Ballyhackamore
Ballyhackamore is a townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, it is a suburb of Belfast located on the Upper Newtownards Road. It is also a ward in the UK Parliamentary constituency of East Belfast.
The Sunday Times named Ballyhackamore the Brunch Capital of Belfast in a 2018 article on the Best Places to live in Britain. The neighbourhood is the location of several restaurants and cafés as well as a range of local and national shops.
Transport
Ballyhackamore is served by the Translink Glider G1 service. In addition Metro and Ulsterbus services stop here.Places of note
- Cyprus Avenue a residential street and conservation area which lent its name to the Van Morrison song, Cyprus Avenue
- Neill's Hill railway station a former halt on the Belfast and County Down Railway line.
- Kincora Boys' Home, a home for boys that was the scene of serious organised abuse.
- Bloomfield Collegiate School, an Independent Grammar School for girls.
Notable people
- Judith Cochrane, politician, had a constituency office in Ballyhackamore
- Ian Geddes Davidson, Irish rugby union player, born in Ballyhackamore
- Gemma Garrett, former Miss Great Britain, attended Bloomfield Collegiate
- Christine Lampard, TV broadcaster, attended Bloomfield Collegiate
- Joan Lingard, Scottish novelist, grew up and lived in Ballyhackamore until the age of 18
- Naomi Long, leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, attended Bloomfield Collegiate and lives in Ballyhackamore
- Paddy O'Flaherty, broadcaster and journalist
- Elaine Shemilt, fine art printmaker, attended Bloomfield Collegiate
In popular culture
- Ballyhackamore – "Town of the big horses”, an NVTV television programme
- Cyprus Avenue, a Van Morrison song