The governance of the Borough was conducted, at a public level, in the centre of the town within the confines of a chamber dominated by dark wood and often darker moods in the worst days of 'the troubles'.

It was a different era. Complimentary cigarettes from the Gallaher factory sat in a special box in the mosaic floored entrance hall. In the days before cell phones, 'copy' was dictated to newdesks by exasperated reporters who never seemed to have enough 10 pence pieces to feed the public phone box which sat in the foyer.

By the early 1990s, almost six decades after its gleaming white stones and ornate decoration were first unveiled to a local public still reeling from the gloom of the First World War and coming to terms with the economic devastation of the depression, the building had acquired a patina of grime and shabbiness.

This is not to detract from those who were charged with maintenance and cleaning of the civic building. Theirs was an almost impossible task given the very nature of the structure.

So, to say I was jaw-droppingly amazed by the transformation and enhancement of the Town Hall would be accurate … and perhaps a little understated.

A combination of original architecture with concepts of light and space which would have been foreign to the designers of the 1920s and 30s has blended superbly in the new building, which has been titled 'The Braid'.

Located on the site of the Old Market House, the Town Hall has a long and distinguished past. As far back as the 1600's the site was a key part of community life, when it boasted a busy Market Place.

The original Market House was built there in 1684 and traded for over a century until it was gutted by fire during the 1789 Rebellion.
By the mid 1800's the town's market had relocated, making way for Ballymena's first Town Hall which was built on the site, only to fall victim to fire 60 years later.

In July 1924, HRH The Duke of York, the future King George VI, laid the foundation stone of the Town Hall we know today.

The Civic Suite in the old Town Hall includes the Mayors Parlour where the residing Mayor welcomes guests for Civic Receptions and special events.

The Council Chamber fitted with state of the art information technology is where the Council holds its Monthly Meetings.
Ronnie McBride is confident that the chamber will be fully operational for the return of full council meetings by April of this year.