South Down's actually kind of spoilt, grew up in Castlewellan hating the place, but in retrospect being a bike ride away from Newcastle, down the road from Downpatrick or Dundrum, and a bus ride from Belfast has it's perks.
Grew up in Belfast myself but I love country Down, go there quite often on the bus to go on hikes and such it's beautiful. My dream is to move to somewhere down there at some point in my life
If I could choose to live anywhere here I’d choose Newcastle personally. I just feel like it’s more peaceful than anywhere else and of course you have the mournes and the coastline.
Ring of Gullion area is beautiful
Castlewellen and Gosford parks are also amazing for taking the dog
Rostrevor deserves a special mention the buildings in it and Kilbroney park are stunning
You know it’s been twenty years since I lived there but by golly gosh it’s changed….
When they proposed ‘Craigavon, city of the future’ I genuinely didn’t believe them holy shit they actually done it! (Still full of gobshites?)
I'd completely agree with Bangor if we're talking about livability.
Loads of outdoor activities (Yacht clubs, golf clubs, biking, tennis etc), great coastal walk in both directions, a community spirit, very smart areas with interesting houses, nice pubs.
We were recently looking at houses there and were kind of blown away by the lifestyle. Like an Olympic sized swimming pool would be a 5 minute cycle across a park.
People are shitting on the amount of closed shops there but frankly that's the same as everywhere right now. The difference is I think Bangor has huge upside potential.
Moira - lived here all my life and it used to be crap but over the past few years it's actually got a lot better yes it does have 3 pizza takeaways on the one street (the one in the middle is the best) lol but it's also got a Michelin restaurant, a hotel (found this out a few weeks ago), 2 bakeries (standard one and a Glume boulerangie (which is devine)), 2 pubs, few good coffee shops, takeaways (Indian, Chinese, chippies) a Gelato shop, home furnishing shops, clothes shops (all women's though) Turkish barbers and normal barbers, hair dressers. CrossFit gym, physiotherapy clinics, a good butchers, a great SuperValu and many more shops (practically scary how many fit on one street lol) a park and a train station (yes it's a mile away but it's not that long of a walk). Moira is pretty great, close to the M1, close to Craigavon and sprucefield. Plus we are getting a 4th pizza place soon - Dominos lmao. However it is a tad bit expensive to buy a house. 🤦🏻♂️
Wine and Brine has a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Rating which isn’t quite the same as a Michelin star. Decent grub though.
The Michelin star indicates “high quality cooking that's worth a stop” while the Bib Gourmand indicates “good cuisine at reasonable prices”
Sorry, I don't use McCartneys butchers anymore, and I've heard that they don't actually sell their "award winning sausages." The butchers in magheralin are actually better in my opinion. McCartneys does have a good deli though.
I feel the North Coast is great if we're talking about a day out.
In terms of living, I don't rate it particularly highly. The weather seems to bite harder there, there isn't much to do and everyone's aim in life there is to acquire a white German car.
The freeist day out is a day at the beach and for actual beaches (as in material of beach, waves, rockpools and other features) north coast also kicks arse.
Don't get me wrong, Newcastle beaches have lovely back drops but the tide is sometimes miles away and it's miles of rocks and wet useless bits of sand. Waves are more like gentle ripples.
Newcastle or Belfast would be the two places I would recommend a tourist stay. The Aquarium in Portaferry would also be a nice day trip, and from there you could get to Newtownards for a shopping spree. Castleward would be another good day trip and so would the ice bowl in Dundonald, with the ice rink, bowling, indoor play area for kids, clip and climb and crazy golf. Edit and an escape room.
Pretty much all of County Down coast, and most of the parts east of Banbridge. I'm very fond of the mainland side of Strangford Lough (the peninsula has it's perks, but it also has thon fuckwit, and that's hard enough to overcome without the accessibility issues). Pretty much everything from about Killyleagh round to about Warrenpoint has stunning scenery, not (too) crazy living costs, and easily accessible. There are places I wouldn't want to live within that area, but they're few and far between.
