Newtownabbey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newtownabbey
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 Overlooking the Rathcoole area of Newtownabbey from Cavehill |
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| Population | 67,599 (2021 Census) |
| District |
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| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | NEWTOWNABBEY |
| Postcode district | BT36, BT37 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament |
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| NI Assembly |
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Newtownabbey (which in Irish is Baile na Mainistreach) is a big town in Northern Ireland. It is located just north of Belfast city centre in County Antrim.
Newtownabbey is separated from Belfast by Cavehill and a golf course. However, it is still considered part of the larger Belfast area. The town was created when several smaller villages joined together. These villages include Whiteabbey, Glengormley, and Carnmoney. Newtownabbey surrounds a place called Carnmoney Hill.
In 2021, about 67,599 people lived in Newtownabbey. This makes it the third largest town in Northern Ireland. It is managed by the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
Contents
History of Newtownabbey
How Newtownabbey Started
Newtownabbey Urban District was officially created on April 1, 1958. It brought together seven villages north of Belfast. These villages were Carnmoney, Glengormley, Jordanstown, Monkstown, Whiteabbey, Whitehouse, and Whitewell. Before this, the area was part of the Belfast Rural District.
Over the years, the local government changed. The Newtownabbey Urban District Council became the Newtownabbey District Council in 1973. Then, it became the Newtownabbey Borough Council in 1977. Since 2015, it has been part of the Antrim and Newtownabbey District Council.
A Time of Change: The Troubles
Like many places in Northern Ireland, Newtownabbey experienced a period called The Troubles. This was a time of conflict and political unrest. There were some difficult events in Newtownabbey during this period.
Exploring Newtownabbey's Geography
Newtownabbey is a large urban area north of Belfast. It spreads out around Carnmoney Hill. To the east of the town is Belfast Lough, which is a large sea inlet. To the south and west, you can find Cavehill.
Two wooded river valleys, called glens, run through Newtownabbey. These are the Three Mile Water and the Glas-na-Bradan.
Local Areas and Townlands
Newtownabbey includes many smaller areas known as townlands. Here are some of them:
- Ballybought
- Ballyduff
- Ballygolan
- Ballyhenry
- Ballyvesey
- Ballywonard
- Carnmoney
- Collinward
- Cloughfern
- Drumnadrough, where Merville Garden Village is located
- Dunanney
- Glengormley
- Jordanstown
- Mallusk
- Monkstown
- Whiteabbey
- Whitehouse (named after a fortified house from the 1500s)
Other parts of Newtownabbey include:
- Mossley
- Rathcoole
- Whitewell (named after a natural spring)
Learning in Newtownabbey: Education
Newtownabbey has many schools and colleges for students of all ages.
Colleges and Universities
- Northern Regional College (NRC)
- University of Ulster at Jordanstown (UUJ)
Secondary Schools
- Abbey Community College
- Belfast High School
- Edmund Rice College
- Glengormley High School
Primary Schools
- St. Mary’s on the Hill Primary School
- Ashgrove Primary School
- Carnmoney Primary School
- Hollybank Primary School
- Jordanstown Schools for the Deaf and Blind
- King's Park Primary School
- Rathcoole Primary School
- St. Bernard's Primary School
- St. MacNissi's Primary School
- Whitehouse Primary School
- Gaelscoil Éanna
Sports and Activities
Newtownabbey is a great place for sports lovers! There are many clubs for different activities.
Football Clubs
Several association football clubs play in Newtownabbey. Some amateur clubs include:
- 18th Newtownabbey Old Boys F.C.
- Mossley F.C.
- Nortel F.C.
- Rathfern Rangers F.C.
- Ulster University at Jordanstown F.C.
- Rathcoole F.C.
- Belfast Deaf United Football Club
Gaelic Games
Local Gaelic games clubs are:
- St Enda's GAC (near Glengormley)
- Greencastle Wolfe Tones GAC (at Greencastle)
Other Sports
You can also find hockey teams like East Antrim Hockey Club and Mossley Hockey Club. There are rugby clubs, an amateur boxing club (Glengormley Amateur Boxing Club), and cricket teams. These include the Academy and Cliftonville Cricket Clubs.
For outdoor bowling, there are clubs like Mossley Bowling Club and Glengormley Bowling Club.
Getting Around: Transport
Newtownabbey has good transport links, making it easy to travel.
Train Services
Northern Ireland Railways runs trains through Newtownabbey. There are three railway stations:
- Mossley West railway station
- Jordanstown railway station
- Whiteabbey railway station
Roads and Buses
Newtownabbey is connected to the M2 motorway and the M5 motorway. Bus services are provided by Translink, including Metro and Ulsterbus.
Famous People from Newtownabbey
Many interesting people have connections to Newtownabbey:
- Stephen Boyd (1931–1977) was an actor who won a Golden Globe award. He was born in Glengormley.
- Bobby Sands (1954–1981) grew up in Newtownabbey.
- James Brown (born 1968), a famous Elvis impersonator, lives in Newtownabbey.
- Ronan Bennett (born 1956), a novelist and screenwriter, grew up here.
- Dean McCullough (born 1992), a British radio personality, lives in Newtownabbey.
- Leah McFall (born 1986), a singer-songwriter, was born in Newtownabbey.
Newtownabbey's Twin Towns
Newtownabbey has special connections with other towns around the world. These are called twin towns or sister cities.
Newtownabbey also has one sister city in the United States:
See also
In Spanish: Newtownabbey para niños
