Craigavon << kray GAV uhn >> is a planned town in southern Northern Ireland. It stands near the River Bann, south of Lough Neagh (Lake Neagh). In the 1960’s, the United Kingdom government’s New Town project financed the construction of Craigavon. The new town was part of a plan to reduce the population density of nearby Belfast. It rose in a rural area between the towns of Lurgan and Portadown.
The manufacture of fine linen products was long an important economic activity in the Craigavon area. The area around Portadown is the center of fruit- and rose-growing industries.
The Craigavon area was once part of County Armagh, one of the six historic counties of Northern Ireland. The county ceased to be used as an administrative area in 1973, when a reorganization of local government divided it into smaller districts. From 1973 to 2015, Craigavon was the name of a local government district. In 2015, the Craigavon district was combined with the Armagh district, most of the Banbridge district, and a small part of the Dungannon and South Tyrone district. Together, they formed the Armagh, Banbridge, and Craigavon district. The district’s name changed to Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon in 2016. District headquarters are in the town of Craigavon.
