Glengormley
Encyclopedia
Glengormley or Glengormly is the name of a townland
and electoral ward
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. Glengormley is within the urban area called Newtownabbey
and the wider Newtownabbey Borough
.
and Ballyclare
.
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
.
railway line (served by Mossley West halt) and the M2 motorway
.
As a main conduit for commuters, the townland experiences chronic congestion 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 and the main road into the Mallusk and Hydepark Industrial Estates as well as many other B roads are accessible from Sandyknowes.
Despite being technically a glen
(the area is in the valley between Cave Hill
and Carnmoney Hill), Glengormley sits at 700 feet above sea level, and is noted for 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, as one looks north towards Slemish
.
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.
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.
Glengormley has the highest ratio of fast food takeaways to people for a town in the United Kingdom. It is said that approximately 35-40% of the local population are clinically obese.
and Marks and Spencer. 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 via the A6 Antrim Road and A2 Shore Road. Belfast is accessed by car via the Antrim Road or M2 motorway.
The Glen inn and the Bellevue are the most popular bars within Glengormley. The Bellevue is also a licensed restaurant and includes pool tables and a host of large televisions to enjoy watching sports.
Stephen Larmour
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
and electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Glengormley is within the urban area called Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey
Newtownabbey is a large town north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Sometimes considered to be a suburb of Belfast, it is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course...
and the wider Newtownabbey Borough
Newtownabbey Borough Council
Newtownabbey Borough Council is a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Newtownabbey has a population of over 80,000 and is on the north shore of Belfast Lough just immediately north of Belfast. The Borough was founded in 1958 as a result of an Act of Parliament passed in 1957 and...
.
Location
The original settlement grew up in the mid 19th century, around a junction of the roads linking Belfast with AntrimAntrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...
and Ballyclare
Ballyclare
Ballyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,770 people in the 2001 Census...
.
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
Milestone
A milestone is one of a series of numbered markers placed along a road or boundary at intervals of one mile or occasionally, parts of a mile. They are typically located at the side of the road or in a median. They are alternatively known as mile markers, mileposts or mile posts...
from the city centre is located on the Ballyclare Road beside Glengormley High School
Glengormley High School
Glengormley High School is a secondary school in the town of Glengormley in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was opened in September 1971....
.
Geography
As the lowest pass through the Belfast hills from the northern prospect, Glengormley is also traversed by major communication arteries including the Belfast to DerryDerry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
railway line (served by Mossley West halt) and the M2 motorway
M2 motorway (Northern Ireland)
The M2 is a motorway in Belfast and County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It is in two sections, the southern section running from north Belfast to Antrim and the northern section acts as a bypass of Ballymena, with the A26 road linking the two sections. In total it is 22 miles...
.
As a main conduit for commuters, the townland experiences chronic congestion 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 and the main road into the Mallusk and Hydepark Industrial Estates as well as many other B roads are accessible from Sandyknowes.
Despite being technically a glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
(the area is in the valley between Cave Hill
Cave Hill
-Barbados:* Cave Hill can refer to two areas, located on the island-nation of Barbados. For one of the main campuses of the University of the West Indies located at Cave Hill, St. Michael see below.The Cave Hill are in Barbados can refer to:...
and Carnmoney Hill), Glengormley sits at 700 feet above sea level, and is noted for a climate noticeably colder than the adjacent Lagan
Lagan
Lagan may refer to:*River Lagan, river in Northern Ireland**Laganside Corporation, public body formed to regenerate the Lagan in Belfast**Lagan College, the first integrated school in Northern Ireland**Lagan Valley, valley in Northern Ireland...
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
Cavehill
Cavehill, historically known as Ben Madigan , is a basaltic hill overlooking the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It forms part of the southeastern border of the Antrim Plateau. It is distinguished by its famous 'Napoleon's Nose', a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the famous...
Country Park entrance at Hightown Road, as one looks north towards Slemish
Slemish
Slemish, historically called Slieve Mish , is a volcanic plug in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies a few miles east of Ballymena, in the townland of Carnstroan.Slemish is the remains of the plug of an extinct volcano...
.
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 and the 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 CavehillCavehill
Cavehill, historically known as Ben Madigan , is a basaltic hill overlooking the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. It forms part of the southeastern border of the Antrim Plateau. It is distinguished by its famous 'Napoleon's Nose', a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the famous...
Country Park and Belfast Zoo
Belfast Zoo
Belfast Zoological Gardens is a zoo in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is located in a relatively secluded location on the northeastern slope of Cavehill, overlooking Belfast's Antrim Road, resulting in a uniquely tranquil environment for the animals that the zoo is frequently praised for.-About the...
. The expansive Valley Park provides a safe cycling route to the North Shore coastal cycle path and onwards to central Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
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.
Glengormley has the highest ratio of fast food takeaways to people for a town in the United Kingdom. It is said that approximately 35-40% of the local population are clinically obese.
Commercial
Glengormley hosts major commercial complexes in the Mallusk Enterprise Park, including Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail is the government-owned postal service in the United Kingdom. Royal Mail Holdings plc owns Royal Mail Group Limited, which in turn operates the brands Royal Mail and Parcelforce Worldwide...
and Marks and Spencer. At peak times, Translink Metro and Ulsterbus buses to Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
pass through Glengormley approximately every ten minutes, and take approximately twenty to thirty minutes to reach the city centre via the A6 Antrim Road and A2 Shore Road. Belfast is accessed by car via 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 are the most popular bars within Glengormley. The Bellevue is also a licensed restaurant and includes pool tables and a host of large televisions to enjoy watching sports.
Famous inhabitants
- Stephen BoydStephen BoydStephen Boyd was an Irish actor, from Glengormley, Northern Ireland, who appeared in around 60 films, most notably in the role of Messala in Ben-Hur.-Biography:...
(1931–1977) — starred in Ben-HurBen-Hur (1959 film)Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston in the title role, the third film adaptation of Lew Wallace's 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The screenplay was written by Karl Tunberg, Gore Vidal, and Christopher Fry. The score was composed by...
(1959), Fantastic VoyageFantastic VoyageFantastic Voyage is a 1966 science fiction film written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby.Bantam Books obtained the rights for a paperback novelization based on the screenplay and approached Isaac Asimov to write it....
(1966) and many other films, was born in nearby Whitehouse and lived in Glengormley. - Padraic FiaccPadraic FiaccPadraic Fiacc is an Irish poet, and member of Aosdána, the exclusive Irish Arts Academy.- Biographical information :...
— lived in Glengormley. - Derek Mahon — Irish poet who lived in Glengormley. One of his best-known poems is entitled Glengormley.
- Jeremy McWilliamsJeremy McWilliamsJeremy McWilliams , is a motorcycle road racer. Until Scott Redding's win at the 2008 125cc British Grand Prix, he remained the only British rider to win a race or pole in an FIM MotoGP World Championship class in the 2000s.For 2007, he was to race in the MotoGP series for the Ilmor team, despite a...
— former GP Motorcycle racer. - Craig CathcartCraig CathcartCraig George Cathcart is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a centre back for Blackpool and the Northern Ireland national team...
— footballer; plays for BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and the Northern Ireland national teamNorthern Ireland national football teamThe Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
Stephen Larmour