Ballycraigy

Ballycraigy (from Irish: Baile Craigeach, meaning "Craigstown") is a townland in the Civil Parish of Carnmoney in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located near the Sandyknowes Junction where the A8 motorway spur diverges from the M2 motorway. The neighbouring townlands are Kingsbog, Ballyearl and Ballyhenry to the east, Ballyrobert, Carnanee and Craigarogan to the west and Ballyvesey to the south. To the north it is bordered by the Belfast to Derry railway line.[1] The townlands is the site of the Ballycraigy Housing Estate in Antrim, south of Greystone and about ten miles (16 km) north of Belfast.[2]

Ballycraigy
Housing Estate
Coordinates: 54°42′31″N 6°10′41″W
Ballycraigy Bonfire Entrance to Ballycraigy housing estate in Antrim with the famed 11th of July bonfire ready to be lit.

Ballycraigy is well known for having its own band "Ballycraigy Sons of Ulster" with purple/lilac attire for their uniform. The Ballycraigy estate is made up of mostly Protestant religious groups. Every 12 July many of them celebrate by lighting a bonfire in the centre of the estate.[3] In 2007 there was a legal threat over the inclusion of hundreds of tyres in the bonfire with the fear that excessive toxic fumes would be emitted, however it was not possible to establish who had been involved in placing them there, and the bonfire was allowed to go ahead.[4]

On the Ballycraigy estate is a memorial garden dedicated to Billy Wright, leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force paramilitary organisation.[5]

Ballycraigy Manor, a country house with a tower and crenellated battlements was built here in 1869, the residence of James Chaine,[6] a businessman involved in shipping and a Conservative Party politician.[7]

Census

According to the census for Ballycraigy ward the estate has approximately 865 residents.[8]

References
  1. "Ballycraigy Townland, Co. Antrim". Townlands. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  2. "Ballycraigy Townland, Co. Antrim". www.townlands.ie. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  3. "Bonfires lit across Northern Ireland ahead of 12th marches". The Irish Times. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  4. "Legal threat over toxic bonfires". BBC News. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  5. "The law cannot make a man love me, but..." Belfast and Beyond. Amnesty International UK. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  6. "1869 – Ballycraigy Manor, Larne, Co. Antrim". Archiseek. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  7. Walker, Brian M., ed. (1978). Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1801–1922. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. p. 249. ISBN 0-901714-12-7.
  8. "Ballycraigy (Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.info. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
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