Blackskull

Blackskull
Letter box on Blackskull Road
Blackskull is located in County Down
Blackskull
Blackskull
Location within County Down
Population421 (2021 census)
Irish grid referenceJ142519
• Belfast22 miles
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townDROMORE
Postcode districtBT25
Dialling code028
UK Parliament
NI Assembly
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Down
54°24′10″N 6°14′26″W / 54.402865°N 6.240470°W / 54.402865; -6.240470

Blackskull is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies near Donaghcloney and Dromore. In the 2021 census it had a population of 421 people.[1] It is within the Craigavon Borough Council area.

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.[2] Formerly, the area was known as Ballygunaghan (from Irish Baile Uí Dhuinneagáin 'O'Donegan's settlement'),[3][4] after the townland in which it lies.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Blackskull in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (Northern Ireland)". citypopulation.de. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  2. ^ Placenames NI: Blackskull
  3. ^ Placenames NI: Ballygunaghan
  4. ^ Placenames Database of Ireland