Portrush
| Portrush | |
| County Antrim | |
|---|---|
 Portrush across the beach | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | C855409 |
| Location: | 55°12’17"N, 6°39’8"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 6,372 (2001) |
| Post town: | Portrush |
| Postcode: | BT56 |
| Dialling code: | 028 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Causeway Coast & Glens |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
East Londonderry |
Portrush is a seaside resort town on the north coast of County Antrim, on the border with County Londonderry. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-north-west. Whereas the town centre is in the county of Antrim, as are the townlands of Ballywillin, Cloughorr, Meadow Parks and Port Rush, the suburbs extend into the County of Londonderry: specifically, the townlands of Corrstown, Glenmanus, Loguestown, Magherabot and Magheramenagh.
The town is well known for its three sandy beaches, the West Strand, East Strand and White Rocks, as well as the Royal Portrush Golf Club, the only golf club outside of Great Britain which has hosted the Open Championship. Portrush is a popular base for exploring Ulster's north coast.
In the off-season, Portrush is a dormitory town for the nearby campus of the University of Ulster at Coleraine.
The resort of Portstewart, three miles to the east, is the nearest village to the Giant's Causeway.
Yearly events
- Air Show: held each year at the beginning of September.[1]
- The RNLI Raft Race: contestants must build a raft that can travel from the West Strand beach into Portrush Harbour. The contest featured on local news broadcasts for several years and does great credit to the RNLI's popularity in the area.[2]
- The North West 200: a motorcycle race which runs through Portstewart, Coleraine and Portrush every May. It has attracted crowds in excess of 150,000 in past years.[3] (The late brothers Joey and Robert Dunlop were regular winners at the races and hold the record for most wins, with thirteen and fifteen respectively.
Outside links
- Visit Portrush - Local guide to Portrush, featuring info on accommodation, activities, places to eat, services and travel.
- Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland
References
- Portrush on the Culture Northern Ireland website.
- Deane, Ciarán (1994). The Guinness Book of Irish Facts & Feats. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 0-85112-793-2.