No matter what you choose to call the seaside resort of Portrush, on the north Antrim coast – Portrush is home to me.
Always has been, always will be.
In a series of features, our journalists are examining the things they love most about the places they live (and one thing they hate – but we will come to that later).
So, here’s what I love about THE Port (other nearby seaside resorts may try to claim this title but we all know Portrush is THE Port!)...
5. EAST STRAND
Portrush's East Strand is home to this fabulous sculpture. Opinions differ as to what the public art piece actually represents but I love it! For me, I see the fins of the porpoises and dolphins which regularly pop up in the seas off Portrush's peninsula. The colour and texture of the sculpture also reminds me of the basalt stone which is so prevalent in this area and is used in so many of the older buildings in the town such as St Patrick's Catholic Church and neighbouring primary school and Holy Trinity Parish Church. Photo: NI WORLD
6. THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF HOME
There is nothing like that first glimpse of home - and anyone who comes from Portrush will tell you that the best way to return is down the 'Ballybogey line'. Driving from Ballymoney to Portrush, just before you arrive at the Royal Court Hotel which overlooks the White Rocks, the car will curve around two bends in the road and - wow - there it is! The mighty north Atlantic, the Skerries, Royal Portrush Golf Course, the peninsula town and the White Rocks beach - all revealed to you in an instant....and you're home. The view is nothing short of spectacular and I never grow tired of it. Photo: NI WORLD
7. BALLYWILLAN OLD CEMETERY
OK hear me out...a cemetery may not be top of the 'Things to do' list for most towns, but Portrush's old Ballywillan cemetery is absolutely fascinating! You don't have to be a history buff to appreciate the centuries of stories being told by just reading some of the headstones in this cemetery - and there's a royal connection here too. There is a gravestone at the southwest corner of the old church belonging to a Mrs Dorothea Ross, wife of John Ross, a merchant in Coleraine. The Coat of Arms and writing on the gravestone have almost vanished with time and weather, but folklore tells us that Mrs Ross was the illegitimate daughter of King James II, who ‘dallied’ with Dorothea’s mother while staying the night at a house locally when he was en route to the Siege of Derry in 1689. Tradition also states that her gravestone was paid for by Queen Anne. Photo: NI WORLD
8. PORTRUSH HARBOUR
From the 1830s, passenger steamers would sail regularly into Portrush Harbour from ports such as Ardrossan, Ayr, Troon and Glasgow in Scotland with thousands of tourists arriving to enjoy the beautiful scenery and visit the Giant's Causeway. The increase in tourist traffic from Scotland was reflected in the number and size of hotels in the town and Portrush was soon being compared to the famous English resorts, such as Brighton, Scarborough or Bournemouth. The Harbour is now an area buzzing with water sports of all kinds, pubs, restaurants and live music venues. Like most teens from Portrush, I spent a number of summer seasons working in the Harbour pubs and restaurants. Having coped with hugely busy events like the North West 200, Raft Race and the NI Pipe Bands Championships, I'm very happy to be on the other side of the counter these days. Photo: NI WORLD