Population displacement and settlement, along with gradual urban and commercial development, the crossroads location, the National Schools system and the Famine – as well as the incorporation of the town into the rail network (1849) – all helped hasten the decline of the vernacular Irish spoken in the area. However, in rural districts to the south and south-east of the town – particularly Lisdoonan and the barony of Farney as well as parts of neighbouring South Armagh – the language was quite widely spoken among country people and written by local scribes until the mid-19th century. Some native speakers of Irish remained into the 20th century.