Ballyhill Road

Ballyhill Road

Ballyhill Road

Origin of Name
Ballyhill Road takes its name from the Ballyhill Upper and Ballyhill Lower townlands in County Antrim. The name “Ballyhill” derives from the Irish Baile an Choill, meaning “townland of the wood/forest.” Through anglicisation, the Irish Choill (wood) was rendered as “hill,” a common linguistic adaptation seen during the 19th-century Ordnance Survey work.

Historical Background
The road is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey maps (1829–33) as an existing route, though not formally named. Townlands such as Ballyhill Upper and Lower were documented in the Ordnance Survey Name Books, which often led to local roads taking on the townland names. Evidence from street directories and early 20th-century maps suggests that the name “Ballyhill Road” came into consistent use around the early 1900s.

Reason for Naming
Like many rural roads, Ballyhill Road was named after the townlands it connects or traverses, reflecting the landscape and local Irish heritage.

Sources

1. Ordnance Survey of Ireland (1829–33) – First Edition 6-inch maps, PRONI Historical Map Viewer.
2. OS Name Books (John O’Donovan et al.) – Standardisation of townland names (19th century).
3. Street directories (PRONI digitised directories 1819–1900) – No listing before 1900, indicating late formalisation.
4. Findmypast: Belfast & Ulster Directories (1890–1947) – Early 20th-century entries for Ballyhill Road.