Magherafelt

Magherafelt was a town and former district in central Northern Ireland, within the historic county of Londonderry. It served as a marketing center and was originally an English-company town established during the Plantation of Ulster. The town is located in what is now the Mid Ulster district.12

The former Magherafelt district was characterized by rolling lowlands that rose to the Sperrin Mountains in the west. Its eastern boundary was defined by the River Bann and Lough Neagh. The area was primarily agricultural, with crops like potatoes, barley, flax, and oats being cultivated. The River Bann was known for salmon fishing, and granite was quarried in the Sperrin Mountains. Maghera, a town within the former district, was the birthplace of Charles Thomson, who was instrumental in the American Continental Congresses and wrote out the Declaration of Independence.1