Location: Cregagh, BT6
Named: c. 1947–1949
Theme: Northern Ireland rivers and townlands
Etymology: An Bheannaigh – “place of peaks” (Irish)
Bannagh Corner is a short residential cul-de-sac located off Mount Merrion Avenue, near Rosetta Road, in the Cregagh area of southeast Belfast (BT6). It was developed in the late 1940s as part of the large post-war Cregagh Estate, a flagship housing scheme designed by architect T.F.O. Rippingham for the Northern Ireland Housing Trust. Construction took place between 1945 and 1950, providing much-needed housing with modern features like private bathrooms and gardens.
At the time of construction, this area lay outside Belfast’s municipal boundary and was administered by Castlereagh Council. The 1960 Belfast Street Directory reflects this, listing Bannagh Corner as “off Cooneen Way – Outside Municipal Boundary.”
The name “Bannagh Corner” appears in official records by the early 1950s and likely dates from the planning period of the estate in the late 1940s. Though the exact person or body who chose the name is unknown, it was probably selected by planners within the Housing Trust or approved by Castlereagh Council. Unlike today, there was no legal requirement at the time to provide justification for new street names.
By 1951, Bannagh Corner is listed in the Belfast Street Directory, and records show that families had begun living there by the mid-1940s. A 1960 entry for No. 7 (Mrs Edith Gordon) suggests occupation as early as 1943–44. OSNI maps from the 1950s also show the street’s layout as part of the newly completed Cregagh estate.
Bannagh Corner forms part of a broader naming scheme within the Cregagh Estate, where many streets were named after rivers, streams, and geographic features from across Northern Ireland. Nearby examples include:
Arney Close (Arney River, Fermanagh)
Cooneen Way (Cooneen area/river, Fermanagh)
Callan Way (Callan River, Armagh)
Burntollet Way (Burntollet River, Derry)
Kilbroney Bend (Kilbroney River, Rostrevor, Co. Down)
This naming theme gave the estate a cohesive and culturally resonant identity, bringing echoes of Northern Ireland’s landscape into Belfast’s growing suburbs.
“Bannagh” is an anglicised version of the Irish An Bheannaigh, meaning “place of peaks” or “land of small hills.” It is used in townland names such as Bannagh Beg and Bannagh More in County Fermanagh—regions known for their upland terrain. The small Bannagh River also flows through that area.
While the Belfast street is on relatively flat land, the use of the name “Bannagh” fits the estate’s broader toponymic theme and likely honours its Fermanagh namesake. The suffix “Corner” is a simple descriptive term, indicating a small street or cul-de-sac branching from a main road.
Though no surviving council minutes or naming proposals have been located, contemporary directories and maps confirm Bannagh Corner’s place in the Cregagh estate by the early 1950s. The 1951 OSNI 1:1250 map shows Bannagh Corner clearly laid out between Cooneen Way and The Straight. Recent planning documents, such as council waste route reports, continue to acknowledge the street as part of the official Belfast streetscape.
The National Library of Scotland’s online map viewer is a helpful tool for exploring Bannagh Corner’s historical development through side-by-side comparisons of old OS maps and current satellite views.
Bannagh Corner is a small but historically rich street in East Belfast, created as part of a visionary post-war housing development. Its name, like many in the Cregagh Estate, draws on rivers and landscapes from across Northern Ireland—in this case, likely inspired by the Bannagh townlands and river in County Fermanagh. This thematic naming approach brought a sense of identity, cultural continuity, and rural evocation to Belfast’s expanding post-war suburbs.