Holywood is a town in the metropolitan region of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a civil parish and townland comprising 755 acres lying on the coast of Belfast Lough, in between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Urban Area is labelled 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 percent is female. The railway line from Belfast to Holywood arrived in 1848, and this brought on rapid progression. This development, in conjunction with that of nearby towns and villages along the seaside strip to Bangor, demanded the development of the Holywood Bypass in the early 1970s. The town is a popular suburb and is noted for its classy shops, boutiques, arts and crafts. Holywood is most widely known for its maypole at the crossroads in the centre of town. Its origin remains rather unclear, however, in accordance with local legend, it originates from 1700, when a Dutch ship is alleged to have actually run aground on the coast nearby, and the crew set up the damaged mast to demonstrate their gratitude of the support offered 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 celebration. There are many sporting possibilities in Holywood, being home to football clubs, golf clubs, cricket clubs and an athletics association. For all your house upgrades, make sure to make use of credible experts in Holywood to make certain of quality.