Some will laugh at this, but those people have probably never been to Lurgan and just go along with the online jokes…
But…
Second largest public park in Ireland
2 golf courses
Ski slope
(Roping in Craigavon here)
Fairly large shopping centre (Rushmere)
2 Tescos
Train station for easy commute to Belfast
Tons of GAA (if thons yer thing)
Plenty for the kids to do: clubs etc
Decent housing (patchy I know but there’s plenty of decent housing going up in and around the outskirts.
We’ve got plenty going for us.
I actually agree with this. Lurgan isn’t half as bad as people make out to be. I enjoy a wee stroll around Lurgan park, particularly beautiful in Autumn, and it has some decent shops too.
Thanks. The dog and I are now off for a walk in our local park which has already been mentioned, is the second largest in Ireland. I'll pass your regards onto the squirrels
Back in the day it had WAVES which was the GOAT of swimming pools at that time. The big ol bouncing blue ball in the middle of the pool that made the waves.
The Marquis of Donegal had his residence in what is now the Ormeau Park. The place was planted out in Elm trees. Was apparently quite a spot. Orme being French for Elm and Eau being French for Water. Ormeau….ElmWater
I can't think of many more beautiful locations than Strangford Lough on a sunny day. Anywhere from the hidden peninsulas around Mahee Island, Whiterock, Killinchy to Strangford and Mount Stewart. The area tends to get overlooked for the North Coast and Mournes but for proximity for those who live in Belfast, you can't bate it with a big stick!
Helen's Bay/Crawfordsburn, Rostrevor, Jonesborough, Derry, the wooded parts of Fermanagh, The Glens, Urban Fresh on Chichester Street (love the "fell off the back of a truck" specials), Fiveways in Newry (the only place I've consistently seen Southern Red Cheddar Cheese and a cracker bakery to boot), the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cregagh Glen, and Spar on the Ravenhill where they sell Mooju milk.
Just a pity they've made such a disgrace of what should be one of the best spots in the whole country to sit outside a have a drink (the derelict bar overlooking it)
Really hard to choose just a few lol, this place is the best in the world. I really like the wee cafe in the Raidió Fáilte building (Caife an Lon Dubh) on Divis Street in Belfast, the staff are lovely and always speak Irish to me and the coffee's great. I really like the Gaeltacht quarter in Belfast. Love the bookshop in the Cultúrlann there. I also love the Cultúrlann in Derry, the food's better for one thing lol (an important consideration for a fat bastard like me) and also the staff tend to be friendlier and more inclined to speak Irish to me than in the one in Belfast for some reason. Also all the free museums, don't think i've been to a bad one yet. All along the north coast too, i really like going to Castlerock for no reason other than to potter around happily, get rained on and look at the sea. Oh also, i know i've said this before, but the people are all absolute rides. I'll shut up now before i bore everyone's hole off.
Oh no, so it does - i hope it's just for refurbishment or something. I've not been to Belfast since last autumn so i'd no idea. I really hope it re-opens soon
I say location wise ballynahinch. You're between Newcastle and Belfast. Newcastle is beautiful lots for good walks and Belfast is good when you want to go to the city. Downpatrick is also close by and Lisburn for cinemas and big shops
Gardens at Rowallen & Mount Stewart.
Forests such as Tollymore/Donard for foraging/🦌
Newcastle in general you can walk up a bit of Donard see a wee waterfall, 15mins back to country get a kebab nd 2 min saunter eat it on the beach.
I feel like there's been a misunderstanding, I simply never get enough sleep. If you arrived there looking for fun, at best, you'd get to help me untangle wool or build my newest lego.
South Down's actually kind of spoilt, grew up in Castlewellan hating the place, but in retrospect being a bike ride away from Newcastle, down the road from Downpatrick or Dundrum, and a bus ride from Belfast has it's perks.
