Greenisland is a town in

County Antrim County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. It lies 7 miles north-east of Belfast and 3 miles south-west of

Carrickfergus Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest ...

. The town is on the coast of

Belfast Lough Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to ...

and is named after a tiny

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

to the west, ''the Green Island''.http://www.betweentheknockaghandthelough.co.uk/HistoricalOverview.aspx Between the Knockagh and the Lough: Historical Overview It is a semi-rural community located at the foot of Carn Hill , upon which stands the

Knockagh Monument The Knockagh Monument is a war memorial in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on top of Knockagh Hill, above the village of Greenisland with a panoramic view of the city of Belfast. Features The site is 390m (1230 feet) above sea le ...

, a war memorial for those from

who died in the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and second world wars. Discover

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

: The Knockagh Monument The town has two distinct areas, known locally as ''Upper Greenisland'' and ''Lower Greenisland'' after the upper Station Road and lower Station Road around which two parts are respectively located. Upper Greenisland stretches from Upper Road (B90) to the

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

at the bottom of Upper Station Road, includes Greenisland Primary School and features predominantly middle-class demographics and housing. Lower Greenisland runs from the

, down Station Road and ends at Shore Road (part of the A2 road). It features a large, predominantly Protestant working-class housing estate built during the 1950s and 1960shttp://www.betweentheknockaghandthelough.co.uk/PresentDay.aspx Between the Knockagh and the Lough: Present Day and includes Greenisland Library, Greenisland Community Centre, a number of churches, a small shopping parade at Glassillan Court and Silverstream Primary School. The village in its entirety stretches from the foot of the hill to the shore of

History

Originally, the area now known as Greenisland was merely an unnamed area of the town of

with the Silverstream river, now the western boundary of Greenisland, marking the westernmost boundary of the large town. Today, roadsigns indicate that the river, which now flows through the grounds of

Belfast High School Belfast High School (BHS) is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was established in 1854 and is within the North Eastern Region of the Education Authority. In May 2007, ...

, is the exact boundary between the

and

Newtownabbey Newtownabbey ( ) is a large settlement in North Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course. It surrounds Carnmoney Hill, and was formed from the merging of severa ...

boroughs. From 1602 to 1606 the "freemen", leading citizens of Carrickfergus, obtained the right to redistribute this area of land from the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

, renaming the area the ''West Division'' - a name which remains legal today. Farmland was distributed in strips from Knockagh Hill, to the shore of

and lanes were constructed to provide access to the farms and their houses, including important residences such as ''Castle Lugg''. The most notable of these was Longfield Lane, which was eventually widened and surfaced to provide access to the railway station, becoming the Station Road. Many of the lanes also remain in their original narrow state, such as Neill's Lane and Windfield Lane both of which run north from the Shore Road on either side of Greenisland. In the 1800s, following the growth of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

towards the end of the 18th century, several bathing lodges used for summer recreation were established in the area. One such lodge existed until 2020 as the "Ravenhill Nursing Home", operated by the

Northern Health and Social Care Trust The Northern Health and Social Care Trust is a health and social care trust in Northern Ireland, responsible for providing services at various health facilities including Antrim Area Hospital The Antrim Area Hospital is a general hospital in A ...

