Holywood

Historical gem of the lough

Holywood is full of charm. As you wander the town, with it's boutique clothing and gift stores, it's cosy cafes and renowned eateries.

Getting to Holywood

Easy to get to 
Travel to us by land, sea or air with major airports and seaports close by. Sail into our ports via Liverpool and Cairnryan, Scotland. From George Best Belfast City Airport and Belfast Docks, you can reach Holywood in under 15 minutes, and Belfast International Airport is just 35km away from the town, which is the gateway to Ards and North Down.

Short travel times direct from major cities 
We are located only 2 hours from Dublin by road and 90 minutes from London and Amsterdam by air. With great public transport links, getting here is straight forward. Or, hire a car for the freedom to explore the stunning landscapes, coastal walks and even more of our towns and villages that surround Holywood.

Find out more
 

Iconic Holywood Sights

For a rather small town, it sure packs a lot in and is famous for many things... its maypole in the centre of town is one. Its origin is uncertain, but according to local folklore, it dates from 1700. A Dutch ship is said to have run aground on the shore nearby, and the crew erected the broken mast to show their appreciation of the assistance offered to them by the townsfolk. The maypole is still used for dancing at the annual May Day fair.

As you wander the town, with it's boutique clothing and gift stores, it's cosy cafes and renowned eateries, look out for Jonny the Jig, a beautiful sculpture with a story behind it, created by local sculptress Rosamund Praeger.

Holywood Priory Church near the town centre represents Holywood’s rich ecclesiastical heritage today by its most distinctive building, referred to as the Old Priory, a monastery founded originally by St. Laiseran in the early 7th Century.

Not far from the centre is Holywood Motte, an Anglo-Norman castle mound.

Walking through the charming town centre, look out for Jonny the Jig, a beautiful sculpture with a story behind it, created by local scupltress Rosamund Praeger.

Ulster-Scots in Holywood

Discover more to the depth of history of Holywood and explore the influence of the Ulster-Scots in Holywood.

Eat and Drink in Holywood

Watch the world go by in one of the cosy cafe's in the town; immerse your senses in award winning restaurants, and join the locals for a drink or two in one of the town's pubs.

Find out more about Food and Drink in the Borough

Tour Holywood

Explore Holywood through the Virtual Visit Tours lens; the first town in Northern Ireland to launch a 360-degree virtual reality tour of the town!

For information on walking tours available of Holywood, visit our Tours and Tour Guides section.

Make more of your stay

Discover ways to enrich your stay in our place, immersing yourself in the warmth of our people amongst the landscapes where the countryside meets the seashore with events, experiences and things to do.

Start planning your trip to Holywood and beyond.

Highlights of Holywood

• Holywood Priory Church and Holywood Motte provide a taste of the town's rich history;
• Just a stones throw away from Holywood, in the area of Cultra, you can step back in time in and uncover a way of life from 100 years ago at the Ulster Folk Museum and the Ulster Transport Museum.  The Museum is on the outskirts of Holywood and illustrates the way of life and traditions of the people of Ulster. It is Ireland’s most comprehensive heritage museum and has a world-class Irish Railway Collection, Road Transport Galleries and interactive Flight Experience.
• Enjoy the green spaces of Ballymenoch Park, Seapark Recreation Grounds and beach and, of course, the North Down Coastal Path. Stretching for 16 miles, from Holywood to Portavo near Donaghadee, the path provides stunning views across Belfast Lough. Spot the Stena ferry making it's way between Belfast and Scotland, visiting cruise ships and wildlife who frequent the shoreline. In the summer of 2022, Seapark was listed amongst NI's most 'Instagrammed' Beaches, find out more.
• Renowned silversmith, Ruth of NI Silver runs bespoke jewellery making classes in her Holywood home workshop. Ruth is renowned for creating beautiful silver jewellery pieces of iconic Northern Irish landmarks.
• The town is also home to the oldest golf course in Ireland, Royal Belfast Golf Club, as well as Rory's home club Holywood Golf Club.

Homegrown Holywood Talent

Forget Hollywood, Holywood is home to a few internationally famous faces of its own, including Golf Star Rory McIlroy, Actor Jamie Dornan and sculptress Rosamund Praeger... to name just a few famous faces.