Ballymena C.C.
Founded in 1854, Ballymena C.C. is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Ireland. From its original grounds in the estate of Ballymena’s sadly demolished castle, to its present home at Eaton Park, the story of Ballymena C.C. has been nomadic, difficult and at some times a struggle for survival. Yet theirs has also been a history of no little success, and at present the club is flourishing as one of the largest and most successful in the Northern Cricket Union of Ireland.
Under the patronage of Lieutenant-Colonel Adair, aide de camp to Queen Victoria, the first cricket in Ballymena was played in the Demesne of his family home in the south of the town and, after a while, at the Farm Lodge, which was still within the Adairs’ estate. From the preserved committee minute books we can learn that even if the game of cricket has changed since those early days, the problems of running a cricket club have not; issues of selection, the condition of the square, members defaulting on subscription fees and badly-attended practice sessions should all ring a bell!
In the late nineteenth century cricket really took off in the Ballymena area, with independent clubs springing up in Galgorm, Cullybackey and Gracehill. Sadly, for the game, none of these clubs longer exists, but the town club continued to grow, welcoming the former members of those now defunct clubs. By the early twentieth century the club could, on occasion, field three Saturday teams, with the 1st XI enjoying some considerable success in league and cup competitions, winning the Junior Cup in 1935 and 1939. Such was the repute of the club that the lack of seating for spectators had become a pressing concern for the committee!
During the Second World War, however, the club lost its ground to HM Armed Forces and fixtures stopped altogether from 1939 to 1944, when the club resurfaced under the name of Mid-Antrim CC and played several friendly matches at the invitation of neighbouring clubs. Reverting to its old name between 1946 and 1949 the club took up residence at St Patrick’s Barracks, but in that latter year there was another change of home and name as the club became a core member of the Mid-Antrim Sports Association, which had recently acquired the land that became known at Eaton Park.
1949 was thus a watershed in the history of the club, securing for it a permanent home on the Raceview Road, the fiftieth anniversary of which was celebrated by an excellent Sportsman’s Dinner, the guests at which included the South African international Jonty Rhodes. By 1954, with the purchase of Eaton Park by Ballymena Rugby Football Club, the name of the club had changed back to Ballymena C.C. and has stayed so ever since, with the stability of both name and home ground allowing for ever-increasing success.
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