Samuel Robinson who is regarded as one of the fathers of the modern supermarket, emigrated from the borough in 1888 to Philadelphia where he formed a partnership in a grocery business with with Robert Crawford. In 1917 he founded the American Stores Company and introduced many new ideas into shopping for the consumer which are in use today by all the megastores. He displayed products on shelves so people could browse them, provided free parking at the stores and introduced shopping trolleys. The company became one of the largest in America. He became very wealthy but always kept his connection to Ballymoney and in 1933 funded the Robinson Memorial Hospital which carries his name today.

The playwright George Sheils (1881-1949) was born at Ballybrakes, Ballymoney in 1881, he later emigrated to Canada where he found employment constructing the Canadian Pacific Railroad. A serious accident in 1913 confined him to a wheelchair after which he returned to Ballymoney and began his writing career. In 1921 his long relationship with the Abbey Theatre began when his play ’Bedmates’ was performed, this relationship continued with thirty more plays being performed at the Abbey Theatre and some being taken to Broadway. His success allowed him to move from Ballymoney to Carnlough where he lived until he died in 1949. A blue plaque at Shingle Cove, Carnlough marks where his home ‘New Lodge’ was. His modesty as an individual and writer is reflected in his refusal of an honorary degree from Queens University and also membership of the Irish Academy of Letters. He passed away in September, 1949 and is buried in the Church of Our Lady and St Patrick at Ballymoney.

World Champion motorcycle racer Joey Dunlop OBE MBE was born near Ballymoney, he died while taking part in a road race at Tallinn, Estonia in 2000. In 2010 a Memorial Garden was created in his honour not far from the bar he ran adjacent to the railway station, aptly named Joey's Bar. An extension to the garden was made in  2011 to honour his brother Robert Dunlop who died in 2008 at the North West 200 during practice sessions. in 2018 Robert's son William  tragically died during practice sessions at the Skerries 100 Road Race, a sculpture of William was unveiled in 2022.  Joey was awarded the MBE for his contribution to sport and the OBE for his humanitarian work with children in Romanian orphanages.