Ballykeel, County Down
Origin
Ir. An Baile Caol ‘the narrow townland’
Background
Ballykeel which lies in the west of the parish of Comber is not a noticeably narrow townland and it is possible that it is named from a farmstead within it which was perceived to be narrow. Twenty Irish townlands are named Ballykeel, all but two of them in the province of Ulster and ten of them in Co. Down, including Ballykeel in the parishes of Drumgath (PNI i 118), Kilkeel (PNI iii 24), Clonduff (PNI iii 79), Dromore (PNI vi 111-2), Magheralin (PNI vi 217) and Seapatrick (PNI vi 306-7). In addition there is a townland named Ballykeel Artifinny in the parish of Hillsborough, a townland named Ballykeel Lougherne in the parish of Annahilt and a townland named Ballykeel Edenagonnell which is partly in the parish of Blaris and partly in the parish of Hillsborough.
References
P. McKay, 2009Additional Information
Historical name form
| Old Form | Ref. Date | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| (?)Ballechigill | 1630 | Ham. Patent [1630] xiii |
| Ballekeyle | 1630 | Ham. Patent [1630] xiii |
- Barony
- Castlereagh Lower
- Parish
- Comber
- Parish in 1851
- Comber
- Townland
- None
- Place name ID
- 10731
- Place name type
- T