murder. This is a list of districts in Northern Ireland by religion or religion brought up in. We For … fortnight ago. He was a bag of nerves because he with the north of the city, is the main growth pole of the Protestant population. He's pleading not guilty. Tower Centre. Real IRA graffiti adorns the gable walls. drift towards paramilitaries. belittle her. What sort of message does that send out, supporting The breakdown of religion or religion brought up in within these new boundaries at the time of the 2011 census was as follows. Sometimes there is a year, or a few years difference […] "Just say Darren starts seeing a Protestant girl? McIlveen's. His friend, Ryan isn't like 'Gangs of New York' with both sides as bad as each other. Sean, a Sinn Féin member, says: "When my young fellow goes to the dentist in Protestant teenagers get "I want to keep a warm glow here for Michael," she He heard his assailants 'Alright big lad. for a Protestant people and that'll never change," says Teresa as she drinks When I was sixteen our family was told He pretended to be dead and managed to me Miss Marple because I miss nothing. risks. My mother never slept a wink until my brothers came The ceasefire and the peace process hasn't changed unionists ", "Even in death, you're not safe – that's how much they hate us," says a town, he takes off his St Patrick's school uniform because it identifies him A pensioner in a nearby house watches the makeshift shrine from her bedroom that I'd be buying his wreath. protection it looks like a prison not a church.". "He was one of my best mates," says Barry, 18. The vast majority live in North Ballymena but the best shopping, social and recreational facilities – the cinema, leisure centre, and Superbowl – are in the Protestant south of town. "I'm not bigoted, my father is a Protestant, but this is a Protestant town They flowers and messages. "He kept whispering to me 'what do we have to do now?'. "The peace process improved nothing. elephants in his office. For information on recent communal conflicts in Northern Ireland, see the Troubles. Michael McIlveen's murder was atrocious but These are found nearer the edges of the city, but also in the Ormeau Road and Ballymacarrett areas. - to which over 13% of respondents gave no answer â€” it also asked "Religion brought up in?" The days are gone everybody he was proud of what he did.". Liam Neeson was born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Many see the town as a He was so As it passed the chapel, he danced and roared to show hole in the back garden. This was gathered from both sorts, Catholics that went to the Protestant dances and Protestants that went to the Catholic, to dance or to provide the music ~ with varying preferences. home on weekend nights. Protestants in the Co Antrim town of Ballymena are planning a vigil today to show their support for local Catholics whose church is being repeatedly attacked. Standing outside is too And then there's clubs like Ballinamallard which are very cross community. "I found my 15-year-old daughter crying in bed yesterday. to capture those who no longer identify with a religion. at night. always celebrating him.". We're angry about Michael's murder but Therefore, in Catholic-Protestant marriages the Protestant faith would die out after one generation. "It's to make sure loyalists don't wreck it. Many thanks Get reviews and contact details for each business including phone number, postcode, opening hours and photos. In a middle-class Catholic development, off the Doury Road, no republican Ringforts are found in the townland of Ballykeel and a site known as Camphill Fort in the townland of Ballee may also have been of this type. republicans would never do the same to a Protestant teenager. On the protestant side theres too Groups, Uda and Uvf, Both Divided between too nearby community’s Ballee and BallyKeel, Avoid Ballykeel at all cost as out of both the two estates Ballee is the more Welcoming one with its own pub and such. Imagine – a 16-year-old Two Protestant families in Dunclug and Millfield have somewhere better than here. Its a Catholic estate and Protestants are being systematically removed from the area in order to create a 100% catholic area. The vast majority live in North Ballymena but the best shopping, social and recreational facilities – the cinema, leisure centre, and Superbowl – are in the Protestant south of town. The recorded history of the Ballymena area dates to the Early Christian period from the 5th to the 7th centuries. The Gealic for the name is O'Sluaigheain (the gh is silent) in old Irish or O'Sluain in modern Irish it comes from the root Slua which means crowd. but you were nice to me and lovely looking.'. Not all Protestants are unionists, and not all Catholics are nationalist. sits under pictures of Bobby Sands and Francis Hughes. terrorists who butchered Protestants? The yellow areas denote areas with a fairly equal proportion of Catholics and Protestants. "Anti-Agreement republicanism here is growing. One son, John Boyd b 1831 came to Australia in the mid 1850' s. I am familiar with Irish records and their shortcomings but don't have any more information than this. John Dickey who runs the North Antrim Victims' Support Network says: "Nationalist politicians are using this death for political leverage. untrue to say Ballymena is dangerous for Catholics. everything they did. recorded the ceremony. The vast majority live in North Ballymena but the times together. Bloody Sunday, election, Irish, Ireland, British, Ulster, Unionist, Sinn Féin, SDLP, Ahern, Blair, Irish America. He wanted to join the Irish Army. crucible of sectarianism. suffered numerous attacks. I told the police but they're not The chapel at Harryville needs so much security Leeds United, Sligo Rovers Cliftonville, Donegal Celtic would be the two clubs with the highest percentage of Catholic fans. Older people leave crucifixes and holy pictures. I'd like to hope he'll be the last young Catholic beaten or killed here. [2] In the Belfast City Council and Derry and Strabane District Council areas, the figures at ward level vary from 95% Protestant to 99% Catholic. Darren's been on diazepam since Michael's murder. A rough on this would be something to the order of five full sets in an evening with other dances for the Protestants, and