Moving to Northern Ireland

[blackcat2]

Help please, have spent 6 months researching places to relocate to in Northern Ireland. We are moving to be closer to family in Ballyclare and Belfast. We are hoping for a slower pace of life and origionally wanted rural living. We are in the midst of starting our family and have a 2 year old. After lots of discussions we are now feeling we should definitely be less rural so he has a community/friends/good schools as he grows up. We are conflicted now.

We were looking at helens bay/cultra/holywood area but the houses more rural are super nice! We would love scope to have our elderly relatives to have a wing/out building to make for them.

All confused and would love recommendations for areas that a rural but have fiednly 'mixed' communities. We are not religious in particular.

Thanks!!!!

I'm biased, but I much prefer Co Antrim to Co Down. The roads in the areas you describe in Co Down (cultra etc) are so congested. There is fierce competition for the best schools, especially at post primary level. Have you looked at somewhere like Whitehead? It is a small town with a rural vibe, but well connected to the city because of the train line (25 mins express train to central Belfast, 35 mins non express) and there is a good selection of decent post primary schools within reach (kids can - and do - travel as far as the schools in north / central Belfast). It's where I intend to retire to! 25mins drive to Ballyclare.

Close to Moira would be good! Train into Lisburn and Belfast which is great for schools plus plenty going on!

PS whitehead is a mixed community, but the school provision in East Antrim is largely controlled schools (which are mostly protestant). There is integrated provision available in nearby Carrickfergus and a couple of catholic schools within reach - but the controlled schools tend to accommodate a reasonable proportion of other religions (or none) just because that's all there is.

What about somewhere like Drumbo. It's between Belfast and Lisburn but feels rural.

North Down is lovely too.

Thanks so much - will have a look into this!

Thanks so much for getting back to me! What is carrickfurgus like to live near?

I quite like Carrick as a town but it doesn’t have a great reputation due to loyalist paramilitaries.

My choices would be the likes of Helensbay/ Hollywood/ Hillsborough/ Moira/ Drumbo/ Comber/ Saintfield. All nice with good schools

I'd suggest you move this to Craicnet, OP. Lots of NI people on there.

If you want to be near family in Ballyclare then how about Templepatrick? It has a good primary school and it's easy to get to the secondary schools, airports, Ballyclare, and into Belfast.

Greenisland. Above the tunnel

15 minutes from Ballyclare. A few minutes walk from the train station, excellent primary and grammar schools within half an hour

Found this on PropertyPal www.propertypal.com/943633

Example of a beautiful home in a very highly regarded development

Found this on PropertyPal www.propertypal.com/938197

I live close to Ballyclare. Happy to answer any specific questions. Pm if you want.
Would agree with previous poster that County Antrim is hard to beat. Templepatrick, Ballyrobert, Ballynure, Doagh areas have village life but are minutes to M2 and very quick into Belfast.

Schools are good. Described upthread at Protestant but really religion in the areas I mentioned is not that big a deal. You will hear a band or two practice and come across a loyal order parade but you can take it or leave it. I know when my kids were primary school age they didn’t have a clue about what religion any of their friends were.
in my village dd went to Irish dancing classes and ds did drumming in the same hall! May be more of an issue in Belfast.

There are really nice houses in Greenisland (above the railway line) but there is pretty much nothing else. No pub. No restaurants or cafes other than than at the golf club. A couple of convenience stores, post office and a takeaway. For a place with 6000 people living in it, it has virtually no amenities. I had a huge row with a family member about this, as they think it's the best place ever to live, but if you want to actually do something, you have to travel elsewhere. Admittedly that is quite easy as it has good train and bus connections, but still. But I guess it fits the bill well of rural-style living without being rural 😂 (except it has footpaths)

Wow - that’s nice, thanks will look at this!

Wow - definitely out of price range but stunning!!! 😜

I think I totally get what you mean! Oh wow hope I didn’t cause this row?!?! Haha!
rhanks everyone! It’s so good to have first hand knowledge

Brilliant thanks! Will add those to my search area. Thanks so much x

@ducktape 100% and that's why I love it

We lived in the Brambles before, now that was dull. At least the golf club does half decent food and the library has been renovated

We just love the peace and quiet. We have two children under 10 and it just feels very safe and peaceful