Today’s townland is Ballynichol, near Portaferry.  The townland name is printed in red on this sign for the Ballyfounder Road which runs through Ballynichol.

County Down has two townlands named Ballynichol.  I wrote about the one near Comber back in November 2015 – click here to read about that other Ballynichol.

The history of the name is similar in both cases, starting with “Nicholstown” in the Anglo-Norman period, with the name then being gaelicised as Baile Niocail and in turn re-anglicised as Ballynichol or Ballynickle.

This gravestone for the Lennon family in St Patrick’s churchyard, Tullyboard, is inscribed with the spelling Ballynickle.

In my post from the Comber Ballynichol I used several (maybe too many?) images of gates, so I shall restrict myself to just one from this Ballynichol.

That gate is the entrance to the sportsground of St Patrick’s Gaelic Athletic Club on Ballyfounder Road.

Nobody was playing when I visited.

No score, and no spectators.

Looking at the club’s Facebook page, I can see that they do actually have a successful club for camogie and hurling, and deserve good wishes from this blog, so…. “Up the Ports!”

more information

Which county is Ballynichol in?   County Down

Which parish is Ballynichol in?   Ballytrustan

Which townlands border Ballynichol?  To the north, Ballyphilip and Derry.  To the east, Ballycam and Ballywierd.  To the south, Ballytrustan. To the west, Parson Hall and Tullyboard.

Click here to see a map of Ballynichol on TOWNLANDS.IE.

Click here to read more about the townland name on the website of PLACENAMESNI.org