- Moneyslane
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Coordinates: 54°17′17″N 6°05′17″W / 54.288°N 6.088°W Moneyslane (from Irish: Muine Sleanna, meaning "thicket of flat-stones")[1] is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the main route from Castlewellan to Banbridge. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 147. It lies within the District of Banbridge.
Contents
History
In the 1659 Census this townland was called Nunis Lane and there were 16 families living there. By 1841 there were 138 families with 356 males and 356 females, 10% of whom were receiving Famine relief.
A corn mill was built in 1831, held by James McBride from General Meade. Water supplied by a small stream was not in sufficient quantity, so that the mill worked only five months on average. The water wheel was 18 feet in diameter, breadth 3 feet, diameter of the cog wheel was 8 feet; it was double geared with wood and metal machinery.
The flax mill was next to the corn mill and worked by the same water wheel. It was the property of James McBride. It was first built in 1800 and completely repaired in 1834, but only worked four months of the year. The diameter of the cog wheel was 8 feet. It was double geared with metal machinery.
Places of interest
Moneyslane features a pair of standing stones, which appear to be a male and female pair. The taller of the two stones is just under 2 metres tall and the other is around 1.8 metres tall. The axis of the pair is roughly north-south.
People
- Rhyming Weaver, Hugh Porter, was from Moneyslane. He was known as "The Bard of Moneyslane". A volume of his work was published by Preani Press in 1992 ISBN_0_948868
- Rev James Macauley, a minister of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, was born in Moneyslane in 1821. His family had come to the area from Scotland about 1621. It was said that this family furnished more ministers to the Presbyterian Church on both sides of the Atlantic than any other family or district in Ulster. He features in Irish Worthies, a volume of biographical sketches of ministers and members of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. ISBN_1_899003 Originally published in 1875, republished in 2000 by Tentmaker Publications, Stoke-on-Trent.
Football
Moneyslane Football Club has been competing in Division One of the Newcastle league for over 20 years. Highest achievement was winning the Division One title in 2002/2003 season. However, they were not promoted due to a reshuffle of the organisation of the league. The first team now play in the Mid Ulster League, Division 2, the Seconds team play in the Mid Ulster League, Reserve Division 3 and the Third Team play in the Newcastle League Reserve 3. Home games are played at Rathfriland High School. The Club has a First Team, Second Team, Third Team, Ladies Team and various underage teams.
Moneyslane Free Presbyterian Church
Moneyslane Free Presbyterian Church commenced on the first Sunday of October 1966. It met first in Moneyslane Orange Hall, before a new Church building was erected nearby. The site for the new Church was given by the McElroy family. The first minister of the congregation was Rev John Douglas. On his removal to Lisburn Free Presbyterian Church he was succeeded by Rev Michael Patrick, who later took up ministry in Australia. Rev Ron Johnstone ministered in Moneyslane until his removal to Armagh. Rev William McDermott was installed as minister in September 1998.
References
- NI Neighbourhood Information System
- Megalithomania - Moneyslane
- Culture Northern Ireland
- Ros Davis Research Web site
External links
Categories:- Villages in County Down
- Townlands in County Down
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