Helen's Bay
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| Helen's Bay | ||
| Location | ||
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| Statistics | ||
| Province: | Ulster | |
|---|---|---|
| County: | County Down | |
| District: | North Down Borough | |
| UK Parliament: | North Down | |
| European Parliament: | Northern Ireland | |
| Dialling Code: | 028, +44 28 | |
| Post Town: | Bangor | |
| Postal District(s): | BT19 | |
| Population (2001) | 1,362 | |
Helen's Bay is a village on the North Down coastline at Grey Point between Crawfordsburn and Seahill, four miles west of Bangor. It is named after Helen, Lady Dufferin (née Sheridan), mother of Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Marquess of Dufferin and Ava and owners of the Clandeboye Estate. It is served by a railway station on the Bangor to Belfast line. It had a population of 1,362 in the 2001 Census. It is within the North Down Borough Council area and is a commuter settlement with a small beach.
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[edit] History
Helen’s Bay is a planned village which derived from the building of the Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) in the mid 19th century, and the aspirations of the local landlord, the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava who wanted to develop the area as a luxury holiday resort to rival Portstewart and Portrush. The granting of ‘villa’ or ‘house-free’ tickets by the BCDR Company, which entitled the holders to free travel for a period of time if they constructed houses within one mile of the station, encouraged further development of the settlement.
[edit] Places of interest
Crawfordsburn Country Park, on the southern shores of Belfast Lough, features 3.5 km (2.1 mi) of coastline and a small beach. The Park also includes Grey Point Fort, a coastal battery and gun emplacement dating from 1904 and updated during World War II. It now houses a military museum. Chef Michael Deane previously owned a restaurant in the village.
[edit] 2001 Census
Helen's Bay is classified by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as being within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,362 people living in Helen's Bay. Of these:
- 17.9% were aged under 16 years and 28.3% were aged 60 and over
- 48.6% of the population were male and 51.4% were female
- 10.7% were from a Catholic background and 84.3% were from a Protestant background
- 1.0% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.
For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service
[edit] Public figures from Helens Bay
Andrew Bree (born March 16, 1981) is a breaststroke swimmer from Helens Bay in Northern Ireland. He has enjoyed success of late, becoming the first Irish person to win a medal at the European SC Championships at the National Aquatic Centre, Dublin in December 2003. He did this by coming in second in the 200m Breastsroke, his premier event. His home club is Ards and he currently trains in Tennessee, USA.
In 2004, Bree did not qualify for the Athens Olympics. However, he bounced back to form by qualifying for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. There he equalled the 200m LC Breaststroke record and was placed a credible fifth in that event.
[edit] Telephone Exchange
Although small, Helen's Bay still has its own BT Telephone exchange. Local numbers exist in the following formats:
- (028) 9185 2XXX
- (028) 9185 3XXX
- (028) 9185 4XXX
[edit] References
- North Down Borough Council
- Draft Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan 2015
- Culture Northern Ireland
[edit] See also
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