Coleraine << kohl RAYN >> is a market town and port in the northern part of Northern Ireland. In the Irish language, the town is called Cúil Raithin. Coleraine lies near the mouth of the River Bann, where the Bann meets the Atlantic Ocean. The town serves as the administrative headquarters of the Causeway Coast and Glens local government district. It is also home to a campus of the University of Ulster.
Coleraine is in County Londonderry (also called County Derry), one of Northern Ireland’s six historic counties. The county stopped being used for administrative purposes in 1973, when a reorganization of local government divided it into smaller districts. From 1973 to 2015, Coleraine was the name of a district council area, a kind of local government district. In 2015, the Coleraine, Ballymoney, Limavady, and Moyle districts were combined. Together, they formed the Causeway Coast and Glens district.
Farmers in the rural areas near Coleraine grow oats and potatoes and raise cattle, pigs, and poultry. Industries in the region have included salmon and eel fishing, textile production, and the manufacture of shirts and Irish whiskey. The region also includes the resorts of Castlerock, Portrush, and Portstewart.
See also Bann, River; Northern Ireland.