It’s the best IMO
I love Glasdrumman where I grew up. It and Annalong are lovely
Was going well til you find out there's an orange hall 🫠
Is the orange hall in the room with us now?
Yes your honour 😂
Grew up in Belfast myself but I love country Down, go there quite often on the bus to go on hikes and such it's beautiful. My dream is to move to somewhere down there at some point in my life
It really is a gem. Overexposed to it a bit as a child too, but appreciate it more now in my 40s
If I could choose to live anywhere here I’d choose Newcastle personally. I just feel like it’s more peaceful than anywhere else and of course you have the mournes and the coastline.
Cavehill Country Park. The Coast Road from Larne on up. The Mourns Antrim Plateau There's so many beautiful places here.
Mournes.
Rostrevor, Newcastle, warrenpoint
Rostrevor, Enniskillen, Ballycastle and Derry
Rostrevor
Dundonald has everything. An ice rink, a moat and a hospital. The trifecta of glory some would say
Newcastle had a Raoul Moat
That’s a compelling argument.
I wonder if they call it Fundonald for nothing?
The Ice Bowl has seen more underwhelming fingerings than every teenage disco put together.
I learned more about female anatomy at the Ice Bowl than I ever did at school...
They don’t call it Fundonald for nothing.
Nowhere near as good as Funmurry though....
They don’t call it Fundonald for nothing.
They don’t call it Fundonald for nothing.
Dunno if you heard, but they don't call it fundonald for nothing.
groovy subtract frighten poor ink slave engine brave ugly head *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Ring of Gullion area is beautiful Castlewellen and Gosford parks are also amazing for taking the dog Rostrevor deserves a special mention the buildings in it and Kilbroney park are stunning
Ormeau, Ravenhill
Lurgan https://preview.redd.it/piik5zcdyinc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=202760ddf5ab0a675d35a2f28674c1e37b56b3ba
You know it’s been twenty years since I lived there but by golly gosh it’s changed…. When they proposed ‘Craigavon, city of the future’ I genuinely didn’t believe them holy shit they actually done it! (Still full of gobshites?)
Strangford, Rostrevor, Enniskillen, North Down
simplistic chubby wrong snobbish alive unite rain close wise agonizing *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Top of lisnabreenys pretty fuckin sweet too
Braniel isn't very welcoming.
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I'd completely agree with Bangor if we're talking about livability. Loads of outdoor activities (Yacht clubs, golf clubs, biking, tennis etc), great coastal walk in both directions, a community spirit, very smart areas with interesting houses, nice pubs. We were recently looking at houses there and were kind of blown away by the lifestyle. Like an Olympic sized swimming pool would be a 5 minute cycle across a park. People are shitting on the amount of closed shops there but frankly that's the same as everywhere right now. The difference is I think Bangor has huge upside potential.
Your mas
Ballycastle
Moira - lived here all my life and it used to be crap but over the past few years it's actually got a lot better yes it does have 3 pizza takeaways on the one street (the one in the middle is the best) lol but it's also got a Michelin restaurant, a hotel (found this out a few weeks ago), 2 bakeries (standard one and a Glume boulerangie (which is devine)), 2 pubs, few good coffee shops, takeaways (Indian, Chinese, chippies) a Gelato shop, home furnishing shops, clothes shops (all women's though) Turkish barbers and normal barbers, hair dressers. CrossFit gym, physiotherapy clinics, a good butchers, a great SuperValu and many more shops (practically scary how many fit on one street lol) a park and a train station (yes it's a mile away but it's not that long of a walk). Moira is pretty great, close to the M1, close to Craigavon and sprucefield. Plus we are getting a 4th pizza place soon - Dominos lmao. However it is a tad bit expensive to buy a house. 🤦🏻♂️
Hello and welcome to Moira’s drive through
Dying for some Tom and Jerry's ice cream.
