Ballymena’s 400th anniversary marked at Westminster as MP hails town’s proud legacy

Ballymena Town Hall, and (inset) North Antrim MP Jim Allister

Ballymena’s 400th anniversary has been marked at Westminster, with North Antrim MP Jim Allister tabling a House of Commons motion celebrating four centuries of the town and the generations of people who have helped shape it.

The parliamentary recognition comes on a landmark day for Ballymena — exactly 400 years since King Charles I granted the charter on 25 August 1626 which established the foundations of the market town that would grow into one of County Antrim’s principal commercial and industrial centres.

Mr Allister’s motion celebrates Ballymena’s journey from those early beginnings, recognising its continuing strength in commerce, independent retail and manufacturing, while specifically highlighting Wrightbus among the successful businesses associated with the town.

Ballymena’s 400 years recognised in Parliament

The motion, entitled 400th anniversary of Ballymena, states:

“That this House celebrates the 400th anniversary of Ballymena, noting that, on 25 August 1626, King Charles I granted the charter to the Adair family, which established Ballymena’s identity as a thriving market town at the heart of County Antrim; congratulates all who over the years and to this day have made Ballymena a leading commercial hub and centre for successful businesses, including Wrightbus; and looks forward to the continuing prosperity of the town and its people.”

The motion places Ballymena’s anniversary formally before the House of Commons during a year in which the town has been reflecting on its past while celebrating the people, businesses and organisations continuing to shape its future.

For Mr Allister, the anniversary is about more than the passing of four centuries. He said Ballymena’s story has been one of resilience through both difficult and prosperous periods, driven by generations of local people.

‘A momentous landmark’

Commenting on the anniversary, the North Antrim MP said:

“Today is a momentous landmark in the history of Ballymena. From the smallest of beginnings, the town, through hard times and good, has grown to become a renowned commercial hub, especially for independent traders, with accompanying manufacturing businesses of which Wrightbus is an enduring example.”

Ballymena’s reputation as a commercial centre remains a defining part of its identity, from the independent shops and family businesses which have served generations to major employers whose products have carried the town’s name far beyond Northern Ireland.

Wrightbus, singled out in the Commons motion, is among the most internationally recognisable examples. The Ballymena manufacturer has become a major name in zero-emission bus production, continuing a long tradition of engineering and manufacturing employment in the town.

Schools and generations of Ballymena families

Mr Allister also highlighted another important part of Ballymena’s story — its schools and the generations of young people educated in the town.

He said:

“It is a place many are proud to call home and in which many, including my own children, have received excellent education with flourishing and notable schools - one of which, Ballymena Academy will celebrate its 200th anniversary in 2028.”

That approaching bicentenary underlines the depth of Ballymena’s educational heritage, while the town today continues to serve pupils from across the wider Mid and East Antrim area through its primary, post-primary and further education provision.

The 400th anniversary is therefore not simply a celebration of a charter signed in 1626, but of the generations who subsequently built the Ballymena familiar today — through its businesses, factories, shops, schools, churches, community organisations and public life.

Looking towards Ballymena’s next chapter

Concluding his anniversary message, Mr Allister said:

“We have much to be proud of in Ballymena and let’s together underwrite that for future generations.”

Four hundred years after Ballymena received its charter, the Commons motion adds a Westminster acknowledgement to a milestone being celebrated at home throughout the town.

And while the anniversary provides an opportunity to look back at four centuries of change, its closing message is firmly about what comes next: ensuring Ballymena remains a place where businesses can prosper, young people can build their futures and another generation can be proud to call the town home.