Ballymoney (borough)

Ballymoney Borough
Buirg Bhaile Monaidh
Ballymoney Borough Buirg Bhaile Monaidh;
Area	418 km2 (161 sq mi) ; Ranked 17th of 26
District HQ	Ballymoney
Catholic	31.8%
Protestant	63.1%
Country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Councillors	MLAs; North Antrim ; DUP: 3 ; Sinn Féin: 1 ; TUV: 1 ; UUP: 1; MPs; Ian Paisley, Jr. (DUP);
Website	www.ballymoney.gov.uk
	List of places UK Northern Ireland

Ballymoney was a local government district with borough status in Northern Ireland. It was headquartered in Ballymoney. Other towns in the borough included Dervock, Dunloy, Cloughmills and Rasharkin. The borough had a population of 31,224 according to the 2011 census.

In May 2015 it was merged with the boroughs of Coleraine and Limavady and the District of Moyle to form the Causeway Coast and Glens district.

Creation

Ballymoney was one of twenty-six districts created on 1 October 1973. It took over the areas Ballymoney Urban District Council and most of the surrounding Ballymoney Rural District in County Antrim.^[1]

Borough council

The borough was divided into three electoral areas which between them returned 16 members. These were Ballymoney Town (5), Bann Valley (6) and Bushvale (5). Elections were conducted under the proportional representation single transferable vote system, and elections of the whole council were normally held every four years. The election due to take place in May 2009 was postponed in anticipation of the creation of eleven new councils in 2011.^[2] The proposed reforms were abandoned in 2010, and the most recent district council elections took place in 2011^[3]

As of February 2012 the political composition of the last council was: 8 Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), 3 Sinn Féin, 2 Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), 1 Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), 1 Traditional Unionist Voice and 1 independent.^[4]

In 1977 Ballymoney District Council successfully petitioned for a grant of a charter of incorporation, constituting the district a borough.^[5]

Mayor of Ballymoney

The charter also created the office of mayor, who was chosen for a one-year term at the council's annual meeting.

Year	Name	Political affiliation		Deputy	Deputy's affiliation
1977–81	Mary J. Holmes	rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color\|	[[Independent (politician)\|Template:Independent (politician)/meta/shortname]]	Robert McComb style="width: 2px; background-color: #DCDCDC;" data-sort-value="Independent (politician)" \|	Independent
1981–84	Mary J. Holmes	Charles Steele style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|		DUP
1985–86	Charles Steele style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Joe Gaston style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist
1986–87	Joe Gaston	rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Ulster Unionist Party/meta/color\|	[[Ulster Unionist Party\|Template:Ulster Unionist Party/meta/shortname]]	James Patterson style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
1986–87	Joe Gaston	Robert Halliday style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|		DUP
1988–89	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	William Logan style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist
1990–93	Joe Gaston	rowspan=3 bgcolor=Template:Ulster Unionist Party/meta/color\|	[[Ulster Unionist Party\|Template:Ulster Unionist Party/meta/shortname]]	Samuel McConaghie style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
		Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|		DUP
		Malachy McCamphill style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" \|		SDLP
1994–95	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Robert Wilson style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
1996–97	Joe Gaston style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist	Samuel McConaghie style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
1997–98	Frank Campbell	rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Unionist Party/meta/color\|	[[Democratic Unionist Party\|Template:Democratic Unionist Party/meta/shortname]]	William Logan style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist
1997–98	Frank Campbell	Samuel McConaghie style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|		DUP
1999–00	William Logan style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist	Bill Kennedy style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2000–01	Bill Kennedy	rowspan=2 bgcolor=Template:Democratic Unionist Party/meta/color\|	[[Democratic Unionist Party\|Template:Democratic Unionist Party/meta/shortname]]	Samuel McConaghie style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2000–01	Bill Kennedy	John Finlay style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|		DUP
2002–03	Frank Campbell style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2004–05	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Ian Stevenson style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2006–07	John Finlay style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2007 – 08^[6]	John Finlay style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Harry Connolly style="width: 2px; background-color: #2AA82C;" data-sort-value="Social Democratic and Labour Party" \|	SDLP
2008 – 09^[6]	John Finlay style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2009 – 10^[7]	Frank Campbell style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2010 – 11^[4]	Bill Kennedy style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2011 – 12^[4]	Ian Stevenson style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Thomas McKeown style="width: 2px; background-color: #48A5EE;" data-sort-value="Ulster Unionist Party" \|	Ulster Unionist
2012 – 13^[4]	Evelyne L Robinson style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Cecil Cousley style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP
2013 -^[4]	John Finlay style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP	Ian Stevenson style="width: 2px; background-color: #D46A4C;" data-sort-value="Democratic Unionist Party" \|	DUP

