Lilian Bland Community Park

Full Description

This is a park with a story worth telling the children before you go. Lilian Bland was the Carnmoney woman who designed, built and flew her own aeroplane, the Mayfly, in 1910 — the first woman in the world to do it — and the park in the heart of Glengormley is named in her honour. The sculpture celebrating the Mayfly stands in the park, and it is a lovely thing to show the wee ones before you let them loose on the play area.

For play, there is a good medium-sized play area suitable for children aged about three to twelve, and the council has invested over £850,000 in play parks in the area, so it is a well-looked-after space rather than an afterthought. Beyond the playground there are tennis courts and a bowling green, with open space to run about in.

The park sits between the Carnmoney Road and the Ballyclare Road and never closes, which makes it handy for an after-school run-around on a bright evening. Glengormley's shops and cafés are a short walk away, so it is easy to turn a play into a proper afternoon out.

What You'll Find

A medium-sized play area for children around three to twelve, tennis courts and a bowling green in the middle of Glengormley — with the Mayfly sculpture to find while you are there.

Wee Ones Will Love...

• ✓A play area sized for children around three to twelve
• ✓Finding the Mayfly sculpture and hearing about the woman who built a plane
• ✓Space to run about once the playground is done
• ✓Taking a look at the bowling green and tennis courts

Before You Visit

Free, and the park is open 24 hours a day. The council lists public toilets at the park, generally open 9am to 5pm in winter and 9am to 8pm in summer — worth checking before you set off if facilities matter to your visit. The play area sits in the park between the Carnmoney Road and the Ballyclare Road.

Top Tips

• ⭐Tell the Mayfly story on the way there — the sculpture means much more once they know it
• ⭐Pack racquets if older children fancy the tennis courts
• ⭐Combine it with a wander into Glengormley for a coffee or a treat