BALLYMONEY

HERITA EGUIDE

HISTORIC SITES ANDFAMOUS PEOPLEFROM THE BOROUGHOF BALLYMONEY

BALLYMONEY BOROUGH COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO THANKJack Wilkinson for providing the artwork for this brochure,some of which can also be seen in the book "Ballymoney - An IllustratedHistory and Companion" published by Cottage Publications, 1995.

Mr. S. Alex Blair for his assistance in editing this guide.

The Community Relations Unit for their financial support.

Discover more about the people and places from our past.Visit Ballymoney Museum at Ballymoney Town Hall.

Tourist Information CentreBallymoney Town HallTownhead StreetBallymoney BT53 6BE

Tel 028 2766 0230Email townhall@ballymoney.gov.uk

Visit the Ballymoney BoroughCouncil websites at

www.ballymoney.gov.uk

www.visitballymoney.com

www.ballymoneyancestry.com

FOR FURTHER DETAILS on accommodation and facilitiesin the Ballymoney area, please contact:

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PPP

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Coleraine Rd

St James’s Rd

North Rd

Townhead St

Charles St

High St

To Ballybogey

TownHall

TownheadCar Park

Charlotte St

To Balnamore

To Drumaheglis

Marina &

Caravan Park

The

Diamond

Church St

Linen

hall

st

Mar

ket

St

To D

ervo

ckJo

hn S

t

Victoria St

Main St

CentralCar Park

Castle StCar Park

Castle

croft

Seymour St

Cast

le S

t

To R

asha

rkin

Rive

rside

Par

k

Railway

Statio

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Seymour StCar Park

Queen St

Union

St

Henry

St

Edwards

St

Meeting HouseSt

Pathwayto park

New

al R

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Rodeing FootKilra

ughts RdBa

llymon

ey Ri

ver

Garryduff Rd

To Loughgiel

Joey DunlopLeisure Centre

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MOYLE DISTRICT COUNCIL

COLERAINEBOROUGHCOUNCIL

MAGHERAFELTDISTRICT COUNCIL

BALLYMENABOROUGH COUNCIL

Rasharkin

Dunloy

To Ballymena

Cloughmills

Loughgiel

To Ballycastle

Bush River

Bush

Rive

r

StranocumDervock

Derrykeighan

Ballybogey

BALLYMONEY

DrumaheglisMarina andCaravan Park

Balnamore

Bendooragh

River Bann

To Coleraine

To S

trano

cum

To K

ilraug

hts

To Dunloy

Eastermeade

Gds

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The Town Hall was erected through publicsubscription in 1866. It was renovated andenlarged in 1934, and again in 2005. Insideare rooms which commemorate some ofBallymoney's most celebrated historical figures- George Shiels, the playwright, K.K. McArthur,Olympic gold medallist and James Cramsie.Cramsie helped to establish the town's first

museum and subscribed over £400 to thebuilding of the Town Hall. A stained glasswindow at the front of the building, depictsthe former Ballymoney Coat of Arms.

The Town Hall is the home of Ballymoney DramaFestival, the oldest festival of its kind in Ireland.

BALLYMONEY TOWN HALLArts Centre, Museum & Tourist Information Centre, Townhead Street

of Ballymoney Town

WalkingTrail

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NORTHERNBANK BUILDING

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BALLYMONEYREFORMEDPRESBYTERIANCHURCH

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When the famous Rev Dr HenryCooke opened this church on 20March 1836, it was on the roadto Coleraine and regarded as avery fine, well proportionedbasalt ‘barn’ church. The roadwas closed a few years laterand after initial difficulties, thecongregation grew and is nowa very strong and prosperous oneas may be seen from the finehalls adjacent to the church.

ST. JAMES’SPRESBYTERIANCHURCHSt. James’s Road

High Street

This grand building with itsimposing ‘Italianate’ façadewas originally a ballroom built bythe 5th Earl of Antrim at his ownexpense. It was completedc.1760 and hosted the Earl'sgrand Antrim Hunt Balls, towhich local aristocrats and alltheir guests were invited. Laterit was used as barracks forGovernment troops duringthe 1798 Rebellion and theNapoleonic Wars. The NorthernBank Ltd. (formerly the BelfastBank) has used these premisessince 1863.

