Ballymena

Town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the River Braid, 45 km/28 mi northwest of Belfast; population (2001) 28,720. The town has a range of textile, food-processing, and light engineering industries, and there are fish farms nearby. It was created as a Lowland Scots plantation in the 17th century.

Harryville motte and bailey, the remains of a 12th-century fortification comprising an earthen castle mound (motte) and protected courtyard (bailey) below, is located on the southern outskirts of the town. Some 2 km/1 mi to the southwest is Galgorm Castle, built at the time of the plantation (1618–19), and Gracehill, a settlement established in 1746 by the Moravian Brethren sect of Protestants. Linen manufacture was introduced in Ballymena in 1733, and contributed significantly to the development of the town in the 19th century.

Features At nearby Cullybackey is Arthur Cottage, the ancestral home of Chester Alan Arthur, the 21st president of the USA. In August 2000, Ecos, an environmental centre incorporating a public park and a range of environmental projects, opened in Ballymena. The £10 million project was funded by Ballymena Borough Council and the Millennium Commission to mark the millennium.

Ballymena

Administrative region in the centre of Northern Ireland, north of Lough Neagh in the centre of Country Antrim; area 630 sq km/243 sq mi; population (2001) 58,600. Ballymena is the main town under the council's remit. The principal sources of employment include textiles, agriculture, retail, and agribusiness.