The name of the town of Ballymena comes from the Irish Gaelic “An Baile Meadhonach” meaning “middle townland”. Ballymena is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census.

It is an area rich in history, you’ll notice many ancient buildings, churches and historical sites in the town and the surrounding villages of Gracehill, Cullybackey, Kells and Portglenone. 
The first recorded history of this area dates to the early Christian period between 5th – 7th centuries; however archaeologists have uncovered artifacts which are reputed to date from the Bronze Age. 
There are still many historic buildings in the town. The Town Hall was built in 1924 on the site of the old Market House. The Town Hall has just recently be refurbished in 2007 at a cost of approx £20 million.

The town of Ballymena is built on land given to the Adair family by King Charles 1 in 1626, on the provison that the town holds two annual fairs and a free Saturday market in perpetuity. Almost four hundred years on, the town upholds its promise; the Saturday market still runs now behine the new leisurer centrein the twon, and for one day in June, the town’s Ballymena Showgrounds plays host to one of the largest agricultural shows in Ireland.