Augher
Augher (from meaning "edge/border") is a small village in south County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies just 6 miles to the County Monaghan Border and is 16 miles south of Dungannon. It is situated in the historic barony of Clogher and the civil parish of Clogher. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 399. The town gives its name to the local Gaelic Football Club. Augher was also a victim to several bombings throughout the 1980s and 1990s with 7 bombings in the town, from both the IRA and the UVF. The most recent of these bombings was  by the IRA in 1992 against Clogher valley creamery, a dominantly Protestant creamery. Saint Brigid's Primary School. In 1966, Saint Brigid's Primary School was set up by the local Catholic parish in liaison with Tyrone County Council which gave the parish permission to open the new school along with funding. Upon establishment, Saint Brigid's quickly enrolled over 50 pupils initially, with children attending Augher primary school transferred to the new school. The school thrived throughout the 20th century with enrolment hitting 90 pupils in 1989 making the school over-subscribed for that year. In 2017, a proposal  from the Department of Education to close Saint Brigid's due to a huge drop in the number of pupils attending the school was activated. In 1999, there were 83 pupils enrolled, compared to 53 pupils in 2009. This dropped further to just under 30 children attending the school in 2015 with the student count dropping further to just 17 pupils in 2017. The headmistress of the school, Josephine Mulligan, described it as "saddening and disgraceful" that 5 days before the summer break she was told that the school would not be opening its doors to any pupils for the  academic year of 2018. Saint Brigid's school officially closed on the 31st of August 2017 with the building remaining vacant to date. Historical. By the time of the Nine Years' War Augher was important enough to be used as a garrison town by the forces of Lord Mountjoy, Elizabeth I's Lord Deputy of Ireland, to disrupt the army of the Earl of Tyrone. In 1613, after the war and as part of the Plantation of Ulster an area of 315 acres (127.5 ha) around Augher was given to Sir Thomas Ridgway who had been the Treasurer at War  for Ireland. The land grant was strict about what the Undertaker i.e. Ridgway, could do with the land in terms of who had to be settled there and what provisions had to be given to the settlers. Ridgway was successful in developing the town that within two years it awarded a borough charter by James I. By 1630 the ownership of Augher had passed to Sir James Erskine and during the Irish Rebellion of 1641 the castle was successfully defended against rebel attack. In retaliation the rebels massacred all the English inhabitants in the area. On the death of Sir  James Erskine, Augher Castle and the estate passed into the ownership of the Richardson family who retained the estate well into the 19th century. The castle itself burnt down in 1689 but was restored and extended in 1832. Spur Royal Castle stands to this day. Under the borough charter, Augher returned two members of parliament to the Irish Parliament, a practice that continued until the abolition of the parliament in 1801. The borough was by the time of the abolition of parliament owned by John Hamilton, 1st Marquess of Abercorn and when the parliament was abolished he received £15,000  compensation for the loss of the electoral rights of Augher and Strabane – the other borough he owned. Also abolished at the same time was the civil court established under the charter. Transport. Augher Railway Station was opened on 2 May 1887 by the Clogher Valley Railway and was closed on 1 January 1942. The original station building became a coffee shop known as Rosamunde's. After a period of being closed, the now Augher Station House Cafe came under new ownership, was refurbished and reopened once more. schools in the area. Schools in the area include; -Saint Brigid's primary  school -Augher central primary school -Saint Macartans convent school -Saint Patricks primary school Aughadarragh -St Ciarans College Ballygawley -Monaghan Collegiate School Sport. Augher St. Macartan's GAC is the local Gaelic Athletic Association club. Augher Stars is a local association football club.