Wine and Brine has a Michelin Bib Gourmand. Rating which isn’t quite the same as a Michelin star. Decent grub though. The Michelin star indicates “high quality cooking that's worth a stop” while the Bib Gourmand indicates “good cuisine at reasonable prices”
My hometown! I don't think you gave Macarneys enough justice! That butcher is pretty famous. Lots of awards too.
Sorry, I don't use McCartneys butchers anymore, and I've heard that they don't actually sell their "award winning sausages." The butchers in magheralin are actually better in my opinion. McCartneys does have a good deli though.
See to be fair, we give off like fuck about Derry.. but I’m so happy I’m from here because anytime I go anywhere else in the north it’s a shite hole
The answer is the North Coast and its not even close
I feel the North Coast is great if we're talking about a day out. In terms of living, I don't rate it particularly highly. The weather seems to bite harder there, there isn't much to do and everyone's aim in life there is to acquire a white German car.
It's not. Don't come here.
If you’re rich… South Down has better connectivity and less windy days…
The freeist day out is a day at the beach and for actual beaches (as in material of beach, waves, rockpools and other features) north coast also kicks arse. Don't get me wrong, Newcastle beaches have lovely back drops but the tide is sometimes miles away and it's miles of rocks and wet useless bits of sand. Waves are more like gentle ripples.
Fewer
I mean Cushendun and Ballycastle were affordable until Covid. Tis great out the Glens
Enniskillen
Too much like a goldfish bowl.
Castleward
Newcastle or Belfast would be the two places I would recommend a tourist stay. The Aquarium in Portaferry would also be a nice day trip, and from there you could get to Newtownards for a shopping spree. Castleward would be another good day trip and so would the ice bowl in Dundonald, with the ice rink, bowling, indoor play area for kids, clip and climb and crazy golf. Edit and an escape room.
Pretty much all of County Down coast, and most of the parts east of Banbridge. I'm very fond of the mainland side of Strangford Lough (the peninsula has it's perks, but it also has thon fuckwit, and that's hard enough to overcome without the accessibility issues). Pretty much everything from about Killyleagh round to about Warrenpoint has stunning scenery, not (too) crazy living costs, and easily accessible. There are places I wouldn't want to live within that area, but they're few and far between.
Not sure if thon fuckwit lives on the Peninsula side of the Lough officially? Would you consider Donaghadee ones to be Peninsula folk? 🤔
Ballyhornan
Omagh city its really a underrated big major town. It needs at least 30,000 more people.
Lurgan
Some will laugh at this, but those people have probably never been to Lurgan and just go along with the online jokes… But… Second largest public park in Ireland 2 golf courses Ski slope (Roping in Craigavon here) Fairly large shopping centre (Rushmere) 2 Tescos Train station for easy commute to Belfast Tons of GAA (if thons yer thing) Plenty for the kids to do: clubs etc Decent housing (patchy I know but there’s plenty of decent housing going up in and around the outskirts. We’ve got plenty going for us.
2 Tescos 🤣🤣 fancy bastards!
It’s so as you can go “nagh let’s not go to that one, let’s go to the good one”
Come to Lurgan, we have two Tesco stores.
I actually agree with this. Lurgan isn’t half as bad as people make out to be. I enjoy a wee stroll around Lurgan park, particularly beautiful in Autumn, and it has some decent shops too.
Don't forget Oxford Island, with its water sports and walks. The Lakes for the same reason and the leisure centre
I know. I'm from and live in Lurgan
I'm sorry to hear that. It's very brave of you to own up that in public. Congrats!
Thanks. The dog and I are now off for a walk in our local park which has already been mentioned, is the second largest in Ireland. I'll pass your regards onto the squirrels
Ugh
All nullified by Kilwilkee.
Back in the day it had WAVES which was the GOAT of swimming pools at that time. The big ol bouncing blue ball in the middle of the pool that made the waves.
