Glengormley

Glengormley
County Antrim
Location
Grid reference:	J315831
Location:	54°40’41"N, 5°57’47"W
Data
Population:	2,413  (2001)
Postcode:	BT36
Dialling code:	028
Local Government
Council:	Antrim and Newtownabbey
Parliamentary constituency:	North Belfast

Glengormley is a village of County Antrim which has been swallowed in new town development to become part of Newtownabbey. It is also the name of a townland of 215 acres, all within the Barony of Belfast Lower.

The name of the place is from the Irish language: Gleann Ghormlaithe means "Gormlaith's valley".

Location

The original village grew up in the mid-19th century, around a junction of the roads linking Belfast with Antrim Town and Ballyclare.

As the lowest pass through the Belfast hills from the northern prospect, Glengormley is also traversed by major communication arteries including the Belfast to Londonderry railway line (served by Mossley West halt) and the M2 motorway.

The wider suburban area of Glengormley borders North Belfast, Carnmoney and Mallusk. It is a popular residential area, include developments in 1995 - 2005 which have seen an expansion upwards from the village to the Hightown Road.

Glengormley is approximately six miles from Belfast; the sixth milestone from the city centre is located on the Ballyclare Road beside Glengormley High School.

As a main conduit for commuters, the townland experiences chronic congestion problems during peak times of the day, particularly on the A6 or Antrim Road. The M2 motorway runs close by and is accessible from the Sandyknowes Roundabout located at the end of the A6, with slip roads to the M2 northbound and southbound carriageways. The A8(M) motorway, which links Belfast with the port town of Larne and the main road into the Mallusk and Hydepark Industrial Estates as well as many other B roads are also accessible from Sandyknowes.

Despite being technically a glen, as the area is in the valley between Cave Hill and Carnmoney Hill), Glengormley sits at 700 feet above sea level, and has a climate noticeably colder than the adjacent Lagan Valley area. The cold and windy weather may be explained by the 'tunnel' of natural features running from the Antrim coast to the edge of Glengormley on the Hightown Road. The 'tunnel' can be seen from the Cavehill Country Park entrance at Hightown Road, looking north towards Slemish.

History

From Victorian times to the 1930s, Glengormley was often the final destination on the leisure trail for working-class Belfast citizens escaping the city grime. The three main stops on the trail were Belfast Castle, Belfast Zoo. There is also a dance hall in Glengormley, opposite the present day Glen Inn. Over the years, The journey was made by tram or trolley bus or train. The Belfast Street Tramway Company replaced carts with horse-drawn trams and the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway company ran a steam tramway from Glengormley into Belfast.

Sentry Hill is an early 19th-century farmhouse on the hill above Glengormley and Corr's Corner in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim. It was the home of William Fee McKinney - a prosperous farmer and meticulous collector of farming, church and other records and artefacts. He was a member of the Linen Hall library and the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society. He was secretary of Carnmoney Presbyterian Church for 62 years.

Leisure

Glengormley is within walking distance of the Cavehill Country Park and Belfast Zoo. The expansive Valley Park provides a safe cycling route to the North Shore coastal cycle path and onwards to central Belfast.

At the Southern end of Glengormley there is an 6 screen cinema, 10 pin bowling alleys, three snooker halls (two at the southern end and one at the northern end) and some commercial premises.

Sports

• Boxing: Hillview A.B.C.
• Gaelci athletics: St Enda's

Commercial

Glengormley hosts major commercial complexes in the Mallusk Enterprise Park, including Royal Mail, Henderson's group, Diageo; (Baileys global supply) and Marks and Spencer distribution centre for Ireland. At peak times, Translink Metro and Ulsterbus buses to Belfast pass through Glengormley approximately every ten minutes, and take approximately twenty to thirty minutes to reach the city centre by way of the A6 Antrim Road, A2 Shore Road and the M2 motorway with Translink's express service. Belfast is accessed by car by the Antrim Road or M2 motorway.

Points of interest

The Crown and Shamrock pub on the Antrim Road in Glengormley is one of the oldest pubs in County Antrim and has been made famous by the film "Middletown" where many of the scenes were filmed. The Glen Inn and the Bellevue Arms are the most popular bars within Glengormley. The Bellevue Arms is also a licensed restaurant and includes pool tables and a host of large televisions to enjoy watching sports.