Maghera (St Luraich), Church of Ireland Churchyard
Maghera, St Luraich, Church of Ireland
The town of Maghera is located at the foot of the Sperrin Mountains just north of the main Londonderry to Belfast road. The area has been religiously significant since early Celtic times and was the seat of Bishops from 1150 to 1280 before it was transferred to Londonderry. There is an old church in the town itself that could date back to as early as the 8th century. This church was burnt during the Irish rebellion of 1641[1] and later repaired.
Maghera, St Luraich Church was built during 1819 across the road from the old, ruined church. The outer porch was added in 1975. There is 1 Commonwealth burial of the 1939-1945 war here.
[1] Irish rebellion of 1641 began during the 23rd of October of that year in the Province of Ulster. A bloody affair that saw the local Catholic Irish rise against the Protestant settlers from England and Scotland during the Plantation of Ulster, killing around a quarter of the settlers in unstoppable massacres. The rebellion came to its end 8 years later when Oliver Cromwell’s armies landed and defeated and equally massacred the local Irish Catholics.
