25 Castle Street, Ballycastle

Project Attributes

Project:

Ballycastle Museum

Owner:

Ballycastle Museum

Date:

7th May 2025

Address: 25 Castle Street

Listing: not listed

Construction date: 1820-1839 (Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/003), 1827 (date stone to rear of original building)

Year	Owner/lessee	Business name	Building use	Notes
1827-?	W. Hill		Iron Monger?	Date stone build into original rear wall, up high, “W. Hill 1827”. A Wm. Hill is listed in the Pigot’s 1824 Commercial Directory, trading as an iron monger. Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/003 notes “The property’s two-storey form with a relatively high pitched roof, closely resembles others within Castle Street, many of which appear to date from c.1740-70, when the town, (and Castle Street in particular), assumed much of its present form under improving landlord Hugh Boyd. In this case the date ‘1827’ may simply refer to some improvement or extension.”
1834	Archibald Black and Samuel Sharpe		Tannery	Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/003.
1843	Archibald Black		Tannery	Post-Office Belfast Annual Directory 1843-1844.
1846	Archibald Black			Archibald Black is listed as a tanner in Slater’s 1846 Directory.
1859	Daniel Black		Tannery	Historic Buildings Record HB05/15/003.
1864-1871	Daniel Black			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1872	Patrick McKendry			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1873-1875	Lodgers			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1876-1878	John McDonnell			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1879-1881	Gregory Morrison (?)			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1882-1890	Gabriel Kinny			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1891-1900	Robert Blair			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1901	Catherine Blair		Grocers	Census – building no. 26 Catherine Blair, 60, head of family, RC, grocer, widow (of Robert Blair) Mary Blair, 34, daughter, RC, assistant in business, not married William Balir, 25, son, RC, shoe maker, not married Margaret Blair, 78, aunt, RC, one of the family, not married May Blair, 6, niece, RC, scholar, not married
1901-1907	Catherine Blair			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1908-1909	Maria Blair			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1910-1911	Vacant			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1911	Bridget McHenry		Dwelling and shop	Census – building no.29 Bridget McHenry, 54, head of family, RC, housekeeper, widow Mary McHenry, 16, daughter, RC, domestic servant, single Francis Campbell, 7, nephew, RC, scholar, single
1912	Vacant			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1913-1921	John Huey			SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers.
1922-1930	Etta Scally		Grocers	SMcM research based on Griffith’s Valuation registers. JMcC research states Etta Scally’s grocery shop counter was said to have been made from netting wire to prevent theft. She stayed opened late on Saturday nights to facilitate the people coming home from the cinema and the shop was crowded. She sold currant buns for 2p and if you bought a bottle of mineral she would tip it into a tumbler before giving it to you. She had a basin sitting to wash them in. She often served in the shop with a kitten tucked into her cardigan and they were usually lying curled up in the evening sun beside the dulse that she was drying out to sell in the shop. She had chilblains on her hands and wore old mittens and she had an old “tam o’shanter” tied round her head regularly.
	William ‘Willie’ Smyth and Mrs Smyth (nee Anderson)		Grocers and paint/wallpaper shop	According to Bridie O’Neill, William Smyth was a builder, responsible for building Glentaise Drive and Alanvale Park (named after his son) among others. He was responsible for the rear extension and out-buildings of no.25, although work is currently being carried out there in 2023-2024. JMcC research states) Mrs Smyth had her paint and wallpaper shop within the grocery shop. Sean O’Rawe and Barbara Christie worked there. Building sold to Noel O’Neill when the Willie Smyth went bankrupt.
?-2017	Noel and Bridie O’Neill	Noel’s Pound Corner	Grocers	Bridie’s late husband, Noel O’Neill bought the shop and ran a grocery shop for many years before changing its name to Noel’s Pound Corner.
c.1970s-c.2010s	Mick Colgan		Garage/repair shop	The rear outbuildings of no.25 were used as car repair shop by Mick Colgan – access was via Glentaisie Drive rather than Castle Street (Working Group review 19/12/24).