Lisburn is one of the UK's newest cities, having been created in 2002¹ to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. As a town, it dates back to 16th Century, but it really expanded in the 17th Century aided by the linen industry that the French Hugenots helped to establish - Lisburn's linen was world famous. The city's motto is 'Ex Igne Resurgam' - I will arise out of the fire - referring to an accidental blaze that destroyed most of the city in 1707. The Irish name is Lios na gCearbhach meaning 'the fort of the gamesters', and is thought to refer to local spots where gamblers met secretly for card games. The anglicised version is Lisnagarvey, which is still used by local groups such as schools, sporting clubs and the operatic society.

Location

Lisburn lies approximately 10 miles South-West of Belfast. This makes it a very popular place to live² for the working populace of the greater Belfast area. It is well-connected with road links via the M1³ motorway, rail links (Lisburn station opened in 1839, and is on the main Belfast-Dublin train line) and bus routes. In bygone days a canal was constructed to connect Lough Neagh with the sea at Belfast Lough, and this canal travelled through Lisburn. In 1763, the first barges carrying coal and timber travelled along the canal, but it ceased commercial operation in 1958. Today the canal tow path is part of a cycle path, and it is possible to cycle the 15⁴ miles from Lisburn into Belfast city centre. The River Lagan flows through the city and divides it into its main part in County Antrim, and a smaller bit in County Down.

Famous residents

Lisburn was the birth place of John Ballance, who later became Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1891 - 1893. Among his many notable acheivements was giving women the vote, in 1893, making New Zealand the first country to do this. Sir Richard Wallace gave the world the famous Wallace art collection, and donated 2 fountains to the city. In 1870, when he was living in Paris, the city was under seige and water was hard to come by and expensive. Wallace donated 50 fountains to the city, providing free water to the poor to prevent them from turning to alcohol. Many of these fountains are still in existence, and are known to the locals as 'Les Wallaces'. Other Wallace fountains can be found in Rotterdam, Canada, Brazil and Mozambique. One of the grammar schools in Lisburn is named after him, as is the main park in the city. Harry Ferguson, of the tractor fame, is from here. More contemporary famous sons include Jonny Stevenson, the runner-up in 2008's Masterchef competition.

Its central and well-connected position also made it the location of choice for headquartering the British Army in Northern Ireland, at Thiepval barracks, and it is the home of the headquarters of the Northern Ireland Fire Brigade.

Places nearby

Lagan Valley regional park is Ireland's only regional park, and contains a 10 mile stretch of the tow path (now the cycle path) by the River Lagan. It also contains the Giants Ring, an ancient stone age earthworks 200m in diameter with 5 entrances, dating back to 6,000 BC.

The village of Lambeg is really a suburb of Lisburn, and gave its name to the large drum much associated with Orange marching bands. The drum almost certainly was derived from the large side drums carried by the Dutch troops of King William III. It is played vertically, allowing both heads to be struck with thin flexible canes (Malacca canes). It is normally made from wood, with goatskin for the heads, and is the loudest folk instrument on the planet. It is said that King William stopped in Lambeg to ask for directions from a blacksmith. The blacksmith, Rene Bulmer, heard the king's French accent, and replied in fluent French, as he was one of those fleeing Hugenots.

Another suburb, the village of Hilden, houses the oldest independent brewery in Ireland. It is possible to visit the brewery, taste the produce, and dine in The Taproom restaurant.

The pretty village of Hillsborough 3 miles away holds a fine patch of ancient woodland stretching to almost 500 acres and incorporating a lake, which is a wildlife sanctuary, in its forest park. Hillsborough is also gastropub heaven: The Marquis of Downshire, the Tidy Doffer, the Plough, and The Pheasant are all good places to eat and drink. In the first week of September it hosts an oyster festival. The castle at Hillsborough is the official residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, as well as being home for visiting members of the royal family. It has seen many distinguished visitors including US Presidents, and has been the site of many historic meetings marking the steps along Northern Ireland's fragile politics.

On the western edge of Lisburn is the Maze prison⁵, site of dirty protests and hunger strikes during 'The Troubles'. The infamous H-blocks here were so called because of their shape as seen from above. During the hunger strikes, Republican prisoners sought political status, and went to extremes to try to achieve this. One of the hunger strikers, Bobby Sands, was elected as an MP for Fermanagh-South Tyrone in 1981. He became the first of the hunger strikers to die, later that year. The prison saw a number of audacious escapes and attempted escapes. In 1983 the largest ever breakout from a British prison occured when 38 prisoners escaped in a hi-jacked meals truck. A tunnel was discovered in 1997⁶, foiling another escape attempt, but one prisoner did manage to escape during a Christmas party that year, by dressing as a woman. The future of the site of the now razed prison is still being debated - it is likely to be turned into a sports stadium, although controversy surrounds any perceived glorification of its past.

The Maze is also home of Down Royal race-course.

Linen

The French Hugenots who came to Lisburn fleeing religious persecution also brought with them the art of linen making, and the Barbour family established a bleach green⁷ and threadworks in 1812. At one stage it was the largest threadworks in the world, and the name Barbour is still associated with sewing and thread. The local derogatory term for young working class girls in and around Belfast is 'Millie', from the days when many of these young women would have worked at the linen mills. The history of the local linen industry is recorded in the modern Linen Centre and museum at the heart of the town. The impact of the industry can be seen in the surviving street names, such as Mercer Street.

Things to do

The Island Arts centre is a modern building situated on the river beside Union Bridge. It regularly hosts arts and drama courses and performances, as well as housing the local council offices. The Omniplex and Leisure centre is a 10 screen cinema and sports facility, containing a swimming pool, gym, water park and a wide variety of other sporting activities, set within a complex containing many eating places. The recently refurbished Castle Gardens are a set of tiered and walled Victorian gardens, with some splendid views of the surrounding countryside.

Lisburn is a popular shopping town, and the large out-of-town centre at Sprucefield is easy to get to, as it is at big junction of the M1⁸ which marks the turn-off for Dublin. The radio mast at Sprucefield is a well known landmark for motorists.

Lisburn city itself has a disppointing lack of good pubs⁹ and restaurants, and is often derided as being the only city without a hotel.