.https://www.carrickfergustimes.co.uk/news/politics/council/apartments-proposed-for-former-greenisland-nursing-home-site-3212473 Ravenhill Nursing Home During this period, Bassett's directory of 1888 notes that the area was "devoted entirely to handsome residences occupied for the greater part by gentlemen engaged in commercial and professional pursuits in Belfast". The Belfast-to- Ballymena railway line was opened in 1845, which travelled through the area, providing one of the first transport links to the town from both Belfast and Carrickfergus. The village was finally given the official name of ''Greenisland'' in 1893 when the Greenisland railway station was constructed in its present site. Improvements in transport and a growth in prosperity led to more semi-detached and terraced houses in the area immediately surrounding the railway station. In 1859, the Christian Revival that swept Ulster arrived in Greenisland and an open-air service was held in the field below Longfield Farm (now known locally as Johnstone Farm) which is still standing on the Station Road. By 1860 the interdenominational Ebenezer Hall was built for worshippers on the Shore Road. This was then followed in 1912 when the Presbyterian Knockagh Hall was built on the Upper Road. Neither of these buildings survive, but the congregations of these two churches remain. With Greenisland Ebenezer Church of the Nazarene now in Longfield Gardens and Greenisland Presbyterian Church on the Upper Road. Over the years they have been joined by several other churches as Greenisland has grown. Greenisland Primary School replaced a school in Trooperslane in 1938, when it was realised that children had to walk two miles to Trooperslane and back every day. On the opening day, pupils arrived at the Trooperslane school and then walked to the new school carrying armfuls of books, jars of ink and other learning materials. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the new school's headmaster, as an Army reservist, was called into action. Soon after, an air-raid shelter was built in the playground and gas masks were placed under desks, where the pupils would store their bags. Village residents formed a Home Guard and Civil Defence Post and air-raid drills became regular free 'entertainment' in the evenings. Stirrup pumps were issued to put out fires and proved very useful for watering gardens during the summer. The name on the outside of the school was covered during the war so that any German parachutists landing in Greenisland would be disorientated, not knowing where they were. In Easter 1941, when a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

plane was reported to have flown up the

Lough ''Loch'' () is the Scottish Gaelic, Scots and Irish word for a lake or sea inlet. It is cognate with the Manx lough, Cornish logh, and one of the Welsh words for lake, llwch. In English English and Hiberno-English, the anglicised spel ...

towards Belfast, the anti-aircraft battery on Neill's Lane opened fire. It was the only occasion during the war that necessitated the air-raid shelters in Greenisland. The guns did not bring down any aircraft and only managed to crack some windows in the village. However, it was soon realised that a full-scale attack had been waged on the city of Belfast (today known as the

Belfast Blitz The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack ...

, the greatest loss of life outside

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

during

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

) and the village's Air Raid Precautions volunteers disappeared into Belfast for several days to help with the recovery.

Local landmarks

The

, a

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

erected as a memorial to the citizens of

who died during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and

. It sits at the summit of Carn Hill known locally as "Knockagh Hill", overlooking the village and is the most notable landmark of the surrounding area. Castle Lugg is owned by the National Trust. The tower was described in the OS memoirs as "a square tower... nothing now remains but a portion of the N wall 27ft long & 25ft high - with a very small portion of the E side attached to it...There is no tradition or local record to throw any light on the origin, history or destruction of this castle". A small excavation was carried out at the site in 1980, but failed to establish a precise date of layout of the structure; documentary evidence suggest it existed by 1570. It is still much as it was when described in 1839, with the remains of the N wall, 8m long x 1.2m thick x c.5m high & a fragment of the E wall surviving at the NE corner. Two modern walls extend S from the E & W sides of the N wall & formed part of a forge.

Shops and services

Greenisland has a number of shops and services which include: grocery shops and newsagents, a petrol filling station, a butcher's shop, a golf club, a hair salon and a barber's shop, a bakery, a dental practice and doctors' surgery, a chemist, a number of takeaway food outlets and a nursing home formerly known as The Knockagh Lodge, an off-licence, car sales, a cafe and two children's nurseries. The area is also served by the local NEELB Library, and has a community centre, youth centre and Scout hall.

Local help and advice

Carrickfergus Citizens' Advice Bureau operates an outreach service which is available at Greenisland Baptist Church on Wednesdays from 12.30 - 1.30pm. (September–June Only). Christians Against Poverty (CAP) have also opened a centre at Greenisland Baptist Church which offers help and advice to anyone struggling with debt issues. Contact details for CAP can be found on the Greenisland Baptist Church website.

