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.

The town is built on land given to the Adair family by King Charles I in 1626, on the basis that the town holds two annual fairs and a free Saturday market in perpetuity. The Saturday market still runs. The town used to host Ireland’s largest one day agricultural show at the Ballymena Showgrounds.

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. More about Ballymena here >