Richhill, County Armagh
Richhill
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| Richhill shown within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 2,821 (2011 Census) |
| Irish grid reference | H941480 |
| • Belfast | 29 mi (47 km) |
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| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | Armagh |
| Postcode district | BT61 |
| Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Richhill is a large village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, roughly halfway between Armagh and Portadown. It had a population of 2,821 people in the 2011 Census.
Originally named Legacorry (from Irish: Log a' Choire), it takes its name from Edward Richardson, who built the manor house that the village grew up around. Richhill has won a string of "Best Kept village" awards.
At the beginning of the 1600s, the area of Richhill had long been part of the Irish Gaelic territory of Oneilland. In 1610, as part of the Plantation of Ulster, the land was granted to Englishman Francis Sacherevall. His granddaughter Ann married Edward Richardson, who was an English officer, Member of Parliament for County Armagh from 1655-96, and High Sheriff of Armagh in 1665.
Around 1660, Richardson built a manor house on the site that would become Richhill, and in 1664 it was reported that there were twenty houses there. At this time, the village was named Legacorry, after the townland in which it sprang up. Legacorry comes from Irish: Log a' Choire, meaning "hollow of the cauldron".
In Thomas Molyneux's Journey to the North (1708), the townland appears as "Legacorry, a pretty village belonging to Mr Richardson". It gradually became known as Richardson's Hill and this was shortened to Rich Hill. The original gates to the manor house were wrought by two brothers named Thornberry from Falmouth, Cornwall and were erected in 1745. In 1936 they were moved to the entrance of Hillsborough Castle.
In 2012, it was announced that work would begin on a £1.5 million regeneration scheme, which will transform the village and involve the restoration of about 20 buildings. The Richhill Partnership began work in 2013 with the concealing of over head wires and cables on streets within the conservation area and building restoration work began in early March.
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Wikipedia