Blackskull is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies near Donaghcloney and Dromore. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 168 people. It is within the Craigavon Borough Council area.
Blackskull | |
---|---|
Location within County Down | |
Population | 438 2014 |
Irish grid reference | J142519 |
• Belfast | 22 miles |
District | |
County | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | DROMORE |
Postcode district | BT25 |
Dialling code | 028 |
UK Parliament | |
NI Assembly | |
The village is named after an old inn called the Black Skull, which had a picture of a black man's head on its sign. A grisly local tale tells how a black man was beheaded and his skull mounted above the door of the Inn.[1] Formerly, the area was known as Ballygunaghan (from Irish Baile Uí Dhuinneagáin 'O'Donegan's settlement'),[2][3] after the townland in which it lies.