Ballykeel (from

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

An Baile Caol, meaning "the narrow townland/farmstead") is a townland, containing a large

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

off the Crebilly Road in South-East Ballymena,

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

, in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

History

The Ballykeel estate is divided into two separate estates, with the estate on the Western side known as "Ballykeel 1", built in 1962 to relieve overcrowding in Ballymena, and also to facilitate people coming into the town from the country to work in the factories in Ballymena. "Ballykeel 2" on the Eastern side, was built in 1972, due to further demand for housing. Ballykeel 1 comprises mainly rows of

terraced house In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United State ...

s parallel to the street, as well as 2 or 3 storey blocks of flats or maisonettes. Ballykeel 2 is built in the Radburn layout, with many of the terraced houses not facing the street, but onto a pedestrian path. Larger houses near the entrance of Ballykeel 2 show where the

factory A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. ...

managers once lived and the terraces where the workers lived. There are also some 2-storey blocks of flats in Ballykeel 2. In 2001, both the Ballykeel 1 and 2 estates were 0-10% Catholic.

Decline and regeneration

Due to the closure of many

mill Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...

s and

factories A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...

, many workers were left

unemployed Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

, and by the 1990s, many homes were empty and boarded up. In 2002 The Housing Executive demolished many houses in Ballykeel 2, leaving large green spaces behind. A derelict block of flats was turned into a

community centre Community centres, community centers, or community halls are public locations where members of a community tend to gather for group activities, social support, public information, and other purposes. They may sometimes be open for the whole co ...

. Even so,

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refere ...

, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse are still problems on the estate.

Amenities

Between the two estates area playing pitches and a park, Ballykeel

Primary School A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary e ...

, Ballykeel Youth Centre, a playgroup and a few retail premises. On the opposite side of the road is Ballykeel

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

Church, with the other Church on the estate, Ballykeel

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

Church, located inside Ballykeel 2. There are also some retail premises opposite Ballykeel 2, and some inside Ballykeel 1. Israel flags Ballymena

Culture

Ballykeel has its own Marching band "Ballykeel Loyal Sons of

Ulster Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...

" with blue and red attire for their uniform. Most people who live in Ballykeel are from a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

background. Every year on the night before the 12th of July, large bonfires are lit in Ballykeel 1 and Ballykeel 2 by

loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Cro ...

. At this time of year, red, white and blue bunting, Union Flags, Ulster Banners and flags of the UDA/UFF and the UVF are flown from homes or on lampposts, as well as many other flags .

References

{{coord missing, County Antrim Housing estates in Northern Ireland Ballymena County Antrim