Maghera is a town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its population was 2,876 in 1991 and had risen to 3,711 in the 2001 Census. It is situated within Mid-Ulster District, as well as the civil parish of Maghera, which it was named after, and the former barony of Loughinsholin.HistoryThe Annals of Ulster say that the seat of the Cenél nEoghain was at Ráth Luraig in Maghera.On 12 July 1830, Orange Order marches led to clashes between Orangemen and Ribbonmen in Maghera and Castledawson. Several Catholic homes were then burnt by Protestants following these clashes.The TroublesMaghera suffered significant violence during the Troubles. In total, 14 people were killed, half of them members of the security forces and a further two as a result of family membership of the Ulster Defence Regiment. The Provisional Irish Republican Army were responsible for ten of the deaths.DemographyMaghera is classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 3,711 people living in Maghera. Of these: 28.6% were aged under 16 years and 13.3% were aged 60 and over49.3% of the population were male and 50.7% were female72.4% were from a Catholic background and 27.1% were from a Protestant background3.9% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed. For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
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