Cullybackey or Cullybacky (from Irish Coill na Baice, meaning 'wood of the river bend') is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 3 miles north of Ballymena, on the banks of the River Main, and is part of Mid and East Antrim district. It is a predominantly Protestant area with most of the residents being of Scottish descent. It had a population of 2,569 people in the 2011 Census.
Cullybackey was part of the ancient kingdom of Dál nAraidi. Evidence of ancient dwellers in the area have been found throughout the years, including the remains of Crannogs and Souterrains.
Christian Missionary Mackevet erected a monastery in the area. It is said that when Mackevet first approached the Irish Chieftain MacAfee about this matter the two began to argue over it and Mackevet, who was a large man raised his fist into the chieftains face and said "I'm a man of peace, but smell that MacAfee". This won him the argument and the monastery was built, supplying the area with a place of learning for many centuries afterwards. In 1778 a corps was raised by John Dickey of Cullybackey House, They named themselves 'The Cullybackey Volunteers'. In 1847, the village contained 235 residents and contained about 50 houses.
Matilda Cullen Knowles, scientist, was born here in 1864.
The family of Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the United States, emigrated in the 19th century. The ancestral home and interpretive centre is Arthur Cottage.
Jessica Kurten, Olympic horse rider and representative of Ireland.
Neil 'Smutty' Robinson, a well-known motorcycle racer and British 250cc Championship winner, who was killed, aged 24, in 1986.
Steven Davis - Southampton and Northern Ireland Footballer.
Andy Millar, MBE - Cullybackey Scout Leader. Born 17 August 1935. In 1943 Andy started as a member of 1st Cullybackey Cub Pack. Through the years he has progressed to Cub Scout Master and Assistant Scout Troop Leader in 1952; Group Scout Leader in 1971; Assistant District Commissioner in 1982 and has been Cullybackey Group Scout Leader from 1989 to present. He was awarded the MBE for his lifelong contribution to Scouting in 2013.
Arthur Cottage, the ancestral home of Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the United States, from 1881 to 1885, is close to the village, on the B62 road from Ballymena. It is a restored 18th-century farmhouse with open flax-straw thatched roof. Usually open to the public through the spring and summer months but currently closed until further notice due to extensive damage caused by fire in 2011.
The old Methodist church on the banks of the river was opened in 1839 as the Original Secession Church. It later became the United Free Church of Scotland. When the United Free clergy withdrew from Ireland in 1923, the congregation became Methodists.
The Cunningham Memorial Presbyterian Church
Craigs Church of Ireland, which was designed by celebrated 19th-century architect Sir Charles Lanyon and built in 1840. Attached to the church is a very old graveyard which contains 'The Strangers Plot', where the poor of the parish where buried, including those who lost their lives in the parish during the Great Famine (Ireland)
Cullybackey Millenium Riverwalk
Galgorm Resort and Spa
Craigdun Castle, a 19th-century Scottish baronial castle that is set a mile outside the village. Believed to have been designed by Charles Lanyon, it was left to the NHS as a home for multiple sclerosis sufferers in the 1950s and continued in this role until the 1990s, when it was sold by the NHS. The current owners have extensively renovated the property and gardens, and in 2011 the house was a finalist in the BBC Northern Ireland House of the Year programme.
The first sod on the Belfast railway line was turned in 1845 and the line from Ballymena to Portrush was completed in 1855
The railway line is still well used by the population of Cullybackey today with trains stopping at the station almost hourly throughout the day. On 24 March 2000, a woman died after a collision involving a passenger train and her car at a level crossing at Station Road, Cullybackey. None of the 88 passengers on board the train travelling from Belfast to Derry was hurt. See also Cullybackey railway station. Ulsterbus Buses also run to, and through, the village on the 115 route from Monday to Saturday.
Cullybackey College is a secondary school in the village.
Buick Memorial Primary School is also located on Main Street.
Societies and Groups
Cullybackey Development Agency
1st Cullybackey Scout Group - this Scout group was established in 1936. Currently they have over 120 members who meet weekly in The Cunningham Memorial church hall.
1st Cullybackey Rainbows, Brownies, Guides & Senior Section - members meet weekly in The Cunningham Memorial church hall. Currently have over 100 members.
Cullybackey Girls Brigade - established in 1958 by Miss Maureen Anderson (now Boreland) and Miss Emma Boreland (now Hemphill). They currently have over 70 members who meet in the Cullybackey Methodist Church Hall on Monday nights.
Cullybackey Boys Brigade - members meet weekly in Cullybackey Methodist Church Hall.
Cullybackey Detachment, Army Cadet Force (ACF) youth organisation meet weekly in Cullybackey College.
Cullybackey and District Historical Society - the society was established in February 2012 and holds public meetings on the third Thursday of the month from September to May.
Cullybackey Pipe Band - a multi-award winning Pipe Band, known for its talented drummers. They compete and perform all year round, both locally and further afield. It is divided into two bands, grade four and grade one and between the two has over 80 members.
Cullybackey Maine Defenders - a loyalist band which was re-established in 2008. The band is made up of drummers, Fluters, Bassdrummers and the Colour Party and attend many loyalist band parades during the Marching season. The band folded in 2016.
Cullybackey LOL 696 Flute Band - a loyalist band which was established in 2014. The band is made up of drummers, Fluters, Bassdrummers and the Colour Party and attend many loyalist band parades during the Marching season.
It had a population of 2,569 people (1,088 households) in the 2011 Census.
Cullybackey is classified as an intermediate settlement by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e., with population between 2,250 and 4,500 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 2,405 people living in Cullybackey. Of these:
19.5% were aged under 16 and 22.3% were aged 60 and over
47.1% of the population were male and 52.9% were female
1.2% were from a Catholic background and 97.0% were from a Protestant background
3.3% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
In August 2005, the local Catholic church was attacked. 17 February 2008 a house of a Polish family was attacked. An upsurge in anti social behaviour and violence has been linked to paramilitary groups in the village. However, after an investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland a statement was issued by a local police inspector who denied that paramilitaries were involved.
