History of Ballymena

Ballymena, referred to as the ’City of the Seven Towers’ has long been known as an administrative, marketing and business centre with flourishing industries. It has all the appearance of a modern town yet it is quite an ancient place with a lengthy history.

By the end of the 18th Century Ballymena had some 800 residents and five streets, Castle Street, Bridge Street, Mill Street, Church Street and Shambles Street (now called Linenhall Street). These formed a cross to the north of the river where the heart of the town now is. By 1824 the town’s population was given as 3000.

To control the growing town, a Board of Town Commissioners was set up in 1854, under the Towns Improvement Act. The Board introduced piped water and improved and lit the streets. Through the years of the 19th century, there were other changes and improvements in communications which linked Ballymena to Belfast and Londonderry by rail.

Ballymena assumed Urban District status at the end of the 19th century, the first council meeting being held in January, 1900. So proud of their town were the councillors that they very nearly succeeded in having the county headquarters transferred, in 1905, from Belfast to Ballymena. However, sixty years later, this did happen and a fine new County Hall was built along Galgorm Road. In December 1937 the town became, by character, a Borough and it retained this status until the Local Government changes of 1973 which saw that authority merge with the surrounding territory of the Ballymena Rural District to form the present district - now itself given Borough status.