Transport

Greenisland railway station, opened on 11 April 1848, provides direct rail links in both the

and

Larne Larne (, , the name of a Gaelic territory) is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight roll-on roll-off port. Larne is administered by Mid ...

directions, from around 5am until 11pm. The vast majority of train services from the Belfast and Larne directions stop at Greenisland, with the exception of occasional express Belfast to Carrickfergus services. The vast majority of Ulsterbus Belfast and

/ Whitehead bus services take a ten-minute detour into the Greenisland estate before continuing to their destination, providing the village with frequent transport links in each direction.

Education

* Greenisland Primary School is the primary education establishment in the village, located on the Upper Station Road. * Silverstream Primary School is the second primary school in the area, and is located in the estate area in the south of Greenisland. *

is a grammar school located to the west of the village. * The

Jordanstown Jordanstown ( ga, Baile Mhic Shiúrtáin) is a townland (of 964 acres) and electoral ward in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the urban area of Newtownabbey and the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council area. It is also situate ...

campus of the

University of Ulster sco, Ulstèr Universitie , image = Ulster University coat of arms.png , caption = , motto_lang = , mottoeng = , latin_name = Universitas Ulidiae , established = 1865 – Magee College 1953 - Magee Un ...

is less than a mile from Greenisland.

Sports clubs

Greenisland has a number of sports clubs and facilities including Greenisland Golf Club, Greenisland Bowling Green, Greenisland War Memorial Sports Club (GWMSC), Greenisland Ladies Hockey Club, Greenisland Boys Football Club, Knockagh View Equestrian Centre, Knockagh Wrestling Club.

Politics

Greenisland was part of

Carrickfergus Borough Council Carrickfergus Borough Council was a district council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymena Borough Council and Larne Borough Council in May 2015 under local government reorganisation in Northern Ireland to become Mid ...

but is now part of the much larger

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is a local authority that was established on 1 April 2015. It replaced Ballymena Borough Council, Carrickfergus Borough Council and Larne Borough Council. History On 2 December 2021, the councils chief ex ...

and forms part of the Knockagh district electoral area. It is also in the East Antrim

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...

and Assembly constituencies.

Demography

On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 5,486 people living in Greenisland, an increase of 8.6% on the Census 2001 figure of 5,050. Of these: *19.1% were aged under 16 years and 17.4% were aged 65 and over *48.8% of the population were male and 51.2% were female *11.1% were from a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

background and 77.6% were from a

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

or other Christian background. *4.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

Recent developments

Widening of A2 Shore Road

There have been multiple attempts and campaigns since the 1970s for the A2 Shore Road bottleneck to be removed and a dual carriageway to be built. Each made varying amounts of progress with plans and purchasing of property but were later abandoned for various reasons. Proposals began to re-emerge around 2005 for the introduction of a new multimillion-pound dual carriageway along the A2 Shore Road. In preparation for this, public consultations were conducted and relevant properties purchased. Conor Murphy the then Regional Development Minister stated in June 2010 that subject to "finances being available, delivery is expected to start in 2011-12, and the project should be completed in 2013". This was then further delayed until finances could be found. On 14 February 2012 it was confirmed in a press conference at Stormont by Edwin Poots, Martin McGuinness, Peter Robinson and Danny Kennedy that "£57m (would) be spent on improving the A2 Carrickfergus to Belfast road." On 31 January 2013 the contract for the widening of the A2 shore road was awarded to Graham Construction. Work began in March 2013 and was opened to traffic on 28 September 201

.

New Community Football Facility at Glenkeen Avenue

In May 2019, Greenisland Football Club opened a state of the art 3G Football pitch - with the help of the Mid and East Antrim Council - for use by the whole community, which confirms their reputation as one of the best amateur teams in Northern Ireland In the summer of 2021, the club’s facilities were further improved with the opening of a 130 seat stand for spectators

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in County Antrim