placenamesBlackhill
An Mullán
An Aghadowey locality with a former glebe house, a history of local schooling and a pottery in reused estate buildings.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- An Mullán · Irish · main form · validated name
- Blackhill · English · main form
Place & story
Blackheath’s architectural history
Blackheath House on Killeague Road was built as Aghadowey’s glebe house in 1791–1794. The Irish Architectural Archive records its association with Sir Henry Hervey Bruce and describes a three-bay front and five-bay rear. Its design has been attributed to Michael Shanahan, although the attribution is qualified. A classical sculpture once displayed over the drawing-room fireplace was later taken to Armagh by Bishop William Alexander. [2]
Schooling around Blackhill
Samuel Lewis’s 1837 account of Aghadowey records a free school at nearby Gorran and a school for girls at Blackheath, supported by the rector’s wife. These were part of a varied local network of charitable and estate-supported schools. Today Gorran Primary School uses a Blackhill address, connecting the settlement’s name with education in the surrounding rural district. [3] [4]
Outbuildings become a pottery
Potter Babs Belshaw returned to her family home at Blackheath and converted disused outbuildings into a studio and shop during the pandemic. Blackheath Pottery launched in November 2020. Her work includes handmade porcelain tableware, with visitors able to observe the wheel through the studio window. The conversion brought a new craft use to buildings that had formerly served the country house. [5]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Blackhill. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Aghadowey glebe house, Blackheath: work 15131 · Irish Architectural Archive, Dictionary of Irish Architects
- Aghadowy or Aghadoey, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837 · Samuel Lewis
- Gorran Primary School, Coleraine · Education Authority Northern Ireland
- The Blackheath Pottery · Visit Causeway Coast and Glens
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2010-04-19. How this page was prepared.