Ballymena factfile

How to get there
Set in the Glens of Antrim on the banks of the River Braid, Ballymena is easily accessible from the M2 motorway. It's 30 minutes from Belfast International Airport, 40 minutes from George Best Belfast City Airport, and two hours from Dublin Airport.

Ballymena in history
Although settled for much longer, the town of Ballymena really took off after 1626. That was when King Charles I gave the land to Scotsman William Adair in exchange for a pledge that the town would hold two annual fairs and a free Saturday market ever after. And it still does.

Since then, Ballymena has been an important administrative and business centre. It was an important centre of the 18th-century linen industry, and remains firmly attached to its farming, agricultural and textile industries.

Famous people from Ballymena
Ballymena boasts as its sons Ian Paisley, founder of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Hollywood star Liam Neeson, and Northern Ireland international footballer Steven Davis.

Shopping in Ballymena
As you'd expect from a town that bills itself as the number one shopping town in Northern Ireland, Ballymena boasts a huge range of high-street names and independent retailers.

There's the Tower Centre in the town centre, the Fairhill Shopping Centre plus the Saturday market, The Fairhill. And, at The Showgrounds, the town holds the largest two-day agricultural show in all Ireland.

Things to see and do around Ballymena
In the neighbouring village of Cullybackey is the restored ancestral home of Chester Alan Arthur, the 21st American president. Just west of Ballymena is Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey, built by the Cistercian Order.

Famous landmarks in Ballymena
Ballymena is known locally as the City of the Seven Towers. Of these seven landmark buildings, however, only the Old Parish Church, St Patrick's Church and All Saints Roman Catholic Church remain. The Pentagon is a circle where five roads meet just in front of the The Adair Arms, the oldest hotel in Ballymena.

Natural beauty spots around Ballymena
Slemish Mountain is a 438m (1,437ft) high volcanic plug that overlooks Ballymena. This is where a young St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, tended pigs in the fifth century AD.

Sports and leisure in Ballymena
In and around Ballymena you'll find a wide range of facilities for golf, football, tennis, walking, cycling and water sports. There are several large parks and activity centres too.

Entertainment in Ballymena
Ballymena is home to The Braid arts centre, supporting a wide range of music, drama and the visual arts.