Ballyclare
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Ballyclare (Bealach Cláir in Irish) is a small town in the Six Mile Valley, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. People have lived here for five thousand years. Invaders included Vikings and Normans. The earliest evidence of people in this area is a horde of flint arrow heads found when houses were being built north of the river in November 1968. There are 39 flints - some perfectly finished and others are blank indicating an 'industry' and trading here near the river crossing over four thousand years ago.
When the Normans built the castle at Carrickfergus they placed a line of outposts along the river which was then called the "Ollar "- River of the Rushes. In time the soldiers making the journey from Carrickfergus to Antrim reached the river at this spot when they had traveled six miles so began to call the Ollar the Six Mile Water. One of these mottes is close by the river in the War Memorial Park in Ballyclare. There are two on opposite sides of the river at Doagh and one at Antrim. The village grew after the Plantation of Ulster and was granted permission by George 11 in 1756 to hold two fairs each year making it an important market centre.
At the same time as the Pilgrim Fathers landed in America it was finally settled by Scots planters. Jonathan Swift preached here and it was from here the families of Mark Twain, Sam Houston and General Alexander Macomb left for America. The people of Ballyclare and the surrounding villages played a part in the Rising of 1798 and fought in the Battle of Antrim. At the beginning of the Twentieth Century Ballyclare was a growing industrial town with an Urban Council and became the largest paper producer in Ireland. It had a narrow gauge rail link to Larne and a broad gauge connection to Belfast.
Archibald McIlroy's novel "When Lint Was In The Bell" is a light-hearted, lightly fictionalized chronicle of life in 19th-century Ballyclare.
Ballyclare is home to two famous schools - Ballyclare High School and Ballyclare Secondary School.
The May Fair
Ballyclare May Fair occurs on a Tuesday in May every year, and is part of a week of festivities. The tradition stems from a grant by Geroge 11 to hold two yearly fairs, although only the May Fair now survives. The fair began as a local horse fair, but representatives of cavalry regiments came from all over Europe came to buy as the reputation of the fair spread. The fair's heyday ended with the First World War, but is still a well-loved event in the town.
The May Fair is one of the few horse fairs now left in the country. The Main Street is sanded down and given over to horse selling for the day. However, there is now a variety of modern amusements in the square. Other events include the Mayor's Parade, followed by sports, street events, concerts and exhibitions. Local shops compete for the best dressed window, and children take part in Fancy Dress Competitions and the Duck Race.
A May Fair Queen is chosen to represent the town over the next year.
- See also: List of towns in Northern Ireland