Ballyclare factfile

How to get to Ballyclare
Surrounded by the villages of Ballynure, Ballyeaston, Straid and Doagh, Ballyclare lies about 21 km (13 mi) north of Belfast, just off the A57 Templepatrick Road. Ports at Belfast and Larne are less than half an hour away by road, as is Belfast International Airport.

Ballyclare's claim to fame
Ballyclare has a reputation for pulling out the stops every year for its May Day celebrations. The Ballyclare May Fair forms part of the town's week-long festivities, a combination of a traditional fair and festival attractions, culminating in a grand fireworks display.

The fair also plays host to one of Ireland's oldest horse fairs, with horse dealers from all over the country flocking to the town for the Tuesday of May Fair week.

How Ballyclare got its name
"Ballyclare" is the anglicised version of the Irish Bealach Cláir, meaning way or pass of the plain.

Ballyclare through the ages
People have been living in Ballyclare for 5,000 years. The town has witnessed both Viking and Norman invasions, and when the Normans built a castle at Carrickfergus, they placed outposts or mottes along the Ollar river.

Ballyclare grew after the Plantation of Ulster, boosted by a decree from King George II in 1765 that allowed the town to hold two fairs each year, establishing it as an important trading centre.

The people of Ballyclare played an active part in the Battle of Antrim during the Irish Rebellion of 1798. But by the early 20th century the town had settled into a role as a booming industrial town and became the largest paper producer in Ireland.

Sports and leisure in Ballyclare
Ballyclare offers lots of opportunities to play sport, including rugby, hockey and golf. The town is also home to the Ballyclare Comrades Football Club. The Six Mile Leisure Centre in Ballyclare features a lazy river and 48 m (157 ft) waterslide, along with a spa and health and fitness suite. Horse riding is available year-round.

Things to see and do around Ballyclare
Near Ballyclare is the Stephenson Mausoleum, a monument described as a "miniature granite Mogul tomb". It was erected in 1837 in memory of four Ulster medical men and members of their family.

There's also the 13th-century Ballyclare Motte, one of the outposts built along the river by Norman soldiers. There are two more such mounds at Doagh and another at Antrim.