Quaker roots

Following a recent Ulster TV programme, "Lesser Spotted Ulster" where they featured the Moyallon Quaker Meeting House, I decided to find and visit this on my next trip to Northern Ireland. As my Grandmother was a Quaker and my Father and his two brothers were educated at Friends' School, Lisburn, (a Quaker School), I have always had a connection and interest in this way of life and religious practice.

After a little online research and details from the tv programme we set off for the Gilford area south of Lurgan in Armagh and quickly arrived in the former Linen Mill town.



There was the usual toing and froing as we tried to find the location and I declined Muriel's requests to ask a "local" as they all looked a little strange and "country"!

Eventually I relented and asked three girls employed at the local petrol station and all three didn't even know what a Quaker was - not looking good. What I did ascertain was that Moyallon was north of Gilford on the Portadown road and off we went with more hope.

Without too much difficulty we found the usual brown sign announcing the whereabouts of the Meeting House and after a short drive past some newer, impressive properties we turned the corner and approached the Meeting House that dates from 1736.



As we approached the Meeting House through the modest gates, the place looked deserted but as we got out of the car and walked to the Carriage arch we heard human movement on the other side of the arch. Luckily we were greeted by Nigel who is the Warden of the Meeting House, who was only too glad to take a few moments and give us a personal guided tour of the inside of the Meeting House.



The panoramic above shows the main Meeting room, set up for the usual 20 to 30 members who meet on the first Sunday of each month. A larger and younger meeting takes place every Sunday in the nearby Lurgan but I sense that Meeting House doesn't have the same history or atmosphere.

Strange to think that by having the delays in finding the location and avoiding talking to a "local" and taking precise directions, we arrived at the Meeting House just as the Warden arrived and this gave us the guided tour. If we had arrived earlier we would have missed this experience . . .