Ballyclare is a busy market town in County Antrim with a great sense of community, making it ideal for commuters and perfectly suited for young couples and families.
TRAVEL
The town is just minutes from the M2 motorway being adjacent to the A57 and is an ideal location for commuting to Belfast, Antrim and further afield.
LIVING
Ballyclare offers a vibrant mixture of specialist independent shops, popular coffee shops and a wide selection of cafes and restaurants. The day-to-day essentials are also within easy reach from butchers to greengrocers, hairdressers to beauticians and fashion to homeware shops.
LEISURE
The town centre has a leisure centre, with swimming pool, slides lazy river and gym. The attractive local park offers entertainment for all the family, with a play park, tennis courts and numerous walkways there’s something for everyone. All this set in the backdrop of the Sixmile River which runs through the park.
For those seeking quality recreational activities there is an abundance of choice right on the town’s doorstep. Golfers have a choice of two local courses and for anglers there are a number of well stocked fisheries in the area. Other activities available locally include horse riding, archery, walking and indoor football. Organised sports also feature heavily in the local area with popular football, rugby, hockey, cricket, running, cycling and athletic clubs nearby. Ballyclare offers a welcoming rural location with easy access to the city making it a great location to set up home.
HISTORY
Ballyclare lies on the Six Mile Water Valley and owes its origins to being a crossing point on the river. The broad main street dates from the 17th century and in the towns picturesque centre is the market square and Town Hall. Developed from the old Market House it is now the focal point for both locals and visitors.
Ballyclare has been a settlement area for over six thousand years, with historic flint arrow heads dated to that era being discovered during a construction project North of the river in 1968.
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 travelled six miles so began to call the Ollar the Six Mile Water.