Straight answers to practical questions about driving, travelling, parking and getting around Northern Ireland.
Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council says RingGo cashless parking is provided for all its off-street car parking. Its charged Lisburn facilities include Antrim Street, Barrack Street, Governors’ Road, Laganbank Road, Longstone Street, Queen’s Road and Smithfield Square East.
Antrim Street and Laganbank Road are not free council car parks. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council lists both as chargeable, each with a normal rate of 70p per hour and a special £1-for-three-hours discount arrangement.
Larne has free council parking at Bridge Street, Circular Road East, Exchange Road, High Street, Inver Road and Riverdale West. Paid sites include Agnew Street, Circular Road West, Fairhill, Narrow Gauge and Riverdale East.
Carrickfergus has free council car parks at Castle Car Park, Windrose and Marine Gardens. High Street, Joymount and Lancasterian Street are listed as chargeable.
Ballymena has both free and charged council car parks. Free listed sites include Mount Street 1 and 2 and Broughshane Street 2. Paid sites include Ballymoney Road, Broughshane Street 1, Church Street 1–3 and Henry Street.
Castlewellan Forest Park is not the same as the free village car parks at Lower Square and Upper Square. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council applies vehicle entry charges at the forest park; recent published reporting describes £5 per family car per day.
Ballynahinch Lisburn Street North and Antrim Road are both council-listed free car parks, but their capacities and vehicle access rules differ. Lisburn Street North, BT24 8BD, has 110 spaces and a two-metre height restriction; Antrim Road, BT24 8AN, has 54 spaces and no two-metre height restriction indicated in the council list.
Castlewellan Lower Square and Upper Square are both free council car parks. The council lists Lower Square at BT31 9DW with 35 spaces and Upper Square at BT31 9DB with 56.
Newcastle’s Castle Park and Downs Road car parks are listed by Newry, Mourne and Down Council as non-charged off-street parking. Castle Park is BT33 0DY with 68 spaces; Downs Road is BT33 0AG with 225.
Newry council off-street car parks and Newry on-street pay-and-display bays are managed under different authorities. Newry, Mourne and Down District Council manages its off-street car parks and says to use RingGo for cashless payment. On-street parking is managed by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI), not the council.
The free council car park on Newry Street is in Markethill, County Armagh, at postcode BT60 1TA. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council lists 50 spaces there.
Yes: Portadown Riverbank car park and Meadow Lane East are listed as free council car parks. Riverbank is on Meadow Lane, BT62 1JA, with 38 spaