT O P
WN
ds edwar s an slo
ew i v k par
25
20
26
22
THE PARK LAKE
17
st
T 2
rd
11
15
FRANCIS STR EE
kilm or e
ANT ROA RIM D
U LO
13
37
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Paradise The Half-Moon The Honeypot Vatican City Wounded Knee The Stones/The Stonetex The Wimpey The Back of the Wall Barley Field/Frenchy Field Distillery Hill
11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
The Canyon Freecrow Over the Railway The Big Green Chapel The Back Lane Lurgan Castle Belgian Row The Glue Pot The Bowery The Pluck-Ins
21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.
The Hole in the Wall The Brigitt The Head of the Plain/The Heights Minister’s Turn Mickey Dees/Micky D’s The Pound/Head of the Pound River The Big Church The Pillars Down the Tarry/From the Tarry The Swinging Diddy
31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.
Up the Blough/From the Blough Turkington’s Corner Fa Joe’s Honeymoon Cottage The Stinker Counterpunch/Knifepoint Monkey Land The Ink Pot The Marrowbone Wylie's Loanin/Will's Lane:
The map overleaf and key below illustrate the location and meanings of some of the colloquial and slang place names used throughout Lurgan in both the past and present. The majority of the colloquialisms mapped were gathered by members of the Craigavon Historical Society in 2021, through conversations with local people and via online Zoom events. Other names were taken from publications, including most notably Memories of Old Lurgan (published in 1987) by Alfie Tallon. If you can provide further information on these names; or know of any other colloquial and slang place names missing from the map, please let us know by contacting us through our website at: www.craigavonhistoricalsociety.org.uk The map was produced by the Craigavon Historical Society, in partnership with the Lurgan Townscape Heritage Initiative, and was funded through The Community Heritage Fund, which was distributed by The National Lottery Heritage Fund on behalf of the Department for Communities. 1. Paradise: Refers to a marshy area that is home to a variety of wild animal and plant life. It is found near Cuppage’s railway bridge, straddling the townlands of Taghnevan and Silverwood. Paradise has been in use as a name since at the least the 1980s. 2. The Half-Moon: A meeting place in Silverwood, whose name derives from a halfmooned shaped grove of trees found near the site of the now demolished Silverwood House. The half-moon name has been in use since at least the 1960s. 3. The Honeypot: Part of an old coach road, which now runs alongside the railway line, situated near the Silverwood Bridge at Francis Street. The road was a popular ‘lover’s walk’ from at least the 1950s, hence the name ‘The Honeypot’. 4. Vatican City: A tongue-in-cheek expression referring to the Woodville area of Lurgan, which described the aspirational, mostly Catholic population of the housing areas that were erected here from the 1970s onwards. 5. Wounded Knee: A darkly comic reference to the car park outside the Woodville Arms in Lake Street, where punishment attacks were carried out during ‘The Troubles’. 6. The Stones/The Stonetex: ‘The Stones’ referred to a meeting place near Greer’s Estate at Woodville, which took it’s name from a group of stones that acted as bollards. The stones were located near the present day entrance to Allenhill Park. ‘The Stonetex’ was also used to describe the same area, with the name originating from a product manufactured by the South Western Stone Company (N.I.) Ltd., which operated in the area during the 1960s and 1970s. 7. The Wimpey: Refers to housing estates erected in the Lurgantarry area of Lurgan from the 1970s. The name comes from the George Wimpey Company which built the housing estates. 8. The Back of the Wall: Refers to the Kilmore Road and derives from the road’s location to the rear of the Brownlow demesne boundary wall. A universal phrase known throughout Lurgan is “meet you around the back of the wall”. This area was another popular 'lover's walk' in the past. 9. Barley Field/Frenchy Field: A field which was commonly visited by courting couples from at least the 1950s. The 'Frenchy Field' name derives from the slang term ‘French Letter’, which refers to a condom. The Forest Glade housing estate has since been built over the field. 10. Distillery Hill: A name commonly used to refer to Lower North Street due to the presence of the old distillery, now known as Soyes Mill, which is the oldest industrial building in Lurgan, dating back to the 17th century. 11. The Canyon: Refers to an area of ground in North Street in which children played games of ‘Cowboys and Indians’ through the 1940s to 1980s. The area is now occupied by the St. Peters GAA Club. 12. Freecrow: In use since the mid-19th century, the term Freecrow originally referred to the field bounded by Lower North Street, Grattan Street, Kilmaine Street and Brownlow Terrace. The origins of the name are unclear. One suggestion is that Freecrow was a past vernacular term for untitled, unused or grazing land. Another explanation is that the crows were free to fly and feed here, unlike in the Brownlow demesne opposite and the adjacent corn mill where wild bird and game shooting took place regularly. Freecrow continues to be used widely today, although it is sometimes now used to refer to all of North Street.
