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Gyms in Northern Ireland

Two 50 m pools, a dry ski slope, surf at Portrush and the Mourne Mountains, from Belfast to Cuilcagh. Here's where to train in Northern Ireland and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
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Council areas in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland's 11 council areas, each with its own page.

Training in Northern Ireland

Two 50 m pools, the Mournes and the Causeway Coast.

Northern Ireland had 1,903,175 residents at Census 2021, up 5.1% on 2011. 17.2% were 65 or over and 19.2% were children aged 0 to 14, so the two shares are now almost level. Just over half of adults (51%) took part in sport in 2024/25, and 48% normally do so at least one day a week. The most popular sport was keep fit, aerobics, yoga, dance or weight training (26%), ahead of jogging or running and swimming (15% each).

The big venues are spread round the 11 council areas. Bangor Aurora has Northern Ireland's first FINA-standard 50 m pool, and South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon has a second 50 m pool, with kayak and paddleboard hire on the same site. Belfast has the Mary Peters Track and 17 Better leisure facilities, Derry's Foyle Arena has a pool, gym and climbing wall, and Craigavon Golf & Ski Centre has an 80 m dry ski slope.

Then there's the land: the Mournes, where Slieve Donard reaches 850 m, the Giant's Causeway, Cuilcagh's boardwalk and Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles. Whether you swim in Bangor or walk the Mourne Wall, training is easier with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Northern Ireland

The big pools, tracks, climbing walls and water and snow centres worth knowing about. Each council area page lists its local gyms.

50 m pools and big leisure centres

Water, snow and ice

Tracks and climbing walls

Find a training buddy in Northern Ireland

A lane partner in Bangor Aurora's 50 m pool, someone to surf East Strand with in Portrush, a belay partner at Foyle Arena's climbing wall, company on Slieve Donard: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Northern Ireland training group

A Mourne Wall hill day, a weekend paddle at South Lake in Craigavon, an evening run on the Lagan towpath, a walk on the Causeway Coast: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

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Train outdoors

Free places to train in Northern Ireland.

  • The Mournes and Slieve Donardan Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; Slieve Donard, at 850 m, is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland, and the most popular route starts in Donard Forest.
  • The Mourne Walla 31.4 km dry stone wall over fifteen summits, built between 1904 and 1922; following it is the 7-peak challenge.
  • Tollymore Forest Parkfour signposted walking trails at the foot of the Mournes, the longest the 13 km Long Haul Trail.
  • The Giant's Causewayabout 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, largely owned and managed by the National Trust.
  • Cuilcagh666 m on the Fermanagh-Cavan border; the boardwalk Legnabrocky Trail, the Stairway to Heaven, runs over 6 km to the summit.
  • Lough Neagh383 km², the largest lake in the British Isles, with shoreline in four council areas. It can turn rough quickly in wind.

Getting around

Rail, bus, Glider and bike routes to Northern Ireland's gyms.

Rail

  • NI Railways from Belfast to Bangor, Larne, Derry~Londonderry and Newry, and Coleraine to Portrush
  • the Enterprise to Dublin, hourly on weekdays between the peaks, run with Iarnród Éireann

Bus

  • Ulsterbus across Northern Ireland, and Goldliner inter-urban routes such as the 212 Maiden City Flyer from Belfast to Derry
  • Foyle Metro in Derry

Belfast

  • Glider G1 and G2, and Translink Metro buses
  • Belfast Grand Central Station, opened in 2024

Cycle

  • National Cycle Network Route 9, traffic-free on the Lagan towpath from Belfast to Lisburn
  • Belfast Bikes: 400 hire bikes, 100 of them electric

Who trains here

What the census and the Continuous Household Survey say about the people you'll meet in the pool, at the rack and on the hill.

  • 17.2%Aged 65 or overAgainst 19.2% aged 0 to 14 at Census 2021, so the two are almost level and training partners here come in every age group.NISRA Census 2021
  • 51%Adults who played sport in the past year59% of men and 43% of women; 65% in Lisburn and Castlereagh and 38% in Derry City and Strabane.Continuous Household Survey 2024/25
  • 26%Keep fit, aerobics, yoga, dance or weightsThe most popular sport in the past year, ahead of jogging or running and swimming (15% each).Continuous Household Survey 2024/25

Northern Ireland gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Northern Ireland?

Gymist lists 2,554 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Northern Ireland's 11 council areas, from 50 m pools and council leisure centres to climbing walls, surf schools, strength gyms and combat clubs.

Which are the biggest places to train in Northern Ireland?

Belfast, the largest council area with 345,400 residents at Census 2021, has 17 leisure facilities run by GLL under the Better brand and the Mary Peters Track. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, the second largest at 218,700, has South Lake Leisure Centre's 50 m pool and 160-station gym. In Derry, Foyle Arena on the Limavady Road has a pool, gym and climbing wall.

Where can I swim in a 50 m pool or get out on the water?

Bangor Aurora has Northern Ireland's first FINA-standard 50 m pool, and South Lake Leisure Centre in Craigavon has a 50 m pool overlooking Craigavon Lakes. South Lake Watersports, on the same site, hires out kayaks and paddleboards, and Troggs Surf School on Portrush's East Strand runs surf and paddleboard lessons all year.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Northern Ireland?

The Mourne Mountains are an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Slieve Donard, at 850 m, is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland. The Mourne Wall runs 31.4 km over fifteen summits. On the north coast, the Giant's Causeway has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, and in Fermanagh the Legnabrocky Trail on Cuilcagh runs over 6 km to the summit.

How do I get to gyms in Northern Ireland without a car?

Translink, which is government-owned, runs NI Railways, Ulsterbus, Goldliner, Metro and Glider in Belfast, and Foyle Metro in Derry. Trains run from Belfast to Bangor, Larne, Derry~Londonderry and Newry, with a branch from Coleraine to Portrush, and the Goldliner 212 Maiden City Flyer links Belfast and Derry. National Cycle Network Route 9 runs traffic-free on the Lagan towpath from Belfast to Lisburn.

How do I find a gym buddy in Northern Ireland?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you train, and browse members in your council area or town. If there isn't a group for your kind of training nearby, start one.

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