waterfall
Glenariff Forest Park
The 'Queen of the Glens', with a boardwalk waterfall trail through a wooded gorge above the Antrim coast.
35 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomNorthern Ireland
Bellaghy
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom · Europe
About Bellaghy
Bellaghy sits on the route: 10 minutes from Castledawson, 36km from Lough Neagh.
Bellaghy is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, with about 1,100 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Castledawson, about 4 km away.
Bellaghy (from Irish Baile Eachaidh, meaning 'Eachaidh's townland') is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies north west of Lough Neagh and about 5 miles north east of Magherafelt. In the centre of the village (known locally as The Diamond) three main roads lead to Magherafelt, Portglenone andRead more
Toome. It had a population of 1,063 people in the 2001 Census and is within Mid-Ulster District.
Bellaghy is home to various historical landmarks, including a well-preserved 17th century fortified house, Bellaghy Bawn, which is now a museum. A Grade B+ thatched cottage is present in the Bellaghy outskirts. The village is also known as the birthplace, childhood home and resting place of poet Seamus Heaney (1939–2013), who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. There is an arts centre in the village dedicated to Heaney.
Where to Stay in Bellaghy
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Bellaghy?
Within an hour or so of Bellaghy: Glenariff Forest Park (35 km), Lough Neagh (36 km), The Dark Hedges (37 km), The Dark Hedges (the Kingsroad) (37 km).
Are there any good drives near Bellaghy?
The nearest famous roads are The Dark Hedges, Dundrod Circuit and Causeway Coastal Route (A2 Antrim Coast Road).
Where is Bellaghy?
Bellaghy is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Castledawson.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,072
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Northern Ireland
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 54.8087, -6.5192
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Bellaghy
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Lough Neagh
The largest freshwater lake in the British Isles at 392 square kilometres, with a famous eel fishery.
36 km · about 40 min drive
famous road
The Dark Hedges
An eerie tunnel of intertwined beech trees made world-famous as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones.
37 km · about 45 min drive
film location
The Dark Hedges (the Kingsroad)
The 18th-century beech avenue near Armoy played the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones and is one of Northern Ireland's most photographed spots.
37 km · about 45 min drive
historic highway
Dundrod Circuit
A 11.9km loop of Northern Irish country lanes still used for the Ulster Grand Prix motorcycle races, with jumps, stone walls and hedges inches from the racing line. Open public roads the rest of the year.
38 km · about 45 min drive
famous road
Causeway Coastal Route (A2 Antrim Coast Road)
A cliff-edge road cut in the 1830s between Larne and Ballycastle, running under the Glens of Antrim with the Scottish coast in view.
41 km · about 45 min drive
coastal drive
Antrim Coast Road
A breathtaking coastal drive hugging cliffs and beaches from Larne past the Glens of Antrim toward the Causeway.
42 km · about 50 min drive
restaurant
Harry's Shack
Driftwood-styled National Trust beach hut turned serious seafood restaurant on the sand of Portstewart Strand, plating fish from local boats yards from the surf. Open year-round; you can park on the beach itself.
42 km · about 50 min drive
Driving roads near Bellaghy
7 named roads, passes and coastal drives within 60km.
- 37 kmThe Dark HedgesAn eerie tunnel of intertwined beech trees made world-famous as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones.
- 38 kmDundrod CircuitA 11.9km loop of Northern Irish country lanes still used for the Ulster Grand Prix motorcycle races, with jumps, stone walls and hedges inches from the racing line. Open public roads the rest of the year.
- 41 kmCauseway Coastal Route (A2 Antrim Coast Road)A cliff-edge road cut in the 1830s between Larne and Ballycastle, running under the Glens of Antrim with the Scottish coast in view.
- 42 kmAntrim Coast RoadA breathtaking coastal drive hugging cliffs and beaches from Larne past the Glens of Antrim toward the Causeway.
- 42 kmBinevenaghA basalt escarpment above Limavady with a small lake on top, used as the Dothraki grasslands in Game of Thrones.
- 44 kmGortmore Viewpoint (Manannán Mac Lir)A viewpoint on Binevenagh above the Bishop's Road with a sculpture of the sea god Manannán Mac Lir looking out to Donegal.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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