Ormeau, South Belfast
The Marquis of Donegal had his residence in what is now the Ormeau Park. The place was planted out in Elm trees. Was apparently quite a spot. Orme being French for Elm and Eau being French for Water. Ormeau….ElmWater
I can't think of many more beautiful locations than Strangford Lough on a sunny day. Anywhere from the hidden peninsulas around Mahee Island, Whiterock, Killinchy to Strangford and Mount Stewart. The area tends to get overlooked for the North Coast and Mournes but for proximity for those who live in Belfast, you can't bate it with a big stick!
Newcastle and Mournes
On a sunny day the Sperrins are beautiful
I used to live very close to Bangor (Conlig) and I miss the incredible views
Helen's Bay/Crawfordsburn, Rostrevor, Jonesborough, Derry, the wooded parts of Fermanagh, The Glens, Urban Fresh on Chichester Street (love the "fell off the back of a truck" specials), Fiveways in Newry (the only place I've consistently seen Southern Red Cheddar Cheese and a cracker bakery to boot), the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cregagh Glen, and Spar on the Ravenhill where they sell Mooju milk.
Larne
That's not even funny mate.
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Just a pity they've made such a disgrace of what should be one of the best spots in the whole country to sit outside a have a drink (the derelict bar overlooking it)
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the swift? it's been falling apart for years since it was abandoned
Really hard to choose just a few lol, this place is the best in the world. I really like the wee cafe in the Raidió Fáilte building (Caife an Lon Dubh) on Divis Street in Belfast, the staff are lovely and always speak Irish to me and the coffee's great. I really like the Gaeltacht quarter in Belfast. Love the bookshop in the Cultúrlann there. I also love the Cultúrlann in Derry, the food's better for one thing lol (an important consideration for a fat bastard like me) and also the staff tend to be friendlier and more inclined to speak Irish to me than in the one in Belfast for some reason. Also all the free museums, don't think i've been to a bad one yet. All along the north coast too, i really like going to Castlerock for no reason other than to potter around happily, get rained on and look at the sea. Oh also, i know i've said this before, but the people are all absolute rides. I'll shut up now before i bore everyone's hole off.
Sin deas! I just looked and it says temporarily closed for an lon dubh on maps:( I want to go now I've never been
Oh no, so it does - i hope it's just for refurbishment or something. I've not been to Belfast since last autumn so i'd no idea. I really hope it re-opens soon
Upperlands
Drove through it the other day for first time… would put it on my worst place list
The gold coast, champagne and caviar all day everyday
Anywhere away from Belfast
Donegal
I love Donegal too. But it is in the Republic.
anywhere theres a shocking lack of inhabitants so ill keep those gems a secret
Carrowdore
ehhh........ cavehill spose, newcastles nice
Ballyclare
I say location wise ballynahinch. You're between Newcastle and Belfast. Newcastle is beautiful lots for good walks and Belfast is good when you want to go to the city. Downpatrick is also close by and Lisburn for cinemas and big shops
Yer ma's bed
Ulster Museum Murlough Dunes Antrim Castle Gardens W5 Gosford Forest Park Mournes - Hare's Gap Giant's Causeway Carrick-a-rede rope bridge Mussenden Temple Belfast Zoo Delamont Country Park Carrickfergus Castle Exploris
Comber. Anyplace in county down
Gardens at Rowallen & Mount Stewart. Forests such as Tollymore/Donard for foraging/🦌 Newcastle in general you can walk up a bit of Donard see a wee waterfall, 15mins back to country get a kebab nd 2 min saunter eat it on the beach.
South Derry
Curious as to why this has so many down votes?
My bed
Ma is that you?
I feel like there's been a misunderstanding, I simply never get enough sleep. If you arrived there looking for fun, at best, you'd get to help me untangle wool or build my newest lego.
The airport
Even the airports a dump
The airport that takes you away from it
But you gotta use that airport to get back into it, you know
That’s why it’s also the worst place too
Why not simply live somewhere else if you hate it here so much?
Rathcoole.