Source: Freedom of Information request to Ballymoney Borough Council

Freedom of the town

In 2012 the Royal Irish Regiment and 152 (Ulster) Transport Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps (Volunteers) were awarded the freedom of Ballymoney by the council. On both occasions the regiments held special marches through the town to celebrate the awards. Previous recipients of the award include the Royal Ulster Constabulary, Fire Brigade, Joey Dunlop, his brother Robert and former MP for the area Ian Paisley.^[8]^[9]

Town twinning

In 2000, Ballymoney Borough Council twinned with the French town of Vanves. Since 2001, the council has been a sister city of Benbrook in Texas and building on its motorcycling history, is also linked to the borough of Douglas, Isle of Man.

Parliamentary and assembly representation

Together with the neighbouring districts of Ballymena and Moyle, it forms the North Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Former Councillors that went on to become MLAs included Philip McGuigan Mervyn Storey and Daithi McKay.

Demographics

The borough has the highest life expectancy of any area in Northern Ireland, with the average male life expectancy at birth being 79.0 years and 82.6 years for females.^[10]

References

^ Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971
^ Northern Ireland elections are postponed, BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008
^ "The executive fails to agree a deal on council reform". BBC News. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Ballymoney Council members". Ballymoney Borough Council. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
^ Letters Patent bearing date the 18th day of February 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Ballymoney." "No. 2920". The Belfast Gazette. 4 March 1977. pp. 566–567.
^ ^a ^b "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 19 June 2008" (PDF). Ballymoney Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011.
^ "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 18 June 2009" (PDF). Ballymoney Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011.
^ "RIR given freedom of Ballymoney" BBC News 12 May 2012
^ "152 Tpt Regt RLC(V) given freedom of Ballymoney" Ballymoney Times 5 September 2012
^ Life Expectency Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine

External links

Ballymoney Borough Council

55°4′15″N 6°30′28″W / 55.07083°N 6.50778°W / 55.07083; -6.50778

[1] Local Government (Boundaries) Act (Northern Ireland) 1971

[2] Northern Ireland elections are postponed, BBC News, April 25, 2008, accessed April 27, 2008

[3] "The executive fails to agree a deal on council reform". BBC News. 15 June 2010. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.

[council-4] "Ballymoney Council members". Ballymoney Borough Council. Archived from the original on 11 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.

[5] Letters Patent bearing date the 18th day of February 1977, have passed the Great Seal of Northern Ireland, granting a Charter of Incorporation to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Ballymoney." "No. 2920". The Belfast Gazette. 4 March 1977. pp. 566–567.

[agm08-6] "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 19 June 2008" (PDF). Ballymoney Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011.

[7] "Minutes of Annual General Meeting 18 June 2009" (PDF). Ballymoney Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011.

[8] "RIR given freedom of Ballymoney" BBC News 12 May 2012

[9] "152 Tpt Regt RLC(V) given freedom of Ballymoney" Ballymoney Times 5 September 2012

[10] Life Expectency Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine

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v t e Districts of Northern Ireland, 1972–2015
Councils	Antrim Ards Armagh Ballymena Ballymoney Banbridge Belfast Carrickfergus Castlereagh Coleraine Cookstown Craigavon Derry Down Dungannon and South Tyrone Fermanagh Larne Limavady Lisburn Magherafelt Moyle Newry and Mourne Newtownabbey North Down Omagh Strabane
Districts	Antrim Ards Armagh Ballymena Ballymoney Banbridge Belfast Carrickfergus Castlereagh Coleraine Cookstown Craigavon Derry Down Dungannon and South Tyrone Fermanagh Larne Limavady Lisburn Magherafelt Moyle Newry and Mourne Newtownabbey North Down Omagh Strabane