BALLYMONEY

Irish Baile Monaidh town, seat, and district (established 1973), formerly within County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The town of Ballymoney, located on the eastern side of the valley on a tributary of the River Bann, was the birthplace of James McKinley, grandfather of the U.S. president William McKinley. The town preserves a marketplace of 1775 and an old parish church (1637). Ballymoney town is now a thriving agricultural centre with textile and engineering industries as well as several bacon- and ham-processing plants. Ballymoney district covers an area of 162 square miles (419 square km) and is bordered by the districts of Coleraine to the west, Moyle to the north and east, and Ballymena and Magherafelt to the south. From the eastern border of the district, the Antrim Mountains gradually descend to the Bann valley in the west. Significant quantities of potatoes, barley, and livestock (mostly pigs) are produced in the district. Primary roads connect Ballymoney town with the towns of Coleraine to the northwest and Ballymena to the southeast. Pop. (1981) town, 5,679; (1987 est.) district, 23,800.