Before the 17th century, the area around Ballynahinch was controlled by the
McCartan clan. During the
Wars of the Three Kingdoms, Catholic military officer Patrick McCartan captured a
Parliamentarian-controlled castle in
Downpatrick. After he was captured, McCartan was executed in 1653 and his lands were confiscated by the Parliamentarian authorities and sold to
Sir George Rawdon, an associate of
Sir William Petty. Prior to his death in 1678, Petty leased his interest in the former McCartan lands purchased by Rawdon, leaving the latter in sole possession of the estate; Rawdon subsequently ordered the construction of two
gristmills on the estate and established the town of Ballynahinch, which was founded with a
market square. In 1683,
King Charles II granted a
royal patent to Ballynahinch allowing it the right to open the market square on Thursdays and hold two
fairs every 1 February and 29 June. Settlers from lowland Scotland increased the population and Ballynahinch grew as a market town with the sale of livestock, corn, potatoes and increasingly,
flax was being cultivated. Sir John Rawdon, descendant of Sir George and now the
Earl of Moira took up residence in Montalto house in Ballynahinch. He made significant improvements to the estate and to the town by promoting the linen market and causing
Ballynahinch Market House to be built. By the end of the eighteenth century sales in the market were grossing around £300 per week and the town was prospering. The
Society of United Irishmen launched a
rebellion in 1798. It began in
Leinster and quickly spread to
Ulster. The United Irishmen had been founded in 1791 by liberal Protestants in
Belfast. Its goal was to unite Catholics and Protestants and
make Ireland an independent republic. Although its membership was mainly Catholic, many of its leaders and members in northeast Ulster were Protestant. The
Battle of Ballynahinch began on 12 June 1798, when about 4,000 United Irishmen stationed at Ballynahinch were attacked by a government force led by
George Nugent. Nugent's forces bombarded the town with cannon for a full day until the United Irishmen retreated. Following this, the victorious troops burnt sixty-three houses in Ballynahinch and its hinterland. The commander of the United Irishmen,
Henry Munro, was betrayed, captured and executed shortly after. Montalto and Ballynahinch was sold in 1802 to David Ker Esq. who took advantage of the rising fashion for 'taking the waters' amongst tourists with money and developed the medicinal spa wells just over two miles outside the town. The village continued to expand thereafter. On 16 October 1986 Terence Mullan age 31 and Kathleen Mullan age 79, both Catholic civilians, were shot dead by the Ulster Freedom Fighters at their home, Dromore Road, Ballynahinch. Then British Prime Minister
John Major visited Ballynahinch in December 1996. Ballynahinch is the site of Montalto Estate, Montalto House and The Carriage Rooms. The latter of which was the setting for Disney's
The Lodge. == Demography ==