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Groomsport
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_-_geograph.org.uk_-_728773.jpg) Groomsport harbour, March 2008 | |
  Groomsport Location withinCounty Down | |
| Population | 3,005 (2011 Census) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Postcode district | BT |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | discovergroomsport |
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Groomsport (from Irish Port an Ghiolla Ghruama 'port of the gloomy servant') is a suburb ofBangor inCounty Down,Northern Ireland. It is on the south shore ofBelfast Lough and on the north coast of theArds Peninsula. Groomsport has a population of 3,005 people according to the2011 Census.It is part of theArds and North Down Borough.
Groomsport is a dormitory seaside and holiday village. Originally it was a small fishing village with the focus of development being the harbour and Main Street. Groomsport has developed as a centre for water and shore-based recreation with improved facilities for activities such as sailing and power boating. The Cockle Island Boat Club has its home here in the boat house on the pier.
The village developed beside the natural sheltered harbour, between the shore, Ballymacormick Point and the rocky outcrop known as Cockle Island. The harbour is reputed to be of Viking origin and the beginnings of the small settlement can be traced to the 9th or 10th century. Groomsport remained a fishing village through the Victorian and Edwardian periods until the 1920s. Groomsport still retains the identity and character of a small harbour village with its pier and sheltered anchorage together with its historic street pattern.
The village and townland derives its name from the IrishPort an Ghiolla Ghruama which could be rendered asGloomfellow Port. This has historically beenanglicised or half-anglicised asPortgillegroome,Gillgroomsport andGilgroomsport.[1] By the 17th century, beforeDonaghadee became the main port for embarkation forScotland, Groomsport's harbour was significant enough to have its own Customs House. Indeed, Groomsport narrowly missed out on New World fame when the ship Eagle Wing set out from the port, with 140 men, women and children, to attempt an early trip toNorth America in 1636 only to be defeated by bad weather after eight weeks at sea.Robert Blair andJohn Livingstone both wrote about the voyage.
By the mid-19th century Groomsport had a relatively large fishing fleet and housed a lifeboat station in its sheltered bay. The population of the village was employed mainly in agriculture, fishing and loom weaving. Whilst living conditions were hard, the coming of the railway fromHolywood to Bangor in 1865 made the village much more accessible, the standard of living improved, and it became a popular destination for visitors. Groomsport had a halt on theNewtownards to Donaghadee line, which opened in 1861, but this was several miles south of the village and was renamed Groomsport Road; that line closed in 1950.
The population was only 360 in the 1951 Census but this increased substantially by the early 21st century with the construction of new housing developments.[citation needed] The harbour is used byCockle Island Boat Club and contains a number of pleasure craft.[citation needed] Two former fishermen's cottages by the harbour have been restored as an attraction for visitors.[citation needed]
Groomsport is classified as a settlement within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA) by theNorthern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).
As of the2011 census, for which census day was 27 March 2011, the usually resident population of Groomsport Ward was 3,005. As of this census, the demographic characteristics of the people living in Groomsport indicated that:[citation needed]
Local sports clubs includeGroomsport F.C., who play in theNorthern Amateur Football League.[citation needed]
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