Portballintrae (from Irish Port Bhaile an Trá, meaning 'port of the beach settlement') is a small seaside village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is four miles east of Portrush and two miles west of the Giant's Causeway. In the 2011 Census, Portballintrae had a population of 601, a decline of 18% compared to 2001.[1] It lies within the Causeway Coast and Glens District Council area.
Portballintrae
| |
|---|---|
 Road leading into the village | |
  Location within Northern Ireland | |
| Population | 734 (2001 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BUSHMILLS |
| Postcode district | BT57 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
History
edit
Donald Trump
editIn 2007 Portballintrae was considered as a location for a proposed £1 billion golf course complex by American tycoon and former American president Donald Trump.[2]
Spanish Armada
editBetween 1967 and April 1968 a team of Belgian divers (including Robert Sténuit, the world's first aquanaut), located the remains of the wreck of the Girona off the coast of Portballintrae and brought up the greatest find of Spanish Armada treasure salvaged up until that time.[3][4] The recovered artefacts are now on display in the Ulster Museum in Belfast.
Places of interest
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- The ruins of Dunluce Castle sit on the edge of a cliff between Portballintrae and Portrush. The castle was the main stronghold of the MacDonnell chiefs of Antrim.
- Much of Portballintrae and its surrounding area is owned by the Macnaghten family of Dundarave House and Runkerry House. Runkerry, once the home of Lord Macnaghten, has since been converted into a series of apartments.
- The Giant's Causeway Tramway runs through the sand dunes above the largest beach in Portballintrae, commonly known as Runkerry Strand, and Bushfoot Golf Club. This railway, popular with tourists, runs between The Giants Causeway and Bushmills.
2001 Census
editPortballintrae is classified as a small village or hamlet by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 500 and 1,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 734 people living in Portballintrae. Of these:
- 12.0% were aged under 16 years and 33.4% were aged 60 and over
- 48.9% of the population were male and 51.1% were female
- 1.0% were from a Catholic background and 96.5% were from a Protestant background.
- 2.1% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed
References
edit- ^ "2011 Census key statistics tables on demography". Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 16 August 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
- ^ Caldwell, Johnny (2 December 2007). "Trump golf complex welcome in NI". BBC News. London, UK. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ "Girona gold: How a diver discovered 400-year-old treasure". BBC.co.uk. 27 May 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
- ^ Sténuit, Robert (1973). Treasures of the Armada. Trans. Francine Barker. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co. ISBN 0-525-22245-6.
- Coleraine Borough Council
- Draft Northern Area Plan 2016