Portrush | |
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Planes on the beach during the yearly air show |
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Portrush shown within Northern Ireland | |
Population | 6,454 (2011) |
Irish grid reference | C855409 |
• Belfast | 50 miles (80 km) |
District | |
County | |
Country | Northern Ireland |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | PORTRUSH |
Postcode district | BT56 |
Dialling code | 028, +44 28 |
Police | Northern Ireland |
Fire | Northern Ireland |
Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
EU Parliament | Northern Ireland |
UK Parliament | |
Portrush (from Irish: Port Rois, meaning "promontory port") is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest. It had a population of 6,454 people as measured by the 2011 Census. In the off-season, Portrush is a dormitory town for the nearby campus of the University of Ulster at Coleraine. It neighbours the resort of Portstewart.
The town is well known for its three sandy beaches, the West Strand, East Strand and White Rocks, as well as the Royal Portrush Golf Club, the only golf club outside of mainland Great Britain which has hosted the Open Championship.
It was the base for the Katie Hannan (this life boat was damaged in 2008, after running aground during a rescue at Rathlin Island, Now based as a training boat for the RNLI), a Severn class lifeboat and Ken and Mary, a D–class inshore lifeboat of the RNLI. Lifeboats have operated out of Portrush Harbour since 1860, and currently stationed there are the Severn class William Gordon Burr and the D-class inshore vessel David Roulston.