Ballykelly, County Londonderry

"For other places with the same name, see Ballykelly"Infobox UK place
official_name= Ballykelly
irish_name= Baile Uí Cheallaigh
scots_name=
static_

static_image_caption=The village centre, located on the A2
map_type= Northern Ireland
latitude= 55.0445
longitude= -7.01576
population= 1,836 (2001 Census)
irish_grid_reference=
unitary_northern_ireland= Limavady Borough
country= Northern Ireland
post_town= LIMAVADY
postcode_area= BT
postcode_district= BT49
dial_code= 028
constituency_westminster= East Londonderry
lieutenancy_northern_ireland= County Londonderry
website=

Ballykelly (derive|Irish|Baile Uí Cheallaigh|Kellystown) is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies 4km (3 miles) west of Limavady on the main A2 road Derry to Limavady, and 23km from Derry. It is designated as a Large Village and by 2001 the population of Ballykelly (excluding Walworth) was 1,827.cite web | title=Ballykelly Settlement Designation | work=Planning Service - Draft Northern Area Plan 2016 | url=http://www.planningni.gov.uk/AreaPlans_Policy/Plans/Northern/draft_plan/Volume2/Part6/Villages/Ballykelly1.htm | accessdate=2008-06-21] It lies within the Limavady Borough Council area.

Features

It contains some of the most interesting buildings erected in Ulster by the Plantation companies, being largely developed by the London Company of Fishmongers through the 18th century and 19th century. It features Tamlaghtfinlagan Parish Church, built by Earl Frederick Hervey, 18th Century Bishop of Derry, amongst many traditional buildings. The Presbyterian Church, Drummond Hotel and North West Independent Hospital, were all built by the London Company of Fishmongers. [cite web | title=Ballykelly | work=Limavady Borough Council | url=http://www.limavady.gov.uk/visiting/towns-and-villages/ballykelly/ | accessdate=2008-06-21] The village enjoys views across Lough Foyle to Inishowen in County Donegalcite web | title=Ballykelly | work=Culture Northern Ireland | url=http://www.culturenorthernireland.org/YourArea.aspx?location=453 | accessdate=2008-06-21] and is bordered by Ballykelly Forest which was the first State Forest in Northern Ireland. Although there are good health and educational facilities available, there is only a limited retail sector relative to the population of the village.

Politics

The village lies within the East Londonderry constituency and is represented by Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) member, Gregory Campbell

History

The origins of the village were as a Plantation settlement. The development of the nearby World War II airfield greatly enhanced the size and significance of the village. There has been considerable expansion throughout the post-War period, particularly since the 1990s, with a series of private residential developments west of the historic core along Clooney Road.

RAF Ballykelly opened in 1941 as a base for RAF Coastal Command. It closed in 1971 and the site was handed over to the British Army, who renamed it Shackleton Barracks. The Army is due to leave Shackleton Barracks in early spring 2008. During World War II an RAF bomber on a training run clipped a telephone line behind a church in Ballykelly and crashed, claiming the lives of the crew.

During the Northern Irish Troubles the Droppin Well bombing occurred in Ballykelly, killing 17 people in a local disco and bar. Although one of the most fatal single incidents of the conflict, it was the only fatal Troubles-related incident to take place in Ballykelly.

Places of interest

*Ballykelly Forest is located west of the village. The land was purchased in 1910 and it became the first state forest in Northern Ireland, with the planting of 11 acres of Douglas-fir commencing in 1912. It now has walking trails. [cite web | title=Ballykelly Forest | work=Forest Service | url=http://www.forestserviceni.gov.uk/index/forests-in-northern-ireland/forests-in-the-north-district/ballykelly-forest.htm | accessdate=2008-06-21] It was also known as the Camman Wood and was a popular haunt for highwaymen terrorising the coach road from Coleraine to Derry. [cite web | title=Ballykelly Forest | work=Walk Northern Ireland | url=http://www.walkni.com/Walk.aspx?ID=163 | accessdate=2008-06-21]
*Between Limavady and Ballykelly is Rough Fort, one of the best preserved earthworks in the province. It covers approximately one acre and was one of the first properties to be acquired by the National Trust in Northern Ireland.
*Nearby is Sampson's Tower, a fortified structure built by public subscription in memory of Arthur Sampson who for 40 years was an agent of the London Worshipful Company of Fishmongers.
*The village hosts Shackleton Barracks, which became famous when a commercial airliner on a Ryanair service landed there by mistake on 29 March 2006, instead of at City of Derry Airport [cite web | title=BBC News Northern Ireland| work=Plane lands at airbase by mistake | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4857962.stm | accessdate=2007-01-24]

Demographics

Ballykelly is classified as a village by the [http://www.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Statistics and Research Agency] (NISRA) (i.e., with a population of between 1,000 and 2,250 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,836 people living in Ballykelly. Of these:
*27.8% were aged under 16 and 11.3% were aged 60 and over
*49.6% of the population were male and 50.4% were female
*59.6% were from a Catholic background and 39.0% were from a Protestant background
*6.9% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: [http://www.ninis.nisra.gov.uk/ NI Neighbourhood Information Service]

Transport

*Ballykelly has good road links to Derry and Limavady. The City of Derry Airport is only 9km to the west. It is adequately served in terms of public transport connections. A proposed Ballykelly by-pass would, when constructed, provide a 7km single carriageway road taking the bulk of through traffic away from the village. Construction is due between 2013 and 2018. [cite web | title=A2 Ballykelly Bypass | work=Northern Ireland Roads Site | url=http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a2ballykelly.html | accessdate=2008-06-21]
*The Broharris Canal was constructed in the 1820s when a cut, some 2 miles long on the south shore of Lough Foyle near Ballykelly was made in the direction of Limavady. It served both as a drainage channel and a navigation with goods being brought from the port of Derry, and shellfish and kelp from the sand banks along the shore.
*Ballykelly railway station opened on 29 December 1852, but finally closed on 20 September 1954. [cite web | title=Ballykelly station| work=Railscot - Irish Railways | url=http://www.railscot.co.uk/Ireland/Irish_railways.pdf | accessdate=2007-09-11]

Education

*Ballykelly Primary School
*Glasvey Special School

Religion

*Ballykelly Presbyterian Church was built in 1827 by the Fishmongers Company, London and is a listed grade A building. It has a growing congregation of over 240 families. [cite web | title=Ballykelly Presbyterian Church | work=Congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland | url=http://www.presbyterianireland.org/congregations/ballykelly.html | accessdate=2008-06-25]

People

*Novelist William Makepeace Thackeray travelled through the village during his Irish tour in 1842. He wrote about the Presbyterian Church, championing its architecture over the ‘sham-Gothic ecclesiastical edifices’ which were apparently in Ireland at the time.

ee also

* Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Londonderry)
* List of villages in Northern Ireland
* List of towns in Northern Ireland

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/londonderry/ballykelly_village.shtml BBC Your Place and Mine: Ballykelly, Co. Derry - A Model Plantation Village]