Ballyhalbert

Encyclopedia : B : BA : BAL : Ballyhalbert

Ballyhalbert (in Irish: Baile Thalbóid, ie Talbot’s townland) is a small village in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the east (Irish Sea) coast of the Ards Peninsula between Ballywalter and Portavogie. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 447 people. It is largely residential and has a small harbour and large caravan site which was formerly a Royal Air Force (RAF) base, RAF Ballyhalbert, during World War II. It is within the Ards Borough Council area.

Contents

History

The village takes its name from the Talbot family who settled in the area following the Anglo-Norman conquest led by John de Courcy in the 12th century.
The village played a major role during the Second World War when an RAF airfield, RAF Ballyhalbert, was built. It had the important role of protecting Belfast and the eastern half of Northern Ireland. During its lifetime, Ballyhalbert was home to RAF, Army, Navy and United States Air Force (USAF) personnel. The airfield was sold to developers in March 1960, and is in use for several popular caravan parks.