Coleraine factfile

How to get to Coleraine
The university town of Coleraine on the north coast is easily accessible via the M2 and A29 from Belfast from the east, the A2 Londonderry-Limavady road from the west, and the A29 if you're coming from the south.

How Coleraine got its name
Coleraine is the anglicised version of Cuil Raithin, which is Irish for corner of bracken or fern.

Coleraine's claim to fame
Coleraine is arguably the oldest known settlement in Ireland, dating back to at least 7,000 BC when Mountsandel Fort was home to an early settlement of hunter-gatherers. The remains of the fort can still be seen on the Mountsandel Road, just outside the town.

Natural beauty spots around Coleraine
The north coast offers up a vast array of fabulous sights, with Downhill Castle and Mussenden Temple seeming to teeter on the cliff top. Gortmore Picnic Site, at 275 m (900 ft) above the sea, promises an unforgettable panorama.

Further down the Coast Road are the Glens of Antrim, among the coast's most scenic and spectacular sights.

Famous landmarks in Coleraine
By far the most spectacular landmark near Coleraine is the Giant's Causeway, the prehistoric rock formation that began life as a massive lava explosion over 50 million years ago. From the path along the Causeway you can see Donegal to the west and the Scottish coastline to the east.

Things to see and do around Coleraine
Besides natural beauty spots around Coleraine, the seaside resort of Portrush is nearby and from there it's not far to Bushmills, home of the world's oldest whiskey distillery, which provides tours and samplings. South of the town is a weir where migrating salmon can be seen leaping en route to their hatching grounds upstream.

Arts and culture in Coleraine
Coleraine's Flowerfield Arts Centre hosts a wide range of events covering all the arts, as well as classes, seminars and workshops. The privately owned Claragh Heritage Centre, in Kilrea, represents aspects of rural life, while the nearby Museum and Heritage Centre at Garvagh has everything from Stone Age artefacts from the Bann Valley to exhibits of 19th- and 20th-century rural life.

Sports and leisure in Coleraine
Visitors to Coleraine have access to loads of sports and recreation facilities, including community/activity centres, indoor and outdoor pools, football, tennis, golf and athletics venues, both indoor and outdoor bowling rinks, and a range of boating facilities.

Shopping in Coleraine
In the centre of Coleraine, long-established family stores sit alongside well-known high-street names in a pedestrianised area, while the Diamond Shopping Centre is bursting with 140,000 square feet of retail space. There's also the lure of charming nearby market towns like Kilrea and Garvagh.