Ballycarry
Encyclopedia
Ballycarry is a village
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. It is midway between Larne
and Carrickfergus
, overlooking Islandmagee
. In the 2001 Census
it had a population of 981.
Church. Founded in 1613, Ballycarry is the oldest congregation in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
. The present church building dates from 1830. The Old Presbyterian (Non-Subscribing) Presbyterian Congregation also traces its roots back to 1613, and this congregation remained strongest in 1829 when the Presbyterian Church was split over the Subscription Controversy, the Non-Subscribers leaving open the issue of subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Old Presbyterian Church is located on the Main Street in the village. The most imposing church building is that of St. John's Parish Church, the Church of Ireland congregation, built in the 19th century by the Ker family of Redhall.
Ballycarry Community Association organises the Broadisland Gathering community festival held each year on the first Saturday in September and associated dates. The Gathering highlights the strong Ulster Scots heritage of the community and includes dancing, music, pipe bands, discussions, re-enactment, exhibitions and the Aul Kinntra Fair, revived from the 1930s but dating back to the 17th century. Chief guests at the Gathering have including Rt. Hon. Dr. John Reid, when Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Ballycarry has a vibrant community association, which succeeded in attracting funding for a modern community centre in the village in 2001. The Association includes representatives from all local groups in the village including the three local churches, sports clubs, fraternities and social groups. In 2009 many events are being held in Ballycarry to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the community being established in 1609.
was opened on 1 October 1862. The railway station is located about a mile from the village.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
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...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, 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 midway between Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
and Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...
, overlooking Islandmagee
Islandmagee
Islandmagee is a peninsula on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Larne and Carrickfergus. It is part of the Larne Borough Council area and is a sparsely populated rural community with a long history since the mesolithic period.As part of an...
. In the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
it had a population of 981.
Archaeology
Neolithic artefacts found in the village suggest ancient settlement, while the Lislaynan ecclesiastical settlement looks back to a thousand years of Christian witness. There was also a Norman settlement in the area, at Redhall, and at Brackenberg, now the centre of modern Ballycarry. An early Christian stone coffin lid which was uncovered at Redhall in the 18th century, was reinstated in the Templecorran cemetery and displays an early Christian cross engraved within an arc.Community
The town is home to Ballycarry PresbyterianPresbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
Church. Founded in 1613, Ballycarry is the oldest congregation in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The present church building dates from 1830. The Old Presbyterian (Non-Subscribing) Presbyterian Congregation also traces its roots back to 1613, and this congregation remained strongest in 1829 when the Presbyterian Church was split over the Subscription Controversy, the Non-Subscribers leaving open the issue of subscription to the Westminster Confession of Faith. The Old Presbyterian Church is located on the Main Street in the village. The most imposing church building is that of St. John's Parish Church, the Church of Ireland congregation, built in the 19th century by the Ker family of Redhall.
Ballycarry Community Association organises the Broadisland Gathering community festival held each year on the first Saturday in September and associated dates. The Gathering highlights the strong Ulster Scots heritage of the community and includes dancing, music, pipe bands, discussions, re-enactment, exhibitions and the Aul Kinntra Fair, revived from the 1930s but dating back to the 17th century. Chief guests at the Gathering have including Rt. Hon. Dr. John Reid, when Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Ballycarry has a vibrant community association, which succeeded in attracting funding for a modern community centre in the village in 2001. The Association includes representatives from all local groups in the village including the three local churches, sports clubs, fraternities and social groups. In 2009 many events are being held in Ballycarry to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the community being established in 1609.
People
- James OrrJames Orr (poet)James Orr was a poet or rhyming weaver from Ulster also known as the Bard of Ballycarry, who wrote in English and Ulster Scots. He was the foremost of the Ulster Weaver Poets, and was writing contemporaneously with Robert Burns...
, known as the Bard of Ballycarry, was the foremost of the Ulster Weaver PoetsWeaver PoetsWeaver Poets, Rhyming Weaver Poets and Ulster Weaver Poets were a collective group of poets belonging to an artistic movement who were both influenced by and contemporaries of Robert Burns and the Romantic movement.-Origins:...
, and was writing contemporaneously with Robert BurnsRobert BurnsRobert Burns was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide...
