Just south of Ballybeen, outside Moneyreagh, we come to Ballycreelly, which stretches from the Belfast Road to Ballygowan until just shy of the Hillsborough Road Junction to the Ballygowan Road to Comber.
Ballycreelly is one of the larger townlands in Comber parish at just under a square mile or 600 acres in total. It's name comes from the Irish Baile UÃ Chroiligh meaning 'place of the O'Crillys'.
Two archaeological sites, both enclosures (early medieval settlements surrounded by earthenwork), are recorded at Ballycreelly, recorded as fort's on the 1834 OS Map [DOW010:046 & DOW010:050]. Unfortunately, neither survive today with only few traces remaining on the landscape to the trained eye.
There are two listed buildings in Ballycreelly: a Victorian farmhouse known as 'Mossbank' and a much smaller Georgian Farmhouse Northeast of 6 Hillsborough Road.
Mossbank (B1 listed in 2004) is described as "Substantial two storey early Victorian gentleman farmer’s residence of c.1850, with a large collection of outbuildings. The main hipped roof portion of this house appears largely intact both inside and out. The long rear wing which joins to the outbuildings may once have contained farm labourers’ dwellings." Mossbank is still a farm today, now owned by the McCarthy family who operate Ballycreelly Livestock, from the premises.
The latter house near 6 Hillsborough Road is an earlier single storey dwelling likely constructed before 1834. When listed in 2004 the house was in poor condition, last lived in by a Mr Jameson (d'ced), who had reportedly received the house as a wedding present. Given its vacancy, after receiving B2 listed status it was immediately placed on the Heritage at Risk Register. However, since then it has officially been marked as 'saved' as it has been sensitively restored into a modern private dwelling.
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