Ballerin is a small village

Village

A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...

 between Garvagh

Garvagh

Garvagh is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the banks of the Agivey River, south of Coleraine on the A29 route. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,288.-History:...

 and Ringsend

Ringsend, Coleraine

Ringsend is a small village in the borough of Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The nearest city is Derry which is 25 miles away...

 in County Londonderry

County Londonderry

The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It is located within Coleraine Borough Council

Coleraine Borough Council

Coleraine Borough Council is a local council mainly in County Londonderry and partly in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its headquarters are in the town of Coleraine. Small towns in the area include Garvagh, Portrush, Portstewart and Kilrea...

. It includes Saint Columba's Catholic primary school and Saint Mary's Catholic church.

Name

The village lies within a townland

Townland

A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 that has a similar name. The village's name is usually spelt Ballerin, while the townland's name is usually spelt Boleran. Earlier spellings of these names include Ballyerin (1654) and Ballyirin (1613). All are believed to come . However, the local Gaelic Athletic Association

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

 club uses the Irish name Baile Iarainn, meaning "townland/settlement of iron

Iron

Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...

".

Parish

Ballerin is in Errigal civil parish

Errigal civil parish

Errigal civil parish is located in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland.-See also:*List of civil parishes of County Londonderry*List of townlands in County Londonderry...

 and St Mary's is in the Derry Diocese, covering about half the Catholic parish of Garvagh

Garvagh

Garvagh is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the banks of the Agivey River, south of Coleraine on the A29 route. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 1,288.-History:...

..

Sport

Ballerin is the focal point for a number of sports in the area including Errigal Boxing Club, Irish Dancing, indoor bowling, Camogie and Gaelic games

Gaelic Athletic Association

The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...

.

• Ballerin GAC
  Ballerin GAC
  Ballerin Sarfields GAC is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in Ballerin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. They are a member of the Derry GAA and currently cater for Gaelic football, Ladies' Gaelic football and Camogie...
  
  

People

• Brendan Mullan, professional association footballer and gaelic football player. Played for Fulham and Millwall in the late 1960s.