Templepatrick ( ) is a village within the Antrim borough of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, northwest of Belfast, and approximately equidistant from the towns of Ballyclare and Antrim. It had a population of 1,556 people in the 2001 Census. It is also close to Belfast International Airport and several hotels are located in the village. It is the site of historic Church of Ireland and Presbyterian churches.

It is a popular residential area and won the Best Kept Village award in 1991. The Templeton Hotel in the village was named after Lady Elizabeth Templeton, an aristocrat and writer who lived in Castle Upton in the 18th century. The towns official sign claims Templepatrick is "Twined with Las Vegas".

Places of interest

• One side of the main street in the village of Templepatrick consists of the demesne wall of Castle Upton. A fortified gateway in the wall at the centre of the village leads up to the Castle itself. The core of the main house is a tower house with walls up to five feet thick, erected in 1611 by Sir Robert Norton and purchased in 1625 by Captain Henry Upton. The family mausoleum is in the care of the National Trust and is open to visitors.
• Patterson's Spade Mill, now a small industrial museum, is nearby. It is a National Trust property.
• Coloured Rain - Local art gallery in centre of village.

History

The Troubles

For more information see The Troubles in Templepatrick, which includes a list of incidents in Templepatrick during the Troubles resulting in two or more fatalities.

People

• James Hope, weaver and United Irishman, was born in Templepatrick on 25 August 1765. He fought at the Battle of Antrim on 7 June 1798.
• Sir Robin Kinahan (d. 1997) and his son Danny Kinahan both politicians, of Castle Upton.

Transport

• Templepatrick railway station opened on 11 April 1848 and closed for passenger traffic on 21 February 1981.

Demography

Templepatrick is classified as a village by the NI Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (ie with population between 1,000 and 2,250 people).[112487] On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 1,556 people living in Templepatrick. Of these:

• 19.4% were aged under 16 years and 20.6% were aged 60 and over
• 50.1% of the population were male and 49.9% were female
• 12.3% were from a Catholic background and 82.7% were from a Protestant background
• 1.2% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

See also

• List of villages in Northern Ireland
• List of towns in Northern Ireland

References