placenamesWhitecross
Corr Leacht
Saint Killian’s sporting history and the Reavey family memorial connect Whitecross with collective achievement and enduring grief.
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Corr Leacht · Irish · main form · validated name
- Whitecross · English · main form
Place & story
Saint Killian’s and its grounds
A local history published by Newry Memoirs dates Saint Killian’s club to 1904 and records the official opening of its park in 1978. County board chairman John O’Reilly praised the community effort behind the club at that opening. The account also recalls a successful 1969 season, when Whitecross defeated Ballymacnab after a replay to win the county junior championship and gained promotion in the league. These milestones trace the importance of playing facilities and volunteer organisation alongside results. [2]
Louis Trodden’s cultural work
Louis Trodden became club chairman after arriving in Whitecross in 1932. The Newry Memoirs account associates him with a revival culminating in the 1935 county junior championship. His local activities extended beyond football: he revived the pipe band, collected folklore and sang ballads. His association with Whitecross therefore included cultural organisation as well as sport, part of the wider contribution made by teachers and volunteers to the club’s development. [2]
The Reavey brothers’ memorial
In January 2017 a memorial was unveiled at the Whitecross home where John Martin, Brian and Anthony Reavey had been attacked on 4 January 1976. John Martin and Brian died in the shooting; Anthony died later that month from his injuries. Three of their sisters unveiled the monument, and parish priest Malachy Murphy led prayers. Hundreds attended the ceremony. The commemoration returned to the scene of the family’s loss and concluded a year of events marking its fortieth anniversary. [3]
Geographic information
- Place type
- Population centre
- County
- Armagh
- Barony
- Fews Upper
- Civil parish
- Ballymyre
- Within
- Corlat
- Coordinates
- 54.22723, -6.48181 (approximate)
- Logainm ID
- 136080 ↗
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Whitecross. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Great Community Spirit at Whitecross Is Envied · Newry Memoirs
- Monument remembers Reavey murders, 9 January 2017 · Columba O’Hare, Newry.ie
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2021-12-20. How this page was prepared.