Ballymena

Ballymena is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, making it the seventh largest town in Northern Ireland by population. Ballymena is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim.

The town was built on the Braid River. Long ago in 1626, King Charles I gave land to the Adair family. They were allowed to hold two big fairs each year and a market on Saturdays forever. Nearby villages include Cullybackey, Ahoghill, Broughshane, and Kells-Connor.

History

Ballymena’s history goes back to very old times. During the Early Christian period, between the 5th and 7th centuries, people lived in ringforts and built places like churches. Vikings came and burned a church in 831.

In the late 1100s, new rulers came from England and built forts. In 1315, a battle happened near Ballymena. Later, King James I gave land to a person from Scotland, and a castle was built. Over time, Ballymena grew with markets, churches, and railways.

In the 1900s, Ballymena became an official town. During World War II, people from Gibraltar stayed there. In the late 20th century, some factories closed, and the town faced changes.

Recently, Ballymena has had some challenging times with tensions between different groups. Despite this, it continues to be an important part of Northern Ireland.

Economy

Ballymena used to be a busy market town. In the 1980s and again in the 2010s, many jobs were lost when industries struggled.

Some big companies that once employed people in the area included Michelin in Broughshane, JTI Gallaher in Galgorm, and Wrightbus. Over the years, several of these companies closed their factories, which led to many people losing their jobs.

Demographics

2021 census

On March 21, 2021, there were 31,205 people living in Ballymena. Here are some interesting facts from the census:

• Just over half, or 51.6%, of the people were female, and 48.4% were male.
• Most people, about 59.5%, grew up with a Protestant background, while around 27% had a Catholic background. A small number, about 1%, followed other religions, and almost 12% did not follow any religion.
• When it came to identity, more than half, 55.98%, felt British, about 31% felt Northern Irish, and around 12% felt Irish. Some people chose more than one identity.

2011 census

On March 27, 2011, there were 29,551 people living in Ballymena. Here’s what we learned from that census:

• About 19% of the people were younger than 16, and around 18% were 65 or older.
• Just over half, 52%, of the people were female, and 48% were male.
• Most people, about 66%, grew up with a Protestant background, while around 27% had a Catholic background.
• When it came to identity, about 66% felt British, around 28% felt Northern Irish, and about 11% felt Irish. Some people chose more than one identity.
• The average age of people in Ballymena was 39 years old.

Education

Ballymena has many schools for children to learn. There are several primary schools, including Ballymena Primary School, Braidside Integrated Primary School, Dunclug Primary School, St. Brigid's Primary School, and St. Colmcille's Primary School.

The town also has many secondary schools, such as Ballymena Academy, Cambridge House Grammar School, Dunclug College, Slemish College, St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena, and St Patrick's College, Ballymena. For older students, there is Northern Regional College for further and higher education.

Transport

Ballymena has a long history with trains. The Ballymena railway station opened on December 4, 1855. Another station at Harryville opened later, on August 24, 1878, but closed in 1940.

There were also special small railways, called narrow gauge railways, that ran from Ballymena to other places. One went to Parkmore from 1875 to 1940, and another went to Larne, opening in 1878. This second line stopped carrying passengers in 1933 and stopped all traffic in 1940.

Sport

Ballymena has many sports clubs. There is a football club called Ballymena United F.C. and other teams like Coaching For Christ, Southside Rangers F.C., and Wakehurst F.C..

There is also a rugby club named Ballymena RFC. The town has a special club for Gaelic games called All Saints GAC. Ballymena Golf Club started in 1903. Other sports clubs include Ballymena Cricket Club, Ballymena Lawn Tennis Club, and Ballymena Bowling Club.

Townlands

Townlands are old ways to divide land in Ireland. Ballymena includes parts of several townlands. Some of these townlands have names that tell a story, like "Galgorm," which means "blue castle" and refers to an old castle that was burned down long ago. Others have names that describe the land, like "Ballyloughan," meaning "townland of the little lake."

Climate

Ballymena experiences a temperate climate, typical of the United Kingdom and Ireland. The weather here is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which helps keep temperatures mild throughout the year. Rainfall is fairly even across the seasons, and the town sees a mix of sunny days and cloudy periods. This kind of climate means that Ballymena has a comfortable atmosphere, with not too much extreme heat or cold.

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Ballymena

Arts and media

Ballymena has been home to many talented people in arts and media. Some famous names include Ethna Carbery, a writer and poet, and Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt, well-known actors.

Politics

The town has also produced important figures in politics, such as Ian Paisley, who served as First Minister and founded the Free Presbyterian Church.

Academia and science

Ballymena’s connection to science and learning includes Darwin Caldwell, an expert in robotics, and Sir Samuel Curran, a physicist.

Religion

Religious leaders from Ballymena include Alexander Campbell, who played a key role in the Restoration Movement in the United States.

Military

One notable military figure is Alexander Wright, who received the Victoria Cross for his bravery.

Business

Timothy Eaton from Ballymena founded the famous Eaton’s department store.

Sport

Many athletes come from Ballymena, such as Steven Davis, a well-known footballer, and Mary Peters, an Olympic gold medalist in pentathlon.

International relations

Twin towns

Ballymena has special connections with two places. One is Gibraltar, and the other is Castlebar in Ireland. These are called twin towns, showing friendly links between them.