Holywood is a town in the metropolitan area of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a civil parish and townland consisting of 755 acres lying on the coast 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 noting a permanent population of 12037. Within this population, around 20 per cent are aged under 16 years of age and 21 per cent were aged 60 and over. 50.6 per cent of the population is male and 49.4 percent is female. The railway line from Belfast to Holywood arrived in 1848, and this brought about rapid progression. This development, in conjunction with that of close-by towns and villages along the coastal strip to Bangor, necessitated the building of the Holywood Bypass in the early 1970s. The town is a popular house and is noted for its stylish shops, boutiques, arts and crafts. Holywood is most well-known for its maypole at the crossroads in the centre of town. Its origin continues to be rather unclear, yet, in accordance with regional tradition, it originates from 1700, when a Dutch ship is alleged to have run aground on the coast close by, and the crew set up the damaged mast to show their appreciation of the assistance offered to them by the townsfolk. The maypole continues to be in regular use for dancing at the annual May Day fair. The town also holds a yearly jazz and blues celebration. There are lots of sporting opportunities in Holywood, being home to football clubs, golf clubs, cricket clubs and an athletics association. For all your home upgrades, make certain to make use of credible contractors in Holywood to make certain of quality.