Historian hits out as street naming proposal is referred back to devloper

ANTRIM and Newtownabbey Borough Council has been asked to refer a new street naming proposal for a development at Niblock Road, back to the developer.

A naming application was received from Darren O’Neill on behalf of Lagan Homes Antrim Ltd.

The development consists of approximately 500 dwellings, these being a mixture of detached, semi –detached, townhouses and apartments.

Before the full monthly meeting of council were : Castlebrook – ‘Castle – relating to Antrim Castle. Brook – relating to Dunsilly Burn and Steeple Burn close by’.

Castlemanor – ‘Castle – relating to Antrim Castle. Manor - relates to remains of old manor house found on site’.

Springmeadow – ‘Spring – relates to neighbouring Springfarm development. Meadow – area of land on the outskirts of Antrim’.

A report said: “Should the Council not wish to select one of the above names; the matter will be referred back to the developer via the Building Control section for further consideration.

“It is requested that Building Control add suffixes to this development name as required.”

Sinn Fein Antrim Town Councillor Lucille O’Hagan said: “I would like to propose we refer this back to the developer for an alternative name for the development that reflects the significance of this site.

“Significant historical and archaeological findings including vast settlement of Iron Age round houses 'Crannogs, as well as an Anglo-Norman fortification of the 13th/14th century, have been unearthed on this site they represent a previously unknown part our ancestral history.

“The discovery of 3000 years of history on this site is incredibly exciting for people from this town and beyond.

“The developers’ proposed names do not reflect this new, and important history and the identity of Antrim town. The development name should reflect the ground these homes rest on and the remarkable lives of the people who lived there and passed through.

“It would missed opportunity, not to recognise these wonderful and exciting findings and preserve its history in name, I think its important to do that. A suggestion might be Crannog or Cranogville, and I would propose that we refer this back to developer.”

This was seconded by Alliance Antrim Town man Neil Kelly, who said that there were ‘enough’ developments named after ‘castles and meadows’.

Antrim-based historian, author and tour guide Stephen McCracken has hit out at the naming conventions at the site and at an nearby development, and has also shed more light on the history of the area.

Lagan Homes is also behind the proposed ‘Drew’s Glen’ site.

“For centuries, the land and townland along Niblock Road in Antrim town appeared unremarkable.” he said.

“Old Ordnance Survey maps, estate records, and local histories showed no indication of ancient settlement - no Castles, no ringforts, mottes, or earthworks that might have drawn the eye of archaeologists.

“Yet beneath this seemingly ordinary ground lay traces of a story stretching back thousands of years.

“At the extreme south west boundary of the townland is a bridge named Drew’s Bridge, local legend tells of a highway man named Drew who was hanged at Dunsilly in the 17th century.

“This bears no relevance to the townland named Niblock, probably named after a settler/soldier of Chichester’s campaign during the nine years war. The bridge named in two maps as Drew’s Bridge is on the corner of the townland close to Dunsilly House on the other side of the Dunsilly Burn and Dunsilly/Niblock townland boundary.

“The first major discovery was the footprint of a vast Iron Age roundhouse, dating back approximately 2,000–3,000 years. Its substantial postholes indicate a building of remarkable scale - far larger than the modest family dwellings typically associated with the period.

“This was no ordinary home. It would have stood at the heart of the community, serving not only as a residence but likely as a gathering place for social, political, and perhaps even ritual activity.

“In its time, this roundhouse would have been a commanding presence in the ancient landscape of Antrim. So extensive is the footprint of this crannog that it remains visible today on Google Maps.

“The site lies within a landscape defined by the Dunsilly Burn, fed by Tobernaveen Well, and intersected by the Holywell Burn on the Niblock townland (nowhere near the Steeple Burn as stated by the developers when submitting names for the site) - conditions that created, and continue to create, a persistently wet environment.

“Such terrain is characteristic of crannog sites. While crannogs are most commonly associated with Scotland - where the Scottish Crannog Centre preserves and interprets several Iron Age examples - the presence of such a substantial structure here is highly significant.

“It strengthens the archaeological and cultural links between the north of Ireland and the peoples of western Scotland, including the Picts and the Cruthin, who were historically connected through the kingdom of Dál Riata and close trade routes.

“The site would have looked much like the Tay Crannog Centre where with my work with the National Geographic is extremely popular.

“Even more remarkable was the second find: the remains of a medieval Anglo-Norman fortification.

“Unlike the circular enclosures of earlier centuries like the well preserved Springfarm Rath, this defensive structure was defined by a rectangular ditch, a design characteristic of 13th and 14th-century Norman strongholds. Its presence suggests a period of military and strategic importance, adding a new dimension to the medieval history of the region.

“What happened in the 13th/14th century was the Norman Invasion and take over but also another important event, Edward the Bruce’s campaign.

“He led a Scottish Irish army in Ulster, defeated the Normans at Coleraine and then closer to Antrim at Kells and Rathmore, was this defensive structure built by Edward the Bruce who had mastermind the siege of Stirling Castle?

“A dagger and iron workings, among many other finds were discovered.

“Together, these discoveries transform our understanding of Antrim’s past. Where once the land seemed silent, it now speaks of a continuity of settlement stretching from the Iron Age into the medieval period.

“The finds highlight the evolving character of life in the area - from a thriving prehistoric community to a fortified outpost of the Anglo-Norman frontier.

“This has been one of the most exciting news articles I have ever put into any publication over the past number of years.

“As construction resumes over the next few months, we hope that the archaeological record will be carefully preserved and documented, ensuring that while new homes rise on Niblock Road, the deep heritage of the site will remain part of Antrim’s shared Irish and indeed Norman story.

“Maybe this whole site should be preserved like the Crannog centre in Scotland?

“The entire site has now been covered over and effectively erased, - despite my and others recommendations at the last Arts and Heritage meeting that this should be done and a display put up on the Castle Mall building shutters which happens in almost every other town/city, to cover building work.

“That lost opportunity makes the need for meaningful recognition all the more important.

“Rather than naming the development after a glen that never existed, it would be far more fitting to choose a name that reflects and honours what was discovered there.

“The excavation revealed a site of genuine archaeological significance, with clear parallels to the preserved crannogs at Loch Tay in Scotland.

“A name rooted in that heritage, would acknowledge the area’s ancient past and celebrate its connection to the wider Ulster-Scots crannog tradition.”

The Antrim Guardian has reached out to the archaeology team working on behalf of the developer for comment.