Bangor, County Down

Bangor
City
View of Bangor at night, from the Long Hole
Coat of Arms of Bangor
Bangor is located in County Down
Bangor
Bangor
Location within County Down
Population64,596 (2021 census)
• Belfast13 mi (21 km)
District
County
CountryNorthern Ireland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townBANGOR
Postcode districtBT19, BT20
Dialling code028
PoliceNorthern Ireland
FireNorthern Ireland
AmbulanceNorthern Ireland
UK Parliament
NI Assembly
List of places
UK
Northern Ireland
Down
54°40′N 5°40′W / 54.66°N 5.67°W / 54.66; -5.67

Bangor (/ˈbæŋɡər/ BANG-gər;[3] from Irish Beannchar [ˈbʲaːn̪ˠəxəɾˠ])[1] is a city and seaside resort in County Down, Northern Ireland, on the southern side of Belfast Lough. It is within the Belfast metropolitan area and is 13 miles (22 km) east of Belfast city centre, to which it is linked by the A2 road and the Belfast–Bangor railway line. The population was 64,596 at the 2021 census.[4] Bangor was granted city status in 2022, becoming Northern Ireland's sixth city.

Bangor Abbey was an important and influential monastery founded in the 6th century by Saint Comgall. Bangor grew during the 17th century Plantation of Ulster, when many Scottish settlers arrived. Today, tourism is important to the local economy, particularly in the summer months, and plans are being made for the long-delayed redevelopment of the seafront; a notable historical building in the city is Bangor Old Custom House. The largest plot of private land in the area, the Clandeboye Estate, which is a few miles from the city centre, belonged to the Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava. Bangor hosts the Royal Ulster and Ballyholme yacht clubs. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status.[5]

  1. ^ a b "Beannchar/Bangor". Logainm.ie. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  2. ^ A Wurd o Walcome Archived 25 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Blackbird Festival. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  3. ^ Pointon, GE (1990). BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 0-19-282745-6.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference 2021 pop was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Bangor Marina". Blue Flag Programme. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2010.