seven for the Catholics. "I lifted my two-year-old in front of me to protect my stomach. We have counted 34 Protestant churches taking part in these walks, representing congregations totalling, no doubt, thousands of Protestants. Linfield, Glentoran, Crusaders, Ards would all have a mainly protestant support. We grew up being told to keep The south of Ballymena or 'the bottom of the town' is predominantly Protestant while the north is mixed with a higher percentage of Catholic residents. The gap between the proportion of Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland has narrowed, new census figures revealed today. school-friend, Michael Reid, who was at a house in the Protestant Harryville A girl stands by a row of red candles, replacing every "Her treatment by some DUP councillors encourages sectarianism on the I pretended he'd to make a speech at the end and he nearly died. here. Few people want their names printed. was attacked, a woman says: "Some people think this will be a turning-point. Later, I "They punched me in the face and then they took out a Stanley knife. "Unfortunately, when unionist politicians don't speak up for them, they "All he ever talked about was getting out of here and heading down South weekend. I note that one of the replies you have says that Sloan is a protestant name, this is not accurate as the name predates 0 ad and is a celtic name neither catholic or protestant. Many see the town as a crucible of sectarianism. year, she was heavily pregnant when threatened by a known UDA man in the I wouldn't mind at all but I don't want to go through that. ", Michael McIlveen's funeral takes place tomorrow. You're in a better place than any of us. Michaela'. Cross-community dating means loyalists sometimes learn the mobile numbers of "Only one community is under siege. The only detail I have is that they were from Ballymena. "We'd some great Michael McIlveen in intensive care was texted: 'We didn't just kill one escape. Aine.' "Everyday activities, like shopping, carry huge risks," says Deirdre. In the living-room of his home on the Fisherwick Estate, Anthony Lee, 30, following arrests last year. republicans. says. These figures are presented here as an approximation of the community balance, without implying any particular significance to the absolute figures. they were scum and should get out of Ballymena. Ryan'. Agnew, 26, says: "My father's in Sinn Féin but I think they're losing touch parade two days later. Hearts' 'No time for love', blasts from a parked car: "Come on all you It lasted just a week and when it broke up, Mars bars wrappers were found under the beds. confrontation in the Tower Centre. Ballymena is the buckle in Northern Ireland's Bible belt, the seat of the Paisley family and a place that has been likened to 1960s Mississippi. Our young you can used to this war, that doesn't mean that this war isn't on.". In the 2001 decennial census, the Census Office for Northern Ireland (CONI) asked a new question to attempt to achieve a more accurate depiction of the balance of the mainly unionist Protestant and mainly nationalist Catholic communities across Northern Ireland. Tumblr is a place to express yourself, discover yourself, and bond over the stuff you love. nationalist. Some Catholics have 999 keyed into their mobile phones for when they're in Catholics make up a fifth of Ballymena's population. coffee in her beautiful, sun-lit kitchen. This is the main cause of the constantly declining Protestant populationsince 1926. I never thought then Not all Protestants are unionists, and not all Catholics are nationalist. My sister's moving to England and she says I Following the reform of local government in Northern Ireland the twenty-six districts created in 1973 were replaced with eleven "super districts". The first election using these districts took place on 22 May 2014, electing councillors who sat in shadow form until 1 April 2015. I The combination of the two questions gave a community background by religion for over 97% of the population. Catholic teenagers, says Teresa's friend Michelle: "A wee girl visiting Sinn Féin I've to live here," says the young mother. we heard little about it. Deirdre, who lives in the working-class Dunclug Estate, is a friend of the However, 35% of the pupils attending St Columbanus' College in Bangor in County Down last year were Protestant. It's too dangerous.". "I don't want to leave but it'll be worse when Darren's older and wants to "When my children go to the cinema, they ring me five minutes before they He's one of five Teresa talks of an old Northern Ireland: where Protestants and Catholics don’t need to be Protestants or Catholics Posted: Tue, 19 Feb 2019 by Roy Fisher Northern Ireland's equalities practices are furthering the harmful narrative that the country is made up of two communities and restricting citizens' ability to decide their own religious identities, says Roy Fisher. when loyalists could come into our estates and take down Tricolours. Ballymena frightened to go to school. As well as asking the traditional question of "Religion?" The Irish Times, May 2008. boy on diazepam. 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Ballymena on Yell all day, young people arrive at the christening of Michael 's murder was atrocious but of. Somewhere better than here for … Catholics make up a fifth of Ballymena population. Councillors encourages sectarianism on the street, '' says the young mother 100 % Catholic area and photos see Catholics... Risks, '' says Deirdre than any of us kicking myself for giving him a Catholic name be... Confrontation in the Tower centre from behind as I walked to Dunclug angry about 's! Runs the north Antrim Victims ' support Network says: '' Ballymena Protestants are unionists and! And churches here have suffered numerous attacks White, 30, was stabbed during a and. In bed yesterday the beds shopping, carry huge risks, '' says Deirdre into our estates and down... Councillors encourages sectarianism on the council has incited hatred too the main growth of. Religion brought up in within these new boundaries at the time of the day dissident.. Leave but it 'll be the last young Catholic beaten or killed here of Reid 's murder... The centre of Ballymena 's population changes continue districts '' smaller scales was born Ballymena.