Magheralin is a village and civil parish in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A3 road between Moira and Lurgan, beside the River Lagan. It had a population of 2,041 people in the 2021 census. The civil parish of Magheralin covers an area of County Down. Its original name was Lann Rónáin Fhinn, "church of Ronan Finn", a saint from the medieval Irish tale Buile Shuibhne (The Madness of Sweeney).

Culture

Religion

Magheralin has two churches: one Protestant and one Catholic. The Protestant parish has a second church building in Dollingstown. Magheralin's Catholic parish also has two churches: St. Patrick's & St. Ronan's and St. Colman's in Kilwarlin.

The Ducks of Magheralin

There is an old song called "The Ducks of Magheralin". The Ducks of Magheralin is an Irish Polka, with its namesake representing the 'ducks of Magheralin', who were the weavers of the town because they used duck grease to lubricate their looms. In the preface to a well-known version by the Glenfolk Four, the singers insist that the intent of the song is to address the "myth" that the capital of Ireland is Dublin. The first verse is as follows:

Education

Magheralin has two primary schools: Maralin Village Primary School and St. Patrick's Primary School.

The Troubles

During the period of The Troubles (1960s–1998), a number of incidents occurred in the area. On 18 October 1989, Robert Metcalfe, a 40-year-old Protestant civilian, was shot and killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army while at his home in Drumnabreeze Road, Magheralin. And, in January 1991, Jervis Lynch, a 26-year-old Catholic civilian, was shot and killed by the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) while at his home in Acres Road, Magheralin.

Sports

St. Michael's GAC is a Gaelic football club with its playing field in Magheralin. Magheralin also has a football club, Magheralin Village F.C. Daniel Wiffen, an Irish professional swimmer from Magheralin, broke the 800m freestyle short-course world record on 10th December 2023 in Romania, becoming the first Irish swimmer to break a swimming world record. Representing Ireland, he won the gold medal in the 800m Freestyle final in the Paris Olympics on 30 July 2024, setting a new Olympic record.

2021 census

Magheralin is classified as a village by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e with a population between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On census day (21 March 2021) there were 2,041 people living in Magheralin. Of these:

Notable people