The village population is about 700. It's been a settlement for a few thousand years.
The last sort of famous resident was none other the redoubtable Mr Enoch Powell. He of the 'Rivers Of Blood' speech (1968) that I've never forgotten.
Mr Powell was an author, an army brigadier, a classical scholar, a British Conservative member of parliament and laterally an MP for the Ulster Unionist Party in South Down. He was the first Ulster Unionist MP not to be a member of the Orange Order.
He spoke German, French, Italian, Modern Greek, Hebrew, Ancient Greek, Latin, Aramaic (the language of Jesus Christ) and Hindi/Urdu. He had a reading knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Welsh.
In fact the last time I recall stopping in Loughbrickland before today was over 48 years ago to visit Mr Powell where I was cordially received.
The post office is on Main Street; a very small street. It is nestled inside a supermarket that also has a self serve fuel forecourt.
The only reason we went to this post office was to return a mail order item from whence it came, as it wasn't suitable for our needs. This was the nearest post office that would record and process its return free to us.
It is said Loughbrickland may have been the site where the Three Collas fought the Battle of Achadh Leithdherig in 331 AD, defeating the forces of Fergus Foga, king of Ulster. The victors killed Fergus and burned Emsin Macha, the famous palace of the Ultonian kings, to the ground. The sovereignty of Ulster thus passed from the race of Ir to the race of Heremon.
During wars Cromwell's men passed through as did King Billy on his way to the Boyne in 1690. read more
