Holywood
Holywood is a town in the metropolitan region of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a civil parish and townland consisting of 755 acres resting on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Urban Area is identified as a medium town within the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA) by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, with the 2001 Census recording a permanent population of 12037. Within this population, around 20 percent are aged under 16 years of age and 21 percent 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 led to fast progression. This development, in conjunction with that of neighboring towns and villages along the seaside strip to Bangor, necessitated the development of the Holywood Bypass in the early 1970s. The town is a popular suburb and is distinguished for its stylish shops, boutiques, arts and crafts. Holywood is most widely known for its maypole at the crossroads in the centre of town. Its origin continues to be rather uncertain, but, in accordance with regional folklore, it originates from 1700, when a Dutch ship is alleged to have run aground on the shore close by, and the crew put up the damaged mast to show their appreciation of the support used to them by the townsfolk. The maypole continues to be in routine use for dancing at the annual May Day fair. The town also holds a yearly jazz and blues gala. There are numerous sporting opportunities in Holywood, being the home of football clubs, golf clubs, cricket clubs and an athletics association. For all of your home upgrades, make sure to make use of reliable specialists in Holywood to make certain of quality.
