Antrim (town) Voyage Tips and guide

Antrim is the historic county town of County Antrim in Northern Ireland. These counties are no longer units of government so since 2015 it's been within the Borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey. It's 22 miles northwest of Belfast and is a commuter town for the city, with a population in 2021 of 25,500.

For many visitors Antrim is the place they arrive but don't stop to explore, as the International Airport is here. But it has several historic sites, a pleasant setting on Lough Neagh, and is a good base for visiting around the lough and further north. Its most distinctive sight is its Round Tower, all that remains of an early monastic settlement. As the monks lived in seclusion the place was originally called Aontreibh meaning "lone house", but this got garbled to Aontroim, "lone ridge".

54°42′0″N 6°13′12″W

Map of Antrim (town)

54.662-6.2181 Belfast International Airport (BFS ^IATA, aka Aldergrove) is 20 miles west of Belfast and 4 miles south of Antrim town. It's Northern Ireland's main airport, with flights across UK and Europe mostly by Easyjet; there are no flights from within Ireland. It has buses to Belfast, City Airport and Derry, but these don't serve Antrim. See below for Bus 109A between Lisburn, airport and Antrim. Car hire and taxis are also available.

See Belfast for other long-range transport, such as Belfast City and Dublin airports, ferries to Belfast and Larne, and trains and buses from Dublin.

By road from Belfast follow M2 west, 18 miles.

Trains run hourly from Belfast (several stations), taking 40 min to Antrim. They continue to Ballymena, Coleraine, Castlerock and Derry. Change at Coleraine for Ulster University and Portrush.

54.7184-6.21192 Antrim bus & rail centre is quarter of a mile northeast of town centre.

Goldliner Bus 218 / 219 runs every two hours from Belfast Laganside, taking 35 min to Antrim, and continuing to Ballymena, Cloughmills, Ballymoney and Coleraine.

Bus 109A runs hourly M-Sa from Lisburn via Crumlin and International Airport to Antrim. Air travellers with a rail ticket to / from stations north of Antrim (listed above) can ride between airport and Antrim for a discount £2 single fare - show your rail ticket when you board the bus.

Bus 110 / 120 runs every couple of hours from Magherafelt (with connecting buses from Cookstown) via Castledawson and Randalstown to Antrim.

The town is compact enough to walk. The most reliable taxi firm is SML, +44 7999 083131.

• 54.722-6.2311 Antrim Castle Gardens, off High St. 24 hours. The castle was built in the 17th century, rebuilt in 1813, burnt down in 1922, and the ruins were cleared away in the 1970s. The buildings that remain illustrate its late Georgian concept of Tudor-Gothic: there's an Italianate stair tower, a Barbican gatehouse and a stable block - this has been renamed Clotworthy House and now hosts weddings, conferences and the like. The chief attraction is the restored 17th century Anglo-Dutch water gardens. The main entrance is from Randalstown Rd to the north, but from town centre it's easier to enter through the Barbican from High St. Limited parking here, use one of the other town car parks. Free.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.724-6.2092 The Round Tower or "Steeple" is to the north on Steeple Rd. It's a well-preserved example from the 10th century, 92 ft / 28 m tall with a conical cap; such towers were church belfries but nothing remains of the church / monastery. A Celtic cross is carved over the tower doorway (no entry, it's 2.5 m above ground level and barred by a metal grille). Nearby is the "Witches Stone" and two bullauns - stones with hollows that collected rainwater, of supposed healing properties.
• 54.729-6.2173 Springfarm Rath was a fortified farmstead circa 1000 AD, with earthworks and palisades. You'll have to use your imagination with this one, just a grassy platform with trees hemmed in by The Meadows housing estate. From Stiles Way B518, turn onto Fort Green (perhaps a clue?) then follow The Meadow: look for the layby and little footbridge to your left.
• 54.7286-6.26724 Shane's Castle, Castle Rd BT41 4ND, ☏ +44 28 9442 8216. The first castle of 1345 was called Eden-duff-carrick; it was replaced in the 17th-century Plantation era. This second castle grew and grew, and was still incomplete when it burnt down in 1816. That's the shell that you see today. The grounds are a working farm plus event space - society wedding or steam traction rally, take your pick - and not otherwise open. But it was a location for Game of Thrones so it's on the circuit for GoT tours.  (updated Jan 2026)
• World of Owls is in Randalstown Forest two miles west of Shane's Castle. There are also public bird hides on the lough shore.
• 54.586-6.3035 Ram's Island is the largest island on Lough Neagh, a mile out from the eastern shore. There's the ruins of a monastery with a Round Tower, and of a 19th-century summer house. Boat trips from Antrim may visit, and in summer there's a ferry from Sandy Bay Marina.
• 54.7064-6.09526 Templetown Mausoleum was built in 1789 in neo-classical style by Robert Adam. There's free access 24 hours, though it's within the grounds of Castle Upton, not open to the public.
• 54.7014-6.04287 Patterson's Spade Mill, 751 Antrim Rd, Templepatrick BT39 0AP, ☏ +44 28 9443 3619. First Sa of month. This is a water-powered mill for making spades and shovels, still in working order and maintained by the National Trust. Tour £9.  (updated Jan 2026)

