Craigavon

Sister cities

• Ballina

History

Craigavon was planned as a 'new city' for Northern Ireland that would mirror towns such as Cumbernauld and, later, Milton Keynes in Great Britain. It was conceived as a linear city that would link the towns of Lurgan and Portadown to create a single urban area and identity. The argument for a new town was based on projections indicating population increases over the following decades that would require large-scale house building. Similar projects successfully attracting economic growth had been successfully completed in Great Britain, so it was in some ways a symbol of Northern Ireland as both modern and a part of the British mainstream. The Craigavon Development Commission was appointed in October 1965 to develop the 'new city'. About 6,000 acres of land between Lurgan and Portadown was vested from farmers at £6 an acre. Several reasons have been suggested for the suitability of the site including the existing population centres, industrial base, nearness to Belfast and the belief that Craigavon would help spread development away from Belfast. It was hoped that residents of Belfast would be attracted by the suburban nature of Craigavon's design and that business would see it as an interesting alternative. Cash incentives were offered to some families moving to Craigavon. The design of Craigavon was based on Modernism and imbued with the spirit of the age. The plan separated motor vehicles from pedestrians and cyclists wherever possible, creating a network of paths allowing residents to travel across Craigavon without encountering traffic. The road network for motor vehicles used roundabouts instead of traffic lights at junctions, giving the planners the ability to easily increase the number of lanes if it became necessary. Electricity and other cables were placed…

Geography

Craigavon lies on an area of flat land near the southeastern shore of Lough Neagh. The surrounding settlements (listed clockwise) are Aghacommon (north), Lurgan (northeast), Corcreeny (east), Bleary (southeast) and Portadown (southwest). It is separated from these surrounding settlements mostly by fields. Craigavon is built beside two artificial lakes called Craigavon Lakes. The Portadown–Lurgan railway line runs between the two lakes, and further north is the M1 motorway, which runs parallel with the railway line. Much of Craigavon is within the civil parish of Seagoe. The following is a list of townlands within Craigavon's urban area (excluding Lurgan, Portadown and Bleary), along with their likely etymologies: * Balteagh () * Clanrolla (from Cluain Drola meaning "meadow of the shaft") * Crossmacahilly (from Cros Mhic Eachmhilidh meaning "McAughley's crossroads") * Drumgask (from Druim gCásca meaning "Easter ridge") * Drumgor (from Druim gCorr meaning "ridge of the herons") * Drumnagoon (from Dromainn Uí Dhubháin meaning "O'Doone's ridge") * Knockmenagh (from An Cnoc Meánach meaning "the middle hill") * Legaghory or Legahory (from Log a' Choire meaning "hollow of the cauldron") * Monbrief (historically also Moybreefe, perhaps from Má Bhreagh meaning "plain of the rising ground" or Má Bhréach, "plain of wolves") * Moyraverty or Moyraferty (from Maigh Raifeartaigh meaning "Raifeartach's plain") * Tamnafiglassan (from Tamhnach an Ghlasáin meaning "grassy field of the finch") * Tannaghmore West (from Tamhnach Mór meaning "big grassy field") * Tullygally (from Tulaigh Geala meaning "white hills")