Portrush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portrush
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 Planes on the beach during the yearly air show |
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| Population | 6,150 (Census 2021) |
| Irish grid reference | C855409 |
| • Belfast | 50 miles (80 km) |
| District |
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| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PORTRUSH |
| Postcode district | BT56 |
| 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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Portrush is a small seaside resort town. It is located on the north coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The town is close to Portstewart in County Londonderry.
Most of the old town, including the railway station, hotels, restaurants, and bars, is built on a 1‑mile–long peninsula called Ramore Head. In 2021, about 6,150 people lived in Portrush.
Portrush is famous for its three sandy beaches: the West Strand, East Strand, and White Rocks. It is also home to the Royal Portrush Golf Club. This is the only golf club outside Great Britain to host The Open Championship. This major golf event was held here in 1951 and 2019.
Contents
History of Portrush
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Tools made from flint found in the late 1800s show that people lived in Portrush a very long time ago. This was around 4000 BC.
The area of Portrush was a good place for a settlement because it was naturally protected. It likely became a permanent village around the 12th or 13th century. Records show that a church existed on Ramore Head at this time. The village and church seemed to be quite wealthy.
Two castles were also built on the peninsula at different times. One, Caisleán an Teenie, was probably at the very tip of Ramore Head. It was likely destroyed in the late 1500s. The other, Portrush Castle, might have been built in the early 1600s. Today, no parts of either castle remain.
After the mid-1600s, Portrush became a small town known for fishing. It grew a lot in the 1800s as a place for tourists. This happened after the Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway opened in 1855.
By the early 1900s, Portrush was one of the biggest resort towns in Ireland. It had many large hotels and guesthouses. People came to enjoy the beaches and the Royal Portrush Golf Club, which opened in 1888. The nearby Giant's Causeway was also a very popular place to visit. The Giant's Causeway Tramway was built in 1893 to help tourists travel from Portrush. This tramway was one of the longest electric railways in the world at the time.
The town was most popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its popularity decreased after the Second World War as more people started traveling abroad.
Climate in Portrush
Portrush has an oceanic climate. This means it has mild temperatures and rain throughout the year.
| Climate data for Portrush (1991–2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 8.0 (46.4) |
8.5 (47.3) |
10.1 (50.2) |
12.4 (54.3) |
14.9 (58.8) |
16.8 (62.2) |
18.2 (64.8) |
18.3 (64.9) |
16.8 (62.2) |
13.6 (56.5) |
10.6 (51.1) |
8.7 (47.7) |
13.1 (55.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 3.3 (37.9) |
3.2 (37.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.4 (50.7) |
12.4 (54.3) |
12.6 (54.7) |
11.0 (51.8) |
8.0 (46.4) |
5.7 (42.3) |
3.8 (38.8) |
7.4 (45.3) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 88.2 (3.47) |
78.0 (3.07) |
65.0 (2.56) |
55.3 (2.18) |
57.5 (2.26) |
72.0 (2.83) |
85.4 (3.36) |
86.7 (3.41) |
75.0 (2.95) |
98.1 (3.86) |
110.6 (4.35) |
104.0 (4.09) |
976.3 (38.44) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | 17.6 | 14.5 | 14.4 | 12.1 | 12.6 | 12.7 | 14.6 | 15.1 | 14.3 | 16.1 | 18.4 | 18.4 | 181.3 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 52.7 | 72.7 | 115.0 | 189.5 | 224.6 | 164.4 | 159.1 | 146.7 | 126.9 | 98.2 | 53.3 | 37.7 | 1,441.3 |
| Source: Met Office | |||||||||||||
Places to Visit in Portrush
Portrush has many fun places to visit:
- The "Coastal Zone" is a centre where you can learn about the local environment.
- There is also a swimming complex called Waterworld.
- On the edge of town, you'll find the Royal Portrush Golf Club. This famous golf course hosted the British Open golf championship in 1951 and again in 2019.
- For the 2019 Open, a lot of money was invested to improve the train service. The golf course was also changed to be better for a big championship. The 2019 event sold more tickets in advance than any other Open before.
- Portrush has two long sandy beaches: West Strand and East Strand. White Rocks and Curran Strand continue from the East Strand and have sand dunes. The coast goes past Dunluce Castle all the way to the Giant's Causeway. You could once travel to these places from Portrush using the Giant's Causeway Tramway.
- A 13-foot high bronze sculpture called "To the People of the Sea" is on the East Strand. It looks like the sails of local traditional boats.
- Portrush is home to Lush!, one of Northern Ireland's best-known entertainment spots.
- You can also visit Curry's Fun Park Portrush, which used to be called Barry's Amusements. It is the largest amusement park in Northern Ireland. The actor James Nesbitt once worked there! The park reopened as Curry's in May 2022.
- The Skerries are small rocky islands just off the coast. They are important homes for many different animals and plants. Some of these are found only in Northern Ireland.
- The Portrush Town Hall was finished in 1872.
Events in Portrush
- Portrush hosts an annual air show every year in early September.
- The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) holds a raft race each year. Teams build rafts and race them from West Strand beach into Portrush Harbour. This event is very popular and has been shown on Northern Ireland news.
- The North West 200 is a motorcycle road race. It follows a triangular route around Portstewart, Coleraine, and Portrush. This race happens every May and attracts huge crowds of over 150,000 people.
Education in Portrush
Here are some of the schools in Portrush:
- Portrush Primary School: This primary school has a nursery. It teaches about 250 students aged 4–11. It was started in 1959.
- Carnalridge Primary School
- Mill Strand Integrated Primary School
- St. Patricks Primary School
Sport in Portrush
The Northern Ireland Milk Cup is a football tournament. It uses Parker Avenue in Portrush as one of its pitches. Many teams also stay in the town during the tournament.
Transport in Portrush
Portrush railway station opened on December 4, 1855. It stopped being used for goods traffic on September 20, 1954. The station is the last stop on the Coleraine-Portrush railway line. From here, travelers can connect to trains going to Derry, Belfast, and other places.
Portrush is a busy seaside town. It has frequent train services run by Northern Ireland Railways. These connect with Ulsterbus services that go to Bushmills and the Giant's Causeway.
Lifeboat Service
The RNLI has had lifeboats operating from Portrush Harbour since 1860. Currently, the Severn class lifeboat William Gordon Burr and the D-class inshore vessel David Roulston are stationed there.
Famous People from Portrush
- Fred Daly (1911–1990) – a golfer who won the 1947 Open Championship.
- Gregory Gray (1959–2019) – a musician.
- Mark Ashton (1960–1987) – an LGBT activist who lived in Portrush.
- Darren Clarke (born 1968) – a professional golfer who won the 2011 The Open Championship. He lives in Portrush.
- Graeme McDowell (born 1979) – a professional golfer who was the first Irishman to win the U.S. Open. He grew up in Portrush.
Images for kids
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Planes on the beach during the yearly air show
See also
In Spanish: Portrush para niños
