Coleraine is the main town on this stretch of coast — the transport hub, the shopping, and (with Portrush and Portstewart, together sometimes called “The Triangle”) the nightlife. Population around 24,600 (2011 census). The name comes from the Irish Cúil Raithin, “nook of ferns” — tradition holds St Patrick named it.
Town centre
The Diamond is the historic centre, with an 1859 sandstone Town Hall and pedestrianised shopping. Coleraine has repeatedly won Northern Ireland’s “Tidy Town” award. Ulster University’s Coleraine campus, opened in the 1960s as the first outside greater Belfast, brings a steady student population to the wider area.
History
Nearby Mountsandel is one of the oldest known sites of human settlement in Ireland — remains date to around 7000 BC, in the Mesolithic period. Coleraine itself became, in 1607, the first town built under the Plantation of Ulster, funded by the Honourable Irish Society on the promise of timber and salmon fishing.
Culture and things to do
The Riverside Theatre, one of Northern Ireland’s oldest professional theatres, is jointly run by the council and Ulster University — actor James Nesbitt performed there early in his career (Fagin in Oliver, 1978). The Jet Centre has bowling, cinemas, and an arcade. Anderson Park has the Phoenix Peace Fountain, a gift from the USA. Mountsandel Wood has a circular 2-mile walking trail out to the fort. The town also has a marina with moorings, and several championship golf courses within a few miles.
Every May, the North West 200 — one of the fastest road races in the world, bikes hitting up to 200mph — runs on closed public roads between Portstewart, Portrush, and Coleraine. It’s one of the last events of its kind in Europe and draws around 150,000 spectators.
Food and drink
A solid spread of restaurants, cafés, and traditional pubs in the town centre, with several places leaning on local produce — Ulster fry breakfasts, Irish stew, fresh seafood. Bushmills Distillery is a short drive away for whiskey tours.
Getting there and around
Coleraine’s train station has regular services to Belfast and Derry~Londonderry; the bus station covers local towns and further afield. By car, it’s just off the A26, with plenty of central parking. Belfast International Airport is about 30 miles away.
Staying
A mix of hotels (the Lodge Hotel is well known locally), self-catering apartments, and B&Bs, plus Ulster University’s student accommodation which sometimes opens up over summer.
