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, in between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Urban Area is categorised as a medium town within the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA) by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, with the 2001 Census documenting 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 per cent of the population is male and 49.4 percent is female. The train line from Belfast to Holywood arrived in 1848, and this triggered fast progression. This growth, in conjunction with that of neighboring towns and villages along the seaside strip to Bangor, demanded the construction of the Holywood Bypass in the early 1970s. The town is a popular suburb and is distinguished for its trendy shops, boutiques, arts and crafts. Holywood is most widely known for its maypole at the crossroads in the centre of town. Its origin continues being rather unclear, yet, in accordance with regional tradition, it comes from 1700, when a Dutch ship is said to have run aground on the shore close by, and the crew put up the broken mast to demonstrate their appreciation of the assistance offered 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 a yearly jazz and blues celebration. There are a lot of sporting possibilities 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 credible contractors in Holywood to make certain of quality.