15. The Back Lane: The name of North Street until c.1860, when the present name was adopted. The term ‘The Back Lane’ derives from the access the street provided to the back of the Brownlow demesne via the west demesne gate lodge, which was located where the current entrance to the St. Peter’s GAA Club is today. Despite the renaming to North Street, ‘The Back Lane’ remains in common usage today. 16. Lurgan Castle: Affectionate name for Brownlow House; the home of the Brownlow family who were the founders and landlords of Lurgan town from 1610 through to the 1890s. Although a castle and bawn was built on this site when the Brownlow’s first arrived in the area, the majority of the impressive building which we see today was constructed in the 1830s as a residence as opposed to a defensive fortification. 17. Belgian Row: A nickname given to the terraces of houses on either side of Wellington Street from No. 30 upwards, which the Lurgan District Council had offered up to house Belgian refugees during the First World War (19141919). The refugees never came, but the name has stuck. 18. The Glue Pot: Comic reference to the Windsor Club; a social club that was founded in 1904 and continues to operate from a clubhouse situated in Windsor Avenue. The name derives from the joke that once you sit down at the bar it is difficult to free yourself from it. 19. The Bowery: A name which was given to Castle Lane by Signalman William (Bill) Kerley; an English soldier stationed in the town during World War 2 (1939-1945); to conjure up the rough living conditions of the lane. In his diary entry of Thursday 29th May 1941 he writes: “Castle road, the Bowery of Lurgan, what an environment to be brought up in. Little kiddies dressed in the most wonderful woollies I have ever seen. The men sit on the pavement and play cards. The women stand around and talk, the girls play ball and the boys do all sorts of things”. 20. The Pluck-Ins: A name given to a now demolished terrace of housing, which was once located behind William Street. The meaning of the name is unclear, but it may be a term related to handkerchief manufacture undertaken by outworkers in their houses in the late 1800s/early 1900s. Campbell’s pharmacy (formerly Danny McKavanagh’s pharmacy) occupies the site of the Pluck-Ins today. 21. The Hole in the Wall: Referred to a gap in the now demolished boundary wall at Wesley Place, which provided access to the field at the rear of the Lurgan Technical College (now the Oznam Centre) of William Street. 22. The Brigitt: A name given to a row of terraced housing, which was built in the late 1800s and comprised Shankill Street Place. The origin of the name is not conclusively known. One possibility is that the name relates to the Celtic Irish river deity Brigit/Brigid/Brig (sometimes also identified with the Christian Saint Brigid), with the Brigitt perhaps being the ancient name for the Pound River which streamed behind the terrace. Another suggestion is that the term derives from ‘brig’, the Scots word for ‘bridge’, indicating a crossing point. ‘The Brigitt’ was demolished in the 1970s, with the Thornleigh housing estate built over it. 23. The Head of the Plain/The Heights: Previously the name for the Francis Street area of Lurgan, which referred to the high point of a plain of undeveloped land. The street running through the area was named Francis Street in c.1860s, but the area is still commonly referred to today as ‘the head of the plain’. 24. Minister’s Turn: A nickname for the Old Portadown Road, dating back to the 1870s when a Presbyterian manse was erected at the bend in the road. Although the manse is now in private ownership, the ‘Minister’s Turn’ has endured as a local name for the street.
13. Over the Railway: An old expression recorded by Alfie Tallon which was used to refer to the area of Lurgan that lay beyond the railway towards the Lough Road.
25. Mickey Dees/Micky D’s: Popular nickname for the McDonald’s fast food restaurant on Edward Street, which has been serving ‘Big Macs’ to the people of Lurgan for over 20 years.
