What is "ballabeg"

There are several small villages and hamlets with the name Ballabeg in the Isle of Man.

The name Ballabeg derives from the Manx which means small homestead; although the spelling is different, it is pronounced the same as the English name. Another source of the name is said to be "Ball and Bag", a free house nearby which was built by Sir David Mark Jordan, a veteran Victorian army captain who settled there upon his retirement.

Of the several Ballabegs in the Isle of Man the most well-known, and most populous, is a village in the sheading of Rushen in the south of the Island near Castletown. The village has the parish church (Kirk Arbory), a Methodist chapel and railway station, served by the Isle of Man Railway. The village also had a tiny shop and Post Office, but this closed in April 2006 and was demolished for rebuilding in January 2009.

It also has Arbory Primary School, serving the villages of Ballabeg and Colby, as well as the outlying areas. The Parish Church has a large churchyard with many graves dating back at least to the mid-18th century, although there has been a church on the site for much longer. Its most famous occupant is Captain John Quilliam, who steered the Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Every year a parish festival, , is held in the parish of Arbory. This festival is main event of the year. It traditionally alternates between Ballabeg and Colby, but in recent years has been held only in Ballabeg, and is in commemoration of the parish's patron saint, Columba. is Manx for St Columba's Day.

There are a number of farms which produce high quality Manx produce.