Ballynure
Encyclopedia
Ballynure is a village
near Ballyclare
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. It had a population of 677 people in the 2001 Census
.
The village is effectively split in two by the A8 main road, which runs from Belfast
to Larne
. A stream called the Ballynure Water runs through it and the houses are a mixture of old fashioned buildings and new estates. Christ Church, Church of Ireland
is one of the old buildings of note in Ballynure.
The Ballynure Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in all Newtownabbey and second oldest in all Antrim.
The blacksmiths in Ballynure (lying on the corner of The Old Larne Road) is the oldest building in all Northern Ireland still being used for its original purpose.
, the writer of Gulliver's Travels, was responsible for the Ballynure parish of the Church of Ireland
, during his time as prebend of Kilroot
.
The Clements family, who lived at Clements Hill outside the village, were the ancestors of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Twain, who was author of works including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was described by William Faulkner as 'the father of American literature.' His grandfather Samuel Clemens emigrated to America and Twain was born in Florida, Missouri, in November 1835. One of his ancestors, Henry Clements, was Mayor of Carrickfergus in 1696 and another is said to have fought for William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne six years earlier.
In 2007 Ballynure started a fair, which is now known as the "Yearly Ballynure fair". Along with Ballyclares "May Fair" this fair is one of the very few yearly fairs in the U.K. where animals can be bought, although unlike the "May Fair" (which sells horses) the Ballynure Fair has only been known to sell cows.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
near Ballyclare
Ballyclare
Ballyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,770 people in the 2001 Census...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It had a population of 677 people in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
.
The village is effectively split in two by the A8 main road, which runs from Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
to Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
. A stream called the Ballynure Water runs through it and the houses are a mixture of old fashioned buildings and new estates. Christ Church, Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
is one of the old buildings of note in Ballynure.
Transport
- Ballynure was formerly served by the Ballymena and Larne RailwayBallymena and Larne RailwayThe Ballymena and Larne Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The first part opened in July 1877 and regular passenger services began in August 1878, the first on the three foot Irish narrow gauge...
, a narrow gauge railway. Ballynure railway station opened on 24 August 1878, but finally closed on 1 October 1930.
2001 Census
Ballynure is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with a population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 677 people living in Ballynure. Of these:- 22.3% were aged under 16 and 15.8% were aged 60 and over
- 48.2% of the population were male and 51.9% were female
- 3.0% were from a CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
background and 95.0% were from a ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
background - 1.4% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
Places of interest
The Ballynure Elementary School for Primary Education (often known simply as Ballynure Primary School) is only school in the village and surrounding areas until Ballyclare. It is also one of six schools in Northern Ireland classed as "Elementary Schools". The School was founded in 1930.The Ballynure Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in all Newtownabbey and second oldest in all Antrim.
The blacksmiths in Ballynure (lying on the corner of The Old Larne Road) is the oldest building in all Northern Ireland still being used for its original purpose.
Additional information
Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift was an Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St...
, the writer of Gulliver's Travels, was responsible for the Ballynure parish of the Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
, during his time as prebend of Kilroot
Kilroot
Kilroot is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies to the east of Eden, on the outskirts of Carrickfergus on the northern shore of Belfast Lough. It is within the Carrickfergus Borough Council area.-History:...
.
The Clements family, who lived at Clements Hill outside the village, were the ancestors of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. Twain, who was author of works including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was described by William Faulkner as 'the father of American literature.' His grandfather Samuel Clemens emigrated to America and Twain was born in Florida, Missouri, in November 1835. One of his ancestors, Henry Clements, was Mayor of Carrickfergus in 1696 and another is said to have fought for William of Orange at the Battle of the Boyne six years earlier.
In 2007 Ballynure started a fair, which is now known as the "Yearly Ballynure fair". Along with Ballyclares "May Fair" this fair is one of the very few yearly fairs in the U.K. where animals can be bought, although unlike the "May Fair" (which sells horses) the Ballynure Fair has only been known to sell cows.