Visit Lurgan Places

Welcome to Visit Lurgan Places
The Walkfo guide to things to do & explore in Lurgan

  

Lurgan Places Overview: History, Culture & Facts about Lurgan

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Lurgan history

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The name Lurgan is an anglicisation of the Irish name An Lorgain. This literally means “the shin”, but in placenames means a shin-shaped hill or ridge. The town was established by the Brownlow family during the Plantation of Ulster in 1610.

The Great Famine

A workhouse was built in Lurgan and opened in 1841 under the stipulations of the Poor Law which stated that each Poor Law Union would build a workhouse to give relief to the increasing numbers of destitute poor. In 1821 the population of Lurgan was 2,715, this increased to 4,677 by 1841. The large numbers of poor workers migrating to the town inevitably resulted in over-crowding.

New city

Lurgan was designated as a new town in 1965, intended to be a linear city incorporating the neighbouring towns of Lurgan and Portadown. The town grew steadily over the centuries as an industrial market town. Today, ‘Craigavon’ locally refers to the rump of the residential area between the two towns.

The Troubles

Lurgan and the associated towns of Portadown and Craigavon made up part of what was known as the “murder triangle”; an area known for a significant number of incidents and fatalities during The Troubles. The town was one of the few areas in Northern Ireland where so-called dissident republicans have a significant level of support.

Lurgan landmarks

Lurgan town centre is distinctive for its wide main street, Market Street, one of the widest in Ireland. It is dominated at one end by Shankill (Anglican) Church in Church Place. The town’s straight planned streets are a common feature in many Plantation towns.

Religious sites

Shankill Parish Church in Church Place and St Peter’s Church in North Street are the two most prominent modern places of worship. The original church was established at Oxford Island on the shore of Lough Neagh in 1411, but a new church was built in Lurgan on the site of what is now Shankill Cemetery in 1609. The Lurgan Museum houses one of the largest collections of items relating to Irish History in Northern Ireland.

Lurgan geography / climate

Lurgan sits in a relatively flat part of Ireland by the south east shore of Lough Neagh. The earliest human settlements in the area were to the northwest of the present day town near the shore of the lough. The oldest part of the town, the main street, is built on a long ridge in the townland (baile fearainn) of Lurgan.

Townlands

Lurgan area has long been divided into townlands, whose names mostly come from the Irish language. Lurgan sprang up in the townland of the same name and has given its names to many roads and housing estates.

Climate

Lurgan has a temperate climate in common with inland areas in Ireland. Summer temperatures can reach the 20s °C and it is rare for them to go higher than 30 °C (86 °F)

You can visit Lurgan places with Walkfo Lurgan to hear history at Lurgan’s places whilst walking around using the free digital tour app. Walkfo Lurgan has 10 places to visit in our interactive Lurgan map, with amazing history, culture & travel facts you can explore the same way you would at a museum or art gallery with information audio headset. With Walkfo, you can travel by foot, bike or bus throughout Lurgan, being in the moment, without digital distraction or limits to a specific walking route. Our historic audio walks, National Trust interactive audio experiences, digital tour guides for English Heritage locations are available at Lurgan places, with a AI tour guide to help you get the best from a visit to Lurgan & the surrounding areas.

“Curated content for millions of locations across the UK, with 10 audio facts unique to Lurgan places in an interactive Lurgan map you can explore.”

Walkfo: Visit Lurgan Places Map
10 tourist, history, culture & geography spots

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Lurgan historic spots	Lurgan tourist destinations	Lurgan plaques	Lurgan geographic features
Walkfo Lurgan tourism map key: places to see & visit like National Trust sites, Blue Plaques, English Heritage locations & top tourist destinations in Lurgan

  

Best Lurgan places to visit

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Lurgan has places to explore by foot, bike or bus. Below are a selection of the varied Lurgan’s destinations you can visit with additional content available at the Walkfo Lurgan’s information audio spots:

A3 road (Northern Ireland) The A3 is a major road in Northern Ireland. It travels through County Antrim, County Down, County Armagh and parts of southern County Fermanagh. It is also the designated road number for the sections of the Irish N54 secondary route.

Oxford Island Oxford Island is a National Nature Reserve and public recreation site on the southern shores of Lough Neagh at Lurgan, County Armagh. Site covers 282 acres (113 hectares) and is owned and maintained by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

Visit Lurgan plaques