. He was one of many Ulster Presbyterians who fled to America after taking part in the ill-fated United Irish Rising in 1798. He returned to Ballycarry under an amnesty and died in the village in 1816. An imposing monument to Orr, erected by local Freemasons in 1831, is sited in the adjacent Templecorran cemetery. - Rev. Edward BriceEdward BriceEdward Brice or Bryce was a Scottish Presbyterian minister, the first Presbyterian with a living in Ireland.-Life:He was born at Airth, Stirlingshire, about 1569, and is named Bryce in the Scottish records, but Brice in the Irish records. He entered Edinburgh University about 1589, and studied...
, the first Presbyterian minister in Ireland, came to Ballycarry in 1613 and ministered in the Templecorran Church, now in ruins. He was originally from Stirlingshire in Scotland and was brought to the village by William Edmondstone, who settled there in 1609. Brice was one of several Scottish clergymen who were forbidden to preach by the Established Church authorities in the 1630s. - General Sir James SteeleJames Steele (British Army officer)General Sir James Stuart Steele GCB KBE DSO MC LLD was Adjutant-General to the Forces.-Military career:Born in Ballycarry, County Antrim and educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution and at Queen's University, Belfast, James Steele was gazetted as a temporary second lieutenant in the...
, who was born in Ballycarry, was the British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Officer who signed the mobilisation order to take the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to war with Nazi Germany in 1939. He later played a part in the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940 and the Normandy Landings in 1944. A memorial on the village green highlights his military achievements, his connection with the Royal Ulster RiflesRoyal Ulster RiflesThe Royal Ulster Rifles was a British Army infantry regiment. It saw service in the Second Boer War, Great War, the Second World War and the Korean War, before being amalgamated into the Royal Irish Rangers in 1968.-History:...
and his love of Ballycarry. - Rev. John Bankhead, who was minister at Ballycarry for almost 71 years, was married twice and had 22 children. He was ordained in August 1763 and died in July 1833.
- William Nelson, a 16 year old hanged for his part in the ill-fated Irish Rebellion of 1798Irish Rebellion of 1798The Irish Rebellion of 1798 , also known as the United Irishmen Rebellion , was an uprising in 1798, lasting several months, against British rule in Ireland...
, which involved many Presbyterians in East Ulster, is known as The Ballycarry Martyr. His brother John was transported for his part in the Rising and became a successful architect in Virginia and a personal friend of President Thomas Jefferson. - William James Hume, local farmer, poet and entertainer, was author of a popular 1940s Ulster folksong The Muttonburn Stream, which is a local river lying to the north west of Ballycarry. He died in 1948.
- William Calwell, who emigrated from Ulster to California, returned to the village after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and brought back architects plans for basement style bungalows, some of which still remain in the village and are unique in Northern Ireland. He was also one of the founders of a co-operative creamery in the community, which continued to operate under the Dale Farm company until the 1990s. Calwell was also a local poet and died on his 90th birthday.
- The late Michelin StarMichelin GuideThe Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
chef Robbie MillarRobbie MillarRobbie Millar was a chef and restaurateur from Ballycarry in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.Millar started his career at restaurants in Corfu, Zurich and London before returning to Northern Ireland to work in Paul Rankin's Roscoff restaurant in Belfast...
was from Ballycarry. - The graves of over 50 locally notable figures are documented in "The Templecorran Project: an historic guide to Templecorran cemetery, Ballycarry" by David Hume and John W Nelson (1999), providing a historical trail through the old cemetery in the village.
Transport
Ballycarry railway stationBallycarry railway station
Ballycarry railway station serves Ballycarry and Islandmagee in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.A single platform now with a corrugated iron shelter and sometimes a street lamp, this station is a sorry reflection of its former glory as a passing loop on the way to Larne. The stationmaster's cottage...
was opened on 1 October 1862. The railway station is located about a mile from the village.
2001 Census
Ballycarry is classified as a small village or hamlet by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)(i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 981 people living in Ballycarry. Of these:- 23.1% were aged under 16 years and 15.1% were aged 60 and over
- 50.2% of the population were male and 49.9% were female
- 2.9% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 92.3% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 3.8% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service