Reformed Presbyterians orCovenanters as they are oftencalled, are the followers of thosePresbyterians who signed theCovenants of 1638 and 1643.In the 18th

century there were

local societies of Covenanters atKilraughts, Dervock and Ballymoney.They secured a minister, the RevDr W J Stavely, in 1804 and in 1831this church was built. It has beenrefurbished many times, mostrecently in 2003. Services here retainthe old Presbyterian traditions ofsinging only metrical psalms,unaccompanied, led by a precentor.

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Charlotte Street

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Since it was erected by the 6thEarl of Antrim in c.1775, thisbuilding has served as a MarketHouse, Court House, Town Hall,place of worship and school.It also housed the town's firstlibrary (opened in 1839) andmuseum (opened in 1860).In 1785 the famous MethodistRev. John Wesley preached here.

Following the 1798 Rebellion,local United Irishmen werehanged from gallows attachedto the clock tower. Their bodieswere buried at the base ofthe tower. The Campanile (belltower) above the clock waserected by Hugh Seymour, 9thEarl of Antrim in 1852.

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THE OLDBANKHOUSEChurch Street

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The Court House is believed tobe an early example of the workof Sir Charles Lanyon. He wasappointed County Surveyor in1836, shortly before work beganon this building. Lanyon is famousfor such spectacular architecture

as Queen's University, Belfast.The building is impressive for itssmall upper storey Vitruviandoorway. It was used as acourthouse for nearly 140 yearsand is now in private ownership.

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6 CHARLOTTESTREET

This street is regarded as a fineexample of Irish late Georgianterrace houses. Many of thehouses still retain their beautifuldoor cases, windows and fanlights. Formerly called Pyper Row,in 1826 it was re-named inhonour of Lady Charlotte Kerr,daughter of the 6th Earl of Antrim.

OLD COURT HOUSECharlotte Street

MASONIC HALL & TOWN CLOCKThe Diamond

The Ulster Bank first openeda local branch at 33 CharlotteStreet in 1836, before movingto these purpose built and ratherornate premises in 1866. A listedbuilding, it is now a commercialproperty containing privatebusinesses.

9 OLD CHURCH TOWERChurch Street

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The Church of Ireland congregationhas worshipped in this buildingsince 1782. It was enlarged in1868 when, among otheradditions, the tall spire was builtand more seating provided witha south aisle. Across the road, theOld Church Tower is all that remainsof the original Parish Church.

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The tower is the oldest surviving building in the town, with adatestone inscribed 1637. The church was re-built after it wasburned during the 1641 Irish Rebellion and was used until 1782.Among those buried here is the town’s ghost, George Hutchinson JP,known as “Bloody Hutchinson”. Hutchinson was a local magistrate,infamous for his summary justice following the United Irish Rebellionof 1798. Alexander Gamble, a United Irishman was also buriedhere in 1883, 85 years after he was executed. Recent restorationwork, part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, has helped topreserve this important building. A leaflet guide to the Old ChurchGraveyard is available at the Tourist Information Centre.

ST. PATRICK’SPARISH CHURCHChurch Street

In 1859 the Rev William Crookopened a Methodist mission tobring practical and spiritual helpto the people of Castle Streetand surrounding areas. That yearalso saw a great religious revivalacross Ulster and Mr Crookdecided he had enoughsupport to merit the buildingof a Methodist Church, whichwas opened in 1861. It had aschoolroom underneath and bothchurch and school functionedwell until the early years of the20th century. In 1906 the schoolwas closed and the church wasalso in poor condition. Serviceswere transferred to the Town Hallbut a great renovation schemeof 1954-5 restored the buildingand it was re-opened for worship.Further renovations have takenplace in 1987 and 1993.

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This is the oldest place of worshipin the town that is still in use. Itis often known as "the Cathedralof Presbyterianism in the Route".It was built in 1777 to replace thefirst Meeting House of 1690. Thebuilding was later extensivelyrenovated in 1871, 1921 & 2004.The east window contains thecoat of arms of the regimentsin which members of thecongregation fought duringWorld War One.

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TRINITYPRESBYTERIANCHURCHRodeing Foot or Roddenfoot

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This congregation began as aPresbyterian Seceder Societyin Pyper Row (now CharlotteStreet) and moved to this sitein the 1840s. The current buildingwas opened in 1885, largelydue to the efforts of the illustriousRev. J. B. Armour who wasminister here from 1869-1925.The church is still known bymany townspeople as “Armour’sMeeting House”.