• Old Courthouse Theatre is within the Courthouse on High St.
• Omniplex Cinema is on Junction retail park a mile north of town centre.
• Antrim Forum is the council-run leisure centre, at 20 Lough Rd south bank of the river.
• Golf: there are two lakeside courses, Massereene and the council-run Allen Park.
• Boat trips usually sail in summer from Antrim Marina. They might visit Slane's Castle, or Ram's Island to the south.
• Football: Antrim Rovers play in the amateur leagues at Allen Park.

• Castle Mall is the ugly shopping centre that erased much of the historic town. It's one block back from High Street, enter from north side.
• The Junction is the retail park a mile north of the centre, junction of A26 and B518 towards the M2. Asda is open M-F 7AM-midnight, Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 1-6PM.
• Nutts Corner Sunday Market is just south of the A26 / A52 junction, trading Su 7AM-4PM.

• 54.7135-6.20831 Top of the Town, 77 Fountain St BT41 4BG, ☏ +44 28 9442 8146. M-Th 9AM-11:30PM, F Sa 9AM-1AM, Su 9AM-midnight. Reliable bar and grill.  (updated Jan 2026)
• Baan Thai at 69 Church St is open Su 1-10PM.
• Munal Tandoori at 88 Church St is open W-M 4:30-9:30PM.
• Maddens at 51 High St is open M-Th 11:30AM-11:30PM, F Sa 11:30AM-1:30AM, Su 11:30AM-midnight.
• 54.7621-6.24282 McLarnon's Ramble Inn, 236 Lisnevenagh Rd BT41 2JT, ☏ +44 28 9442 8888. M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su noon-9PM. Good old-school pub grub and bar, in a coaching inn established 1852.  (updated Jan 2026)

• Central bars include Steeple Inn, Anchor Bar, Massereene House, Barneys and Railway Inn.
• Rococo Wine Bar is at 10 Castle St.

• 54.7283-6.22541 Holiday Inn Express Antrim, Ballymena Road BT41 4LL (within Junction Shopping Complex), ☏ +44 28 9442 5500. Efficient hotel, well placed for travellers, free parking. B&B double £120.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.7431-6.23352 Dunsilly Hotel, 20 Dunsilly Rd BT41 2JH (off A26), ☏ +44 28 9446 2929. Simple friendly hotel at A62 / M2 junction two miles north of town. B&B double £130.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.7179-6.23693 Six Mile Water Caravan Park, Lough Rd BT41 4DG, ☏ +44 300 123 7788. Clean well-run site open Apr-Oct, with 37 tourer hook-ups and 8 tent pitches.  (updated Jan 2026)
• Maldron Hotel, 200 Airport Rd, International Airport BT29 4ZY, ☏ +44 28 9445 7000. Great value-for-money travellers hotel next to the airport terminal. B&B double £160. (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.6701-6.24694 Glendaloch B&B, 23 Dungonnell Rd, Crumlin BT29 4DF, ☏ +44 7814 944146. Clean cosy B&B half a mile west of airport, free transfers.  (updated Jan 2026)
• Bay Cottage is a B&B on lakeside two miles west of the airport, at 61 Loughview Rd, Aldergrove BT29 4ED.
• 54.645-6.16155 Keef Halla, 20 Tully Rd, Crumlin BT29 4SW, ☏ +44 28 9082 5491. Lovely welcoming B&B at Nutts Corner. Its name means "How are you?" in Arabic. B&B double £90.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.6989-6.14046 Dunadry Hotel, 2 Islandreagh Drive, Antrim BT41 2HA, ☏ +44 28 9443 4343. Upscale place, gets great scores for comfort and service. B&B double £170.  (updated Jan 2026)
• 54.7097-6.09417 Hilton Belfast Templepatrick, Paradise Walk, Templepatrick BT39 0DD, ☏ +44 28 9443 5500. Decent mid-range chain hotel west of town. B&B double £180.  (updated Jan 2026)
• Rabbit Hotel, 882 Antrim Rd, Templepatrick BT39 0AH (jcn A6 / A57 opposite Mausoleum), ☏ +44 28 9443 2984. Plush spa hotel run by the owners of Galgorm in Ballymena. B&B double £360. (updated Jan 2026)

As of Jan 2026 Antrim town, the airport and connecting highways have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from EE, O2 and Three.

• Belfast is a must-see for its reinvigorated city centre, don't just hurry through its transport hub.
• Lisburn was birthplace of the Irish linen industry. A few miles southwest is imposing Hillsborough castle.
• Cookstown on the opposite side of Lough Neagh is where Kings of Tyrone were crowned, and the area is studded with prehistoric sites.