Ballymena – Paddy Duffy Collection

Ulster Day

2026-07-072026-07-20Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“We won’t have Home Rule.” Here is another view of the “Ulster Day” board seen previously in a gallery of five others. The heroes of the anti-Home Rule movement are Edward Carson (left) and James Craig (right). Carson and Craig were the first and third people to sign Ulster’s Solemn League And Covenant on September 28th, 1912.

For Ballymena during the Home Rule crisis, see History Ireland.

A few months later, in January 1913, the pair would found the Ulster Volunteers. The flags of the third (left) and second (right) battalions of the Central Antrim regiment of the Ulster Volunteers are in the bottom corners – see The Central Antrim Regiment. Ballymena men, however, joined the first battalion.

Painted by Dee Craig and mounted in Queen Street, Harryville, Ballymena.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Old Parish Church

2026-01-162026-02-19Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Old Parish Church (Church Of Ireland) was consecrated in 1721, and a tower and gallery added in 1821. It was last used for a service in 1855 when it was replaced by St Patrick’s Church (Church History Trail youtube). Since then, the Old Parish Church has lain derelict.

The wall-painting shown here is by Leanne McClelland (ig) in 2022 (Ballymena BID) in Church Street Arcade, off Church Street, Ballymena.

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Copyright © 2026 Paddy Duffy
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The Missing Of The Somme

2025-10-112025-11-07Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“When you go home tell them of us and say, ‘For your tomorrow we gave our today’.” The Thiepval Memorial commemorates British and South African soldiers who died in the Somme valley and have no known grave. The Battle Of the Somme took place from July 1st to November 18th, 1916, but soldiers were in the area from July 1915 until the end of the war; the Germans attacked in the Somme in the spring of 1918 (Operation Michael) and a second Battle Of The Somme took place in late August, 1918, as part of the Allies’ Hundred Days Offensive.

The words are from an epitaph by John Maxwell Edwards in the Kohima War Cemetery, Nagaland, India.

Crebilly Road, Ballykeel 1, Ballymena

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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Ballymena Town Hall

2025-09-212026-05-12Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Here are two shutter paintings of bygone Ballymena: above is Ballymena Town Hall, which has been rebuilt on multiple occasions; pictured above are the hall in its present form, since 1918, and its previous incarnation.

Below is the view looking up Bridge Street, with the old town hall in the middle.

Both of these are on shutters in the modern Bridge Street. tThere are also shutters painted with Mill St, Ballymena.

The owl is in Church Street while the butterfly and nature pair are in Broughshane Street (at Blossom & Birch and The Venue).

The two commercial pieces (final two images, below) are by Sam McAleese for Ballymena BID (LoveBelfast). (For others, see Midtown Makers.)

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Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
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The Men From Harryville

2025-09-212025-10-14Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This entry updates 2023’s Harryville Says No with images of two additional boards/plaques erected by the 12th Battalion Royal Irish Rifles Memorial Association (Fb), “in honour of the men from Harryville [Ballymena] who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Battle Of The Somme from 1st July to 18th November 1916”.

“Remembering 57386 Sergeant John McNabney, formerly of No 9 Larne Street, 36th Divisional signal company, awarded the distinguished conduct medal, military medal with bar, and mentioned in despatches.” McNabney’s career and many decorations are described in Ballymena Guardian | Your Lurgan.

Larne Street and Waring Street, Ballymena