Ballymoney
| Ballymoney | |
|---|---|
Ballymoney Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 11,048 (2021 census) |
| • Belfast | 48 mi (77 km) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BALLYMONEY |
| Postcode district | BT55 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
Ballymoney (Irish: Baile Monaidhⓘ [ˌbˠalʲə ˈmˠɔnˠə], meaning 'townland of the moor') is a town and civil parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area. The civil parish of Ballymoney is situated in the historic baronies of Dunluce Upper and Kilconway in County Antrim, as well as the barony of North East Liberties of Coleraine in County Londonderry. It had a population of 11,048 people at the 2021 census.
The town was established by Scottish settlers following the Tudor Conquest of Ulster at the beginning of the 17th. century. In the 18th. century, the townspeople supported the dissident Volunteer and United Irish movements. In the 19th. century, they supported tenant farmers in their agitation for tenant right and land ownership. On the question of Irish self-government and unity, the town, reflecting its Protestant majority, has been staunchly unionist.
The town hosts the Ballymoney Drama Festival, the oldest drama festival in Ireland, which was founded in 1933. The town also hosts the Ballymoney Show, one of the oldest agricultural shows in Northern Ireland, founded in 1902.