Holywood is a town in the city of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a civil parish and townland comprising 755 acres lying on the bank of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Urban Area is classified as a medium town within the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA) by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, with the 2001 Census noting a permanent population of 12037. Within this population, around 20 percent are aged under 16 years of age and 21 per cent were aged 60 and over. 50.6 percent of the population is male and 49.4 per cent is female. The railway line from Belfast to Holywood arrived in 1848, and this brought on quick advancement. This expansion, in conjunction with that of neighboring towns and villages along the coastal strip to Bangor, required the construction of the Holywood Bypass in the early 1970s. The town is a popular residential area and is noted for its stylish shops, boutiques, arts and crafts. Holywood is most popular for its maypole at the crossroads in the centre of town. Its origin continues to be rather unclear, but, according to local tradition, it derives from 1700, when a Dutch ship is alleged to have actually run aground on the shore nearby, and the crew put up the broken mast to show their appreciation of the help provided to them by the townsfolk. The maypole continues to be in regular use for dancing at the yearly May Day fair. The town also holds an annual jazz and blues celebration. There are a lot of sporting options in Holywood, being home to football clubs, golf clubs, cricket clubs and a sports association. For all your house upgrades, make sure to make use of dependable contractors in Holywood to make certain of quality.