Ballykeel (from Irish An Baile Caol, meaning "the narrow townland/farmstead") is a townland, containing a large housing estate off the Crebilly Road in South-East

Ballymena Ballymena ( ; from ga, an Baile Meánach , meaning 'the middle townland') is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is part of the Borough of Mid and East Antrim. The town is built on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I i ...

, County Antrim, in Northern Ireland.

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 houses parallel to the street, as well as 2 or 3 storey blocks of

flats Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Flat (housing), an apartment in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), ...

maisonettes An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ...

. Ballykeel 2 is built in the

Radburn Radburn may refer to: Places *Radburn, New Jersey, an American suburb and the basis for later housing planning designs known as 'Radburn estates' *Radburn (NJT station), railway station People *Jade Radburn, English football defender *Will Radbur ...

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 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 mills and factories, many workers were left unemployed, 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. Even so, unemployment,

drug abuse Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of a drug in amounts or by methods which are harmful to the individual or others. It is a form of substance-related disorder. Differing definitions of drug abuse are used in public health, ...

, and

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of unhealthy alcohol drinking behaviors, ranging from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, in extreme cases resulting in health problems for individuals and large scale social problems such as alcohol-relat ...

are still problems on the estate.

Amenities

Between the two estates area playing pitches and a park, Ballykeel Primary School, Ballykeel Youth Centre, a playgroup and a few retail premises. On the opposite side of the road is Ballykeel Presbyterian Church, with the other Church on the estate, Ballykeel Pentecostal 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" with blue and red attire for their uniform. Most people who live in Ballykeel are from a Protestant background. Every year on the night before the 12th of July, large

bonfire A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration. Etymology The earliest recorded uses of the word date back to the late 15th century, with the Catho ...

s are lit in Ballykeel 1 and Ballykeel 2 by loyalists. 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

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

s .

References

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