BALLYMONEYFIRSTPRESBYTERIANCHURCHMeeting House Street

BALLYMONEYMETHODISTCHURCHSeymour Street

DERRYKEIGHAN OLD CHURCHYARDDerrykeighan Old Churchyard(Grid Reference C9629 3375),one and a half miles from thevillage of Dervock, was a place ofearly Christian worship. Churcheshave been built on this site sincethe mediaeval period, possibly evenearlier. However, the presentruins are of the parish church,vacated in 1831.

A replica of the Derrykeighan Stonecan be seen in the churchyard.Pre-dating Christianity, thisremarkable stone with decorativeIron Age carvings, was foundin 1981 built into the walls of

the ruined church. The originalstone is now in the care of theUlster Museum.

The headstones that survive inthe old churchyard include thatof a United Irishman, WilliamDunlop, who was hanged inColeraine in 1798.

John Meeke is also buried here.During World War One, Meekecourageously rescued MajorWilliam Redmond, a famous IrishMP, from the battlefield. Meekewas injured twice and Redmondlater died of his wounds.

HistoricSites

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BENVARDENHOUSE,DERVOCK

On the banks of the River Bush,this historic estate was first ownedby the McNaughten family whoacquired it in 1636. In 1798, itpassed to the present owners, theMontgomery family, who investedheavily in the improvement ofthe splendid house and grounds.The beautifully landscapedgardens are open to the publicduring the summer.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS, includingopening hours, please contact

Benvarden House,Dervock, BT53 6NNTel 028 2074 1331www.benvarden.com

Since 1855, passengers andfreight have passed throughBallymoney Railway Station.For many years, the main linewas under the control of theBelfast & Northern CountiesRailway, while the BallycastleRailway Company also ran anarrow gauge line from hereto the coast from 1880-1950.The present station buildingwas constructed in 1901 andlater renovated in 1990.

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The Church of Our Lady &St. Patrick was dedicated on2 June 1878. The constructioncost £8,870, raised through publicsubscription over a period ofnearly 20 years. It replaced anolder building of 1833, althoughthe first church on the site wascompleted in 1794. The ornateinterior includes a pulpit andaltars made from Caen stone.The main altar was the gift ofthe Royal Irish Constabulary.The stained glass windows inthe apse were created by therenowned Franz Meyer Studioof Munich, Germany.

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When Christopher Kirgan died in1931, aged 103 years old, he wasone of Ireland’s oldest men.Kirgan was born at Unshinagh,near Dunloy. He was a wellknown citizen of Belfast and firstinitiated the erection of this gothicmausoleum 20 years before hisdeath. The churchyard alsocontains the grave of the famousplaywright, George Shiels.

BALLYMONEYRAILWAY STATIONSeymour Street

KIRGANMONUMENTGraveyard of the Churchof Our Lady & St Patrick

CHURCH OFOUR LADY& ST. PATRICKCastle Street

DRUMART,BALLYMONEY

On the Kirk Road, close to thetown of Ballymoney, Drumart(or Drumard, Grid ReferenceC9600 2774) is an example of aNorman motte. This is a moundon which raised defences werebuilt to provide a place of safetyfor those who lived in the smallsurrounding settlement.

This site is on private land andcannot be accessed without theowner's permission.

There are two Stone Age tombsfound in this area - CraigsDolmen (Grid Reference C97401729) and the Broad Stone (GridReference C9793 1756).Despite its name, Craigs Dolmenis not a dolmen but a passagetomb. It can be clearly seen fromthe Mullan Road. On nearbyadjacent farmland is theBroad Stone, a court tomb.These ancient monuments show

that early settlers lived in thisregion 4,000-6,000 years ago.Both tombs are in State Careand are looked after by theEnvironment and Heritage Service.

Craigs Dolmen is on private land

and can be observed from the

road side. Access to the BroadStone is through private landand cannot be visited withoutthe landowner's permission.

NEOLITHIC TOMBS, RASHARKIN

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THE CHI-RHOSTONE,DRUMAQUERN

“Chi” and “rho”, the first twoletters of the name “Christ” inGreek, are enclosed with a circleand engraved on this ancientstanding stone. It shows thatthe early Celtic Church knewGreek and links the Irish churchwith European thought. Whatmakes the stone unique is thefact that the same symbolsappear on the other side buthave the “rho” reversed. Knownas “Old Patrick”, the stone isbelieved in local tradition tocommemorate a visit by theSaint to the area. Of exceptionalinterest, it is the oldest Christiansymbol in the Borough.

