Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, situated at the lowest bridgeable point of the River Bann, where the river is 90 metres wide. It is 55 miles (88.5 km) northwest of Belfast and 30 miles (48.3 km) east of Derry. Championship golf courses, scenic countryside and a host of leisure facilities and attractions are all on the doorstep and the town boasts an attractive town centre, a marina and the prestigious Riverside theatre.
Coleraine is the main town of the world famous Causeway Coast, which attracts over two million visitors per year. During the day is a busy town, but at night it is relatively quiet, with much of the night life in the area located in the nearby seaside towns of Portrush and Portstewart. The town square is called 'The Diamond' and is the location of the Town Hall. St. Patrick's Church of Ireland is also situated nearby. Although the population of the town is only about 24,000, Coleraine has a large catchment area. The town also has the advantage of being near some of the most extraordinary landscape in the whole of Europe.
In 2002, Coleraine won the Best Kept Town and Ulster in Bloom awards. In 2003, it was selected to represent Northern Ireland in the prestigious Britain in Bloom competition. The world famous Giant's Causeway is a twenty–five minute bus ride away. The distillery village of Bushmills is well served by buses from the town and there is a narrow-gauge steam train running in the summer from Bushmills to the Giant's Causeway. The east side of the town is distinguished by Mountsandel Forest, which contains the Mount Sandel fort, an ancient site which has been claimed as the oldest site of human settlement in Ireland.
Accommodation in Coleraine’s university residences
Coleraine is the location of a University of Ulster campus and houses the university's administration buildings. It is the original campus of what was originally the New University of Ulster and is noted as a world-class centre of research for biomedical sciences. Casual accommodation is available during the vacation periods for guests. It should be understood that these residences are designed primarily for students and not children or adults expecting a high level of luxury. However, with this in mind, the properties do meet a level of comfort that we expect most visitors to be happy with, and we will welcome any feedback where this is not the case.
Getting to Coleraine
City of Derry Airport to the west, Belfast International Airport to the south and George Best Belfast City Airport to the south–east are all relatively accessible from Coleraine.
Northern Ireland Railways runs from Londonderry railway station along the scenic shore of Lough Foyle, with great views of the Inishowen in County Donegal as well as the Atlantic via Coleraine to Belfast Central railway station and Belfast Great Victoria Street railway station. Coleraine railway station is an important junction for the line to Portrush railway station connecting the busiest seaside resort in Northern Ireland. Coleraine railway station and Portrush railway station are near the Giant's Causeway where connecting Ulsterbus run. Ulsterbus also run connections from Portrush railway station to Portstewart as well as Coleraine railway station.