Lisburn Today
The Lisburn City Council area has a population of around 113,600 with 65,000 people living within the Lisburn urban area. Indeed, part of the city’s appeal is its ever increasing population with a 40% increase in the past 25 years.
Formerly a borough, Lisburn was given city status in 2002 as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Today, Lisburn is renowned for its strong commercial and retail skills base as well as its excellent choice of social, cultural and entertainment options. With a wide range of retail outlets, both in Lisburn City Centre and the nearby Sprucefield and Sprucefield Park centres, ample car parking facilities and the brand names you expect, the city is a popular and bustling shopping destination.
Lisburn experience shopping and leisure
You will be spoilt for choice - the City of Lisburn offers a superior shopping experience. With ample car parking, easy access and brand names you expect. There has never been a better time to explore what one of Northern Ireland's newest cities has to offer.
Bow Street and the Historic Quarter offer a wide range of shopping outlets including High Street brands and Independent stores. The shopping experience is enhanced with the blend of old and new buildings including the ongoing improvements made by the Townscape Heritage Initiative on Bridge Street and the renovated 17th Century Castle Gardens. Lisburn Square is an innovative and exciting City centre development, set around an attractive open square of beautiful Georgian and Victorian designed buildings creating a 'Covent Garden' feel of excitement and colour by day and night. Bow Street Mall offers over 70 leading stores, 12 restaurants / cafés and a range of excellent facilities, all under one roof in the centre of Lisburn.
If shopping becomes too much, why not take a break in one of the many cafés or restaurants, go for a walk in Castle Gardens or Wallace Park or just sit and watch the world go by.
Lisburn Past
Originally known as Lisnagarvey, Lisburn is a city with a very diverse heritage and it is this rich diversity that can be felt today. During the Ulster Plantation Sir Fulke Conway, who was granted the lands of Killultagh in south west County Antrim by James I in 1611, brought over many English and Welsh settlers. His manor house was built on what is now Castle Gardens and in 1623 he built a church on the site of the current cathedral. The Manor House was destroyed in the accidental fire of 1707 and was never rebuilt.
During the 1620’s the original streets of Lisburn as we know it today were laid out, Market Square, Bridge Street, Castle Street and Bow Street. Lisburn Historic Quarter - Market Square, Castle Street and Bridge Street – was destroyed by the great fire of 1707, but an attractive 18th Century streetscape was rebuilt on the original layout and this has remained largely unchanged to the present day.
Lisburn is also known as the birthplace of Ireland’s linen industry, which was established in 1698 by Louis Crommelin and other Huguenots. An exhibition about the Irish linen industry can be found in the Irish Linen Centre which is in the town’s old Market House, Market Square.
12th December 2011:
