Ballymena
| |
|---|---|
 Ballymena Town Hall, with the new Braid Arts Centre behind | |
  Ballymena Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 31,205 (2021 census) |
| Irish grid reference | D1003 |
| • Belfast | 28 miles (45 km) SE |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BALLYMENA |
| Postcode district | BT42–BT44 |
| Dialling code | 028 25 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Ballymena (/ˌbæliˈmiːnə/ BAL-ee-MEE-nə;[1] from Irish: an Baile Meánach [ənˠ ˌbˠalʲə ˈmʲaːn̪ˠəx], meaning 'the middle townland')[2] is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 31,205 people at the 2021 census, making it the seventh largest town in Northern Ireland by population.[3] It is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim.
The town was built on the Braid River, on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I in 1626, with a right to hold two annual fairs and a Saturday market in perpetuity. Surrounding villages are Cullybackey, Ahoghill, Broughshane, and Kells-Connor.
- ^ Wells, John C. (2008), Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.), Longman, p. 66, ISBN 9781405881180
- ^ "An Baile Meánach/Ballymena". Logainm.ie. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- ^ "Settlement 2015". NISRA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2023.