Portadown is a small town in County Armagh in Northern Ireland. Standing at the south tip of Lough Neagh, it was traditionally a linen-processing town that became a railway hub in the 19th century. In the late 20th century it was a flashpoint for "The Troubles", with a steel wall dividing embittered Catholic and Protestant sections of the community. This arose from the "Drumcree conflict", about the rights of Orange Order parades to bang their drums along a particular route, as they had since 1807 when those districts were farmland and the cows didn't much object, and to continue doing so although (and perhaps especially because) these were now housing estates with a mostly Catholic population. That conflict was dampened by the Good Friday Agreement between Britain and the Republic of Ireland.

Get in

Portadown is on the A3 Lurgan to Armagh road 30 miles from Belfast just south of the M1.

• 1 Portadown railway station. Belfast–Newry line and the Belfast–Dublin line (updated Dec 2016)

See

• 1 Ardress House, 64 Ardress Road, Annaghmore, BT62 1SQ, ☏ +44 28 8778-4753, ardress@nationaltrust.org.uk. 17th-century house with elegant 18th-century decoration and a traditional farmyard. (updated Nov 2018)

Do

• 1 Portadown Golf Club Pro, 192 Gilford Rd, ☏ +44 28 3833 4655. (updated Jan 2017)
• 2 Superdrive Motorsports Centre, 7 Derryneskan Rd, ☏ +44 28 3885 2545. Rally and 4x4 experience (updated Jan 2017)

Eat

There are a number of Chinese and India restaurants and takeaways

• 1 Wee Barneys, 4 Bridge St, ☏ +44 28 3833 7929. Fish and Chips restaurant (updated Jan 2017)
• 2 Zio Restaurant, ☏ +44 28 3833 7696. Mediterranean (updated Jan 2017)

Sleep

• 1 Bannview Bed and Breakfast, 60 Portmore St, ☏ +44 28 3833 6666. (updated Dec 2016)
• 2 Seagoe Hotel, 22 Upper Church Ln, Craigavon, ☏ +44 28 3833 3076. (updated Dec 2016)

Go next

• Lurgan
• Armagh