This site is on private land andcannot be accessed without theowner's permission.

KNOCKAHOLLET MOTTE& BAILEY, LOUGHGIELKnockahollet (Grid ReferenceD0490 2305) is a classic exampleof a motte and bailey fort built byNorman invaders during the 12thcentury. Concealed beneath thefort are two souterrains,underground chambers in whichpeople hid from attack. In the early

20th century, archaeologistsdiscovered that the fort was builton an ancient burial site when twolarge Bronze Age urns wereunearthed in the mound.

This site is on private land andcannot be accessed without theowner's permission.

LESLIE HILL OPEN FARM,BALLYMONEYLeslie Hill has been occupied bythe Leslie family for around 350years. The present Georgian housewas built by James Leslie in 1760and the farm buildings date fromthe 18th and 19th centuries.Amongst them is the Bell Barn(shown here) described by Arthur

Young in 1780 as “the bestcontrived I have seen in Ireland”.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS, includingopening hours, please contact

Leslie Hill Open Farm, Leslie Hill,Ballymoney, BT53 6QLTel 028 2766 6803/3109www.lesliehillopenfarm.co.uk

Close to the village of Dunloy isDooey’s Cairn (Grid ReferenceD0216 1830), a Neolithic tombdating from around 2000-4000BC. It is named after MrAndy Dooey on whose land itstood and who was instrumentalin having it excavated in 1935.At that time various artefactswere discovered such as polishedaxe heads and flint arrows.

When further excavationstook place in 1975, traces ofcereal seeds were discoveredimplying that early agriculturehad been introduced to theregion. That year, the Dooeyfamily handed the site over toState Care and it is maintainedby the Environment andHeritage Service.

DOOEY'S CAIRN, DUNLOY

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In the middle of the small lough, there is an early crannog (manmade island). On the lake shore are the ruins of Lissanoure Castlebuilt in the 13th century. This was the birthplace and home ofGeorge, Earl of Macartney (1737-1806). The castle was destroyedin 1847 following a huge explosion caused by the accidentalignition of caskets of gunpowder.

The grounds of Lissanoure Castle are strictly private.Facilities are available for weddings and private functions.FOR FURTHER DETAILS, please contact

Lissanoure Castle, Loughgiel BT44 9JPTel 028 2764 1132 www.lissanourecastle.com

LISSANOURE CASTLE, LOUGHGIEL

Close to the village of Stranocum,five miles north west ofBallymoney, is Stranocum Hall,once owned by the Hutchinsonfamily. Built in the eighteenthcentury, this grand house hasrecently been restored as aprivate residence. It includes aheritage museum which is opento groups by appointment.

Nearby are two ring forts, orraths, which are the remains offortified settlements commonlybuilt in Ireland 400-1000AD.Concealed beneath one of theseraths is a souterrain.

FOR FURTHER DETAILS, includingopening hours, please contact

Stranocum Hall, 139 Fivey RoadStranocum BT53 8JHTel 028 2074 2281www.stranocumhall.com

The ring forts cannot be accessedwithout the owner's permission.

STRANOCUM HALL

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Joey Dunlop was one of themost successful motorcycleriders of all time. His incrediblesporting career includedfive Formula One WorldChampionships, 13 wins atthe North West 200 races,24 wins at the Ulster GrandPrix and a record 26 wins inthe Isle of Man Tourist Trophy.He was tragically killed while

racing in Estonia in July 2000.In May 2001, BallymoneyBorough Council officiallyopened the Joey DunlopMemorial Garden, locatedon the corner of SeymourStreet and Castle Street. In thisbeautiful setting, visitors havetime to reflect on the memoryof this much loved internationalmotorcycling legend.

WILLIAM JOSEPH DUNLOPMBE OBE (1952-2000)

HISTORICPeople

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REV. J. B. ARMOUR(1841-1928)

Born in Lisboy in 1841, J.B. Armour wasordained minister of Trinity PresbyterianChurch in 1869. He was an outstandingpublic figure, widely known as aneducationalist, an upholder of HomeRule principles, an independent thinkerand fearless advocate of the rights ofthe people. He was particularlyinterested in the Route Tenant RightAssociation. He retired in 1925 after56 years of serving the church anddied three years later.

