Ballyskeagh

Village near Belfast, Northern Ireland

Human settlement in Northern Ireland

List of places: UK; Northern Ireland; Down

54°32′02″N 6°00′19″W / 54.53389°N 6.00528°W / 54.53389; -6.00528

Ballyskeagh (from Irish Baile Sceach, meaning 'townland of thorn bushes')^[1] is a small village and townland situated between Lambeg and Drumbeg in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 186 people. It lies within the Lagan Valley Regional Park and the Lisburn City Council area.

Places of interest

Ballyskeagh Bridge, a sandstone arched bridge situated over the Lagan Canal, was built between 1760 and 1779 by Thomas Omer, engineer in charge of the canal.^[2] It is a listed building.^[3]
McIlroy Park, connecting the Lagan towpath to Ballyskeagh and Dunmurry, was named after local footballer Jimmy McIlroy.^[4]^[5]
The Lock Keeper’s House, also built between 1760 and 1779, is a privately owned listed building.^[6]
To the west of the Lock Keeper's House, an enclosure, probably a rath, is situated.^[7]

Sport

Ballyskeagh is the home of New Grosvenor Stadium, the football stadium of Lisburn Distillery F.C., which is also used as a greyhound racing stadium under the name Drumbo Park.

Notable residents

Jimmy McIlroy^[5]

References

^ Placenames NI Archived 26 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Bridges". laganvalley.co.uk. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ "HB19/09/007". Buildings Database. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ "McIlroy Park". outdoorni.com. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Football legend McIlroy 'honoured and embarrassed' by New Year MBE". Ulster Star. 4 January 2011. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ "HB19/09/003". Buildings Database. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ "SMR Number DOW 008:001". Northern IReland Sites and Monuments Record. Retrieved 19 July 2018.