14. The Big Green Chapel: An affectionate name given to the Irish National Forester’s (INF) social club premises on North Street. Although home to the Lurgan branch of the INF since 1930, the building was only painted green in the 1990s. This, combined with its proximity to St. Peter’s Parish Church, led to the creation of this tongue-in-cheek name.
26. The Pound/Head of the Pound River: Old colloquial term recorded by Alfie Tallon for the Edward Street area of Lurgan, under which the Pound River flows. The old animal/cattle pound of Lurgan was also located in the area, standing either where Mount Zion House or the Manor Court are now. 27. The Big Church: The common local name used for Shankill Parish Church, which stands at the head of the town in Church Place. The church, first built in 1725, was substantially reconstructed and expanded in the 1860s, which resulted in it becoming one of the largest parish churches in Ireland.
28. The Pillars: The name given to the colourful slimline brick building at number 48 Church Place, which housed the town's first cinema; known as the 'Hippodrome' or 'Grand'; which operated from 1914 through to the 1930s. 29. Down the Tarry/From the Tarry: An expression which relates to going down towards the northern end of the town that takes its name from Tarry Lane located in the townland of Lurgantarry. Also an old way of saying what end of the town you are from. 30. The Swinging Diddy: A coarse slang name for the Terence McKeown & Sons public house, which was situated at the top of Castle Lane during the 1950s and 1960s. The name was a reference to the lascivious conduct of some of the clientele. 31. Up the Blough/From the Blough: An expression which relates to going ‘up the town’ to the Queen Street/Flush Place south end of the town located in the townland of Ballyblagh. Also an old way of saying what end of the town you are from. “Blough” is the Lurgan pronunciation of “blagh”. 32. Turkington’s Corner: A name given to the corner formed by the junction of Queen Street and Flush Place, where Wesley Turkington had a car showroom from the 1950s through to 1998. 33. Fa Joe’s: The name by which The Central Bar located at the corner of Carnegie Street and Market Street is best known by. The origins of the nickname are unclear, but it has been in use since at least the 1950s. 34. Honeymoon Cottage: Situated at 94 Hill Street, this is reputedly the smallest house in Lurgan with one room downstairs and one bedroom upstairs. Its name derives from its use in the early 1900s as a honeymoon residence to which the newly-wed employees of the cottage’s owners where offered a stay. 35. The Stinker: A descriptive reference used during the 1960s to 1980s to refer to the state of the polluted Pound River in the Shankill and Silverwood areas of Lurgan. The term has also been used to describe the Woodville River flowing through Lord Lurgan Memorial Park. 36. Counterpunch/Knifepoint: Darkly comic slang name for Centrepoint, a cinema and bowling alley complex on the Portadown Road, which derived the name from the frequency of fights that occurred outside the venue. The complex first opened in 1989, and although the cinema closed in 2005, the bowling alley still operates. 37. Monkey Land: Playful name given to at least two different areas in Lurgan. Firstly it was used from at least the 1960s to refer to an area of overgrown wasteland to the rear of Trasna Way and Connolly Place, which extended up towards where the Millennium Way is now. The name ‘Monkey Land’ may relate to the nickname of a former occupant of the area known as ‘Monkey Gates’; or perhaps the name simply comes from the many happy hours the youth of Lurgan spent swinging from the trees that once stood here. ‘Monkey Land’ was also the slang name given for a hedgerow of sapling trees, roughly located where the present day ‘The Hollows’ housing development is. Climbing the sapling trees and bending them over to the ground was a favourite pastime of Mourneview youth… so long as they didn’t break. 38. The Ink Pot: An old name, in use since at least the early 1900s, given to an area located to the back of Bullay’s Hill on the Annesborough Road, where the housing development of Hunter’s Lodge has recently been built. The name origin is unclear, but it may have related to the shape of the road which resembled an ink pot in the past. 39. The Marrowbone: Colloquial name for the area sandwiched between Sloan Street (formerly known as John Street) and Hill Street, which encompasses Anne Street, George Street, Mark Street, James Street and New Street. The origin of the term is unclear, but it may indicate the historic presence of an abattoir or butchery; or perhaps it relates to the general shape of the area. 40. Wylie's Loanin/Will's Lane: A lane that led to fields and private dwellings, and a popular ‘lover’s walk’ up until the mid-1960s, when the area was transformed during the development of the ‘new city’ of Craigavon.