ROYAL HILLSBOROUGH
Royal Hillsborough sits on the site of the townland of Crumlin or Cromghlinn, meaning crooked glen in Irish and was renamed Hillsborough in 1661 by Sir Moses Hill after building a castle there in 1650 to protect the Dublin to Carrickfergus road. The current Hillsborough Castle was built in 1770 and is the official Irish residence of the Royal family, who granted the Village it's Royal title in 2021. The village population topped 4,000 in the last census in 2021.
Although named for the builder of the castle, the name is apt as Hillsborough is noted for the steep hill that runs through the centre of the Village.
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The Railway arrived in Hillsborough in 1863 but sadly fell victim of the post war cuts in 1956, with the station being demolished to make way for the duel carriageway where it crosses the Culcavy Road.
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The castle is open to the public and is easily the Village's most acclaimed feature. Remnants of the old fort can be found in the nearby Hillsborough Forest Park, which was created out of the ground of the original Castle.
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Hillsburians​
Blue Peter presenter Caron Keating grew up in Hillsborough in the 1960s and 70s when her TV personality mother, Gloria Hunniford set up home in the Village.
Dr Frank Pantridge, the inventor of the portable defibrillator was born in Hillsborough in 1916 and returned to the Village in the 1950s until his death in 2004.
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Lisnagarvey Hockey Club relocated to Hillsborough in the late 1980s and are Ireland's most titled cup Hockey club.
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Gardens in or near Royal Hillsborough. Got something to tell us about a Royal Hillsborough Garden? Let us know
Parson's Nose
48 Lisburn Street, Royal Hillsborough, BT26 8AB
Tel: 028 9268 3009.....EMail
Getting here from Belfast
19k - About a 30 minute drive down the M1.
By Bus: Lisburn Street Bus Stop is 100 metres away and is served at weekends by the 538 Belfast to Newry service. Last bus Saturday to Belfast 8pm, Newry 8.15pm, Sunday Belfast 7.15pm, Newry 6.15pm
Checklist
Parking: Limited free on street parking. There's a small pay and display car park on the junction of Lisburn, Main and Ballynahinch Streets, about a four minute walk {290m}
Establishment type: Pub & Restaurant. 5 star score on the doors
Situation: Paved courtyard with large picnic tables with padded seats and round iron garden tables and chairs
Features: Serves Food in the garden, TV, Dog friendly throughout [including inside]
Ambience: Fully enclosed by the building and a stone wall and tarp and has a laneway access from the road.
Sunshine and shade: Everywhere in the garden gets sunshine at points during the day. There's no deliberately shaded areas.
Sporadic showers: Two retractable roofs allow the garden to be used on warm but wet days.
Heating: There are air heaters dotted around the garden along with patio heaters.
Designated Driver: Guiness 0% on tap as well as bottled 0% lager, cider and spirits with full barista coffee shop set up.
Entertainment: ?.
Open: Every day, serving food from noon.
Info date: Visited 5th July 2025
Please let us know if we've got anything wrong, out of date or missing. let us know
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Get out and about: Why not build up your thirst with a stroll around historic buildings and independent shops of the Georgian Village Square.​
Favourites:
1 visitor has voted this their favourite garden in Ulster
1 visitor has voted this their favourite garden in County Antrim
Hillside
21 Main Street, Royal Hillsborough, BT26 8AE
Tel: 028 9268 9233.....EMail
Getting here from Belfast
19k - About a 30 minute drive down the M1.
By Bus: Hillsborough War Memorial is 90 metres away and is served at weekends by the 238 and 538 Belfast to Newry services. Last bus Saturday to Belfast 8.15pm, Newry 8.15pm, Sunday Belfast 8pm, Newry 5.55pm
Checklist
Parking: Limited free on street parking. There's a small pay and display car park on the junction of Lisburn, Main and Ballynahinch Streets, about a three minute walk {230m}
Establishment type: 250 year old Rustic Pub and Restaurant. 5 star scores on the doors
Situation: Cobbled courtyard with picnic tables, wooden tables, wicker chairs and standing shelves.
Features: Food served outside, live music weekends, music through speakers at other times. Dog friendly [inside pub too]
Ambience: Almost fully enclosed behind the bar building and high foliage covered wall with access from an alley to the road.
Sunshine and shade: The Courtyard gets sunshine for most of the day and is only fully without shade briefly during the day.
Sporadic showers: Retractable cover over part of the courtyard.
Heating: Didn't see any
Designated Driver: Freedam on tap, No 0% cider but have 0% Gin.
Entertainment: Monday quiz night, Tuesday Curry club, Wednesday folk night, Friday live music, Saturday afternoon live music in the garden.
Open: Every day from noon. Saturday's into Sunday 12:45am. Food served to 9.30pm
Info date: Visited 5th July 2025
Please let us know if we've got anything wrong, out of date or missing. let us know
​
Get out and about: Why not build up your thirst with a stroll around the 3.5k Hillsborough Forest Park Lake Loop.​
Favourites:
1 visitor has voted this their favourite garden in Ulster
1 visitor has voted this their favourite garden in County Antrim
Plough
& Vintage Rooms
3 The Square, Royal Hillsborough, BT26 6AG
Tel: 028 9268 2985.....EMail
Licensed & Catering News {LCN} Northern Ireland. PUB OF THE YEAR 2025
Getting here from Belfast
19k - About a 30 minute drive down the M1.
By Bus: Hillsborough War Memorial is 160 metres away and is served at weekends by the 238 and 538 Belfast to Newry services. Last bus Saturday to Belfast 8.15pm, Newry 8.15pm, Sunday Belfast 8pm, Newry 5.55pm
Checklist
Parking: Small on site car park at rear for patrons. Small free parking areas outside and across the street, limited free on street parking. There's a small pay and display car park on the junction of Lisburn, Main and Ballynahinch Streets, about a three minute walk {350m}
Establishment type: Inn with traditional Pub & pub grub experience. 5 star scores on the doors.
Situation: Three levels, small patio beside car park access road at the Vintage Rooms with wooden tables and padded bench seating, decked open plan cabin with miscellaneous tables and chairs and decked patio, tiled snug with wooden tables interior chairs. {Note there is no disabled access to the cabin or snug} The access road is sometimes laid out with extra seating for events and especially good weather. {Note this cuts off the car park}
Features: Outside music in courtyard, Liver TV sport arena, TV in snug, special advertised events in the Snug.
Ambience: Small courtyard by the private car park access road, cabin enclosed on three sides, open to patio deck at back of the building, snug fully enclosed with open entrance to cabin area.
Sunshine and shade: No single area is in sunshine throughout the day but the Vintage rooms and cabin patios are both exposed to sunshine for a long periods.
Sporadic showers: The Vintage Rooms patio has a retractable cover. The cabin and snug are under permanent cover.
Heating: Portable patio heaters at the Vintage Rooms patio. There's a fireplace in the cabin and heating in the snug
Designated Driver: Guinness 0. 0% bottled lagers and ciders. Barista service.
Entertainment: Pub quiz Thursdays 9pm. Live music every Friday & Saturday night.
Open: Every day. Food from 9am daily, to 9.30pm Friday & Saturday.
Info date: Visited 5th July 2025
Please let us know if we've got anything wrong, out of date or missing. let us know
​
Get out and about: Why not build up your thirst with a stroll around the 3.5k Hillsborough Forest Park Lake Loop.​
Favourites: Vote for the Plough as best in Ulster or best in County Antrim