Courtesy Clifford McLean Photography

ROBERT HANNAH(1845-1930)

Robert Hannah emigrated from Ballymoney toAustralia in 1863. He followed the “Gold Rush”to New Zealand where he set up his own businessselling footwear, essential equipment in the harshworking conditions. His business later became oneof the most successful in the country andcommanded over half the shoe trade in NewZealand. With his newly found wealth he builta grand home, Antrim House, which is now theheadquarters of the New Zealand Historic PlacesTrust in Wellington.

PRESIDENT WILLIAMMcKINLEY(1843-1901)

President William McKinley was born in Ohio, USA.His ancestors lived in Conagher, near Dervock,and emigrated in the late 18th century. He waselected 25th President of America in 1896. In 1901,during his second term of office, he wasassassinated by an anarchist.

DR. JOHN YOUNGJohn Young was born at Ballylough, Kilraughts.He emigrated to America where he became adistinguished barrister and well known personalityin Indianapolis. In 1860, he helped Abraham Lincolnin his presidential campaign. As a reward, Lincolnappointed Young to the Diplomatic Corps of theUnited States of America. In 1861, he returned toIreland as American Consul to the Port of Belfast.He served as Consul until 1866 and died some yearslater in Indiana.

SAMUEL ROBINSON(1865-1958)

Samuel Robinson served his apprenticeship inhis uncle's grocery store in Ballymoney, beforeemigrating to Philadelphia. In 1891, he foundedthe American Stores Company with his friend RobertCrawford. This soon became the largest chain ofstores in the country. Robinson donated fundsfor the erection and endowment of the RobinsonMemorial Hospital, Ballymoney, which opened in 1932.

SAMUEL McCLURE(1858-1949)

Samuel McClure emigrated to America wherehe founded the first newspaper syndicate inthe country. He is regarded as the man whodiscovered Rudyard Kipling. He also foundedMcClure’s Magazine in 1893 which continuedto be published until 1933.

WILLIAM S. ARMOUR(1881-1940)

William, son of the Rev. J. B. Armour, was thefounder of the Young Farmers’ Clubs of Ulster, oneof Northern Ireland's leading youth organisations.He was educated at Oxford University where hewas President of the Union. He became a barrister,educationalist and later editor of the leading Belfastdaily newspaper, “The Northern Whig”.

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Courtesy New ZealandHistoric Places Trust

Courtesy McKinleyMemorial Library

GEORGE SHIELS(1881-1949)

The famous playwright George Shiels wasborn at Ballybrakes. He achieved great successwriting for the Abbey Theatre, Dublin. His plays,most of which were written in Main Street,include ‘The New Gossoon’, ‘The Passing Day’and ‘Professor Tim’. These were hugely popularhere and abroad. In 1940, Shiels' play “The RuggedPath” was seen in Dublin by a record 35,000people over a 3 month period. He spent the lastyears of his life in Carnlough and is buried inthe graveyard of the Church of Our Lady &St. Patrick, Ballymoney.

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KENNEDY K. McARTHUR(1881-1960)

K.K. McArthur was born in Dervock andemigrated to South Africa as a young man.An outstanding athlete, he won the Olympicgold medal for his adopted country in themarathon at Stockholm in 1912. Following hisvictory, McArthur returned to visit his birthplacein Dervock and was greeted as a hero by acrowd of thousands. A large bronze plaque inBallymoney Town Hall commemorates his victory.

GEORGE, EARLOF MACARTNEY(1737-1806)

Born at Lissanoure, as a young man the Earlof Macartney attended Trinity College, Dublin.Later, as a student in London, he mixed withsuch notables as Edmund Burke, Dr Johnsonand Sir Joshua Reynolds. His many diplomaticappointments included Chief Secretary ofIreland, Governor of Grenada, British Ambassadorto Russia (where he was a friend of the Empress,Catherine the Great). His biggest achievementwas his appointment as the first British Ambassadorto China and he ended his diplomatic career asGovernor of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.He was responsible for rebuilding and improvingthe village of Dervock, of which he was landlord.

JAMES YOUNG(1918-1974)

James Young, the famous Ulster comedian, livedthe first six months of his life in Union Street,Ballymoney. Young first achieved fame as a comicradio actor before embarking on a celebrated careerin theatre and television. Recordings of his work,with favourite characters such as Derek the windowcleaner, Mrs O'Chondriac, and Wee Ernie fromthe shipyard, remain popular broadcasts withlocal audiences.

CourtesyPotchefstroom Museum

Picture byStanley Matchett