Trillick

Trillick Irish:Trileac
St Macartan's Roman Catholic church, Trillick
Trillick Location withinNorthern Ireland
Population	996(UK 2011 Census)
District	Omagh
County	County Tyrone
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	OMAGH
Postcode district	BT78
Dialling code	028
UK Parliament	West Tyrone
NI Assembly	West Tyrone

Trillick(fromIrishTrileac,meaning 'three flagstones')is a smallvillageinCounty Tyrone,Northern Ireland.It had a population of 2,439 people in the2011 Census.Trillick is in the Civil Parish of Kilskeery, Barony of Omagh East. It is located within theDiocese of Clogher(both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland).

History

Early history

TrillickTrí Leac(inIrish) “three stones”, is another term for a chambered tomb. The village is named from a ruined example beside Trillick Castle. The name is referred to in early records as Trelic and Trelic Mor, taking that name from the three pillars or standing stones located at what was the original Trelic and now generally referred to as the Old Castle. After 4,000 years, the three pillar stones and a stone doorway facing the rising sun, can be seen. It is believed to be a settlement of theBeaker people,who came from theNetherlandsto Britain and then toUlsteraround 2,000 B.C. They were skilled in making decorative gold, copper and metal objects and the gold lunula preserved in theNational Museum of Irelandin Dublin is proof of their presence and activities here.

The name of Trillick has been preserved through 4,000 years of history. Records show that the Celts had a major base here and, on being converted to Christianity, had established an Abbey at Trelic Mor by 613 A.D. Various records refer to St. Mobec of Trelic, whose commemoration or feast day is on 29 May. TheAnnals of the Four Mastersrecord the death of Cinead Ó Ceallaigh, Bishop of Trelic, in 813 A.D. The O'Neill clan had a strong fort here, with their soldiers based at nearby Dernagilly. They fought the famous battle of Dreigh Hill in 1379 against the Maguires and won a victory which settled the Tyrone/Fermanagh county boundary here. The Annals record the death in 1526 of Henry O'Neill, Lord of the Braghaid, the name given to the territory ruled by the O'Neills from Old Trielic. Henry was a grandson ofShane O'Neill( "Shane the Proud" ), and his own grandson, Con (died 1723), has a headstone in the old Kilskeery graveyard. The Civil Survey of 1654 says that the remains of a village, church, burial ground and mill could still be seen at Old Trelic but, by then, the new town of Trillick had been built.

After theFlight of the EarlsfromLough Swillyon 4 September 1607, and the division of their escheated lands, the O’Neill territory here was given the description of the Manor of Stowy and allotted to Sir Mervyn Tuchet in 1611 during thePlantation of Ulster.He passed them on to his cousin, Sir Henry Mervyn ofHampshire,who in turn passed them on to his son, Captain James Mervyn. He arrived here around 1620, began building a castle which was completed in 1628 and the new town of Trillick was completed in the 1630s. The castle was described as one of the best of its kind and was occupied up until the 19th century, being vacant in 1814. It had then passed to General Mervyn Archdale, who built the hunting lodge at Glengeen. The Mervyns were noted parliamentarians, holding the Tyrone seat in Parliament from 1639 to 1747 and CaptainAudley Mervynbeing Speaker of theIrish Parliamentfrom 1661 to 1666.

Main Street, Trillick (July 1972)

The new town lost no time in writing its name into history. Being on the direct route from Dublin to Derry and within striking distance of the strong Enniskilling base at Enniskillen, Trillick became an important post during the Jacobite wars. From 1629, the planters were being trained in the use of firearms by Charles Bastard of Drumdran, while the natives, including members of the O'Neill clan on the run, were being trained by agents ofPhelim O'Neillof Caledon. In 1641 O'Neill had garrisons at Golan and Liffer, while the planters had garrisons at Castle and Corkhill. Both sides had victories over the other here in 1641 and both sides were strengthened in 1642, when General Munroe arrived to bolster the royalist forces andOwen Roe O'Neillcame to lead the Irish insurrection. In 1689 the Jacobite garrison here was for a time under the command of King James' son, the Duke of Berwick. After lifting the siege of Derry, King William's army billeted at Trillick on its way back toEnniskillenin August 1689.

20th century

On 21–22 March 1922, during theIrish War of Independence,Irish Republican Armymembers shot dead twoRoyal Irish Constabularyofficers in the Trillick area. In reprisal, local loyalists shot dead three Catholic civilians in the area.

Buildings of note

• Trillick Market House,built c. 1820, is in use as aMasonic Hall.

Notable natives

See also:Category:People from Trillick

• Sir Audley Mervynof Trillick - Speaker of theIrish Parliament.