MAGHERALIN OLD CHURCH

 

Though some of the townlands of the parish of Magheralin are in the Barony of Oneiland County Armagh, the majority are in County Down in the Barony of Iveagh.

The establishment of a church in Magheralin was highlighted in the cursing of the pagan chieftain Sweeney by St Ronan just before the Battle of Moira in 637 AD. This 12th century tale ‘Buile Sweeney’, was translated by Seamus Heaney as ‘Sweeney Astray’.

The Church is mentioned regularly after 800 AD and also in the Taxation of Pope Nicholas of 1306 although today there are no traces of this church.

In 1400 a new church was built incorporating parts of the previous church. In 1422 a stone tower was added but by 1657 the church was described as being in ruin. However it was soon rebuilt along with the existing tower. The practice of burying the dead inside the church was stopped in 1773 but the damage to the structure had already been done. In 1839 a decision to build a new church on the other side of the road was taken and in October 1844 the current construction was completed although repaired and expanded upon since.