Glengormley
Glengormley is a town located in the borough of
Newtownabbey, bordering the north-western edge of
Belfast in
Northern Ireland.
Taking its name from the
Irish gleann gorm liath, meaning "the blue grey glen", the original settlement grew up in the mid 19th century around a junction of the roads linking Belfast with
Antrim and
Ballyclare.
Today Glengormley has become a large suburb and the urban area has expanded to the extent that it is now linked to north Belfast. It is a popular residential area with several further developments underway, including the one-square-mile Mayfield Garden Village which was under construction in 2005. A major rebuild of Northcott Shopping Centre is also planned for 2006.
As the lowest pass through the Belfast hills from the northern prospect, Glengormley is also traversed by major communication arteries including the Belfast to
Derry railway line (Mossley West Halt) and the
M2 motorway. Despite being a glen, technically, Glengormley sits at 700 feet above sea level and is noted for a climate noticeably colder than the adjacent
Lagan valley area. The cold and windy disposition may be explained by the 'tunnel' which runs from the North Antrim Coast to the edge of Glengomley on the Hightown Road. The tunnel may be evidenced from the
Cavehill Country park entrance at Hightown Road, as one looks east to Slemish.
Glengormley hosts a cinema and bowling complex, and numerous restaurants, a focal point for much of East
Antrim. It is within easy walking distance of the
Cavehill Country Park and
Bellevue Zoo. The expansive Valley park provides a safe cycling route to the North Shore coastal cycle path and onwards to Central
Belfast. It also has a small but popular G.A.A. team St. Endas (Naomh Éanna) in Irish.
With the well developed transport network, Glengormley hosts major commercial complexes in The Mallusk enterprise park, including Royal Mail and Marks and Spencer.
* Actor
Stephen Boyd (1931-1977) - starred in
Ben-Hur (1959) and
Fantastic Voyage (1966) and some 50 other films, born in Glengormley
*
Roy Mason - Irish painter who produced an acclaimed series of 'Troubles' paintings while a Glengormley resident.
* Writer
Padraic Fiacc lived in Glengormley
*
Derek Mahon - Irish poet who lived in Glengormley. One of his best-known poems is entitled
Glengormley.
*
List of towns in Northern Ireland*
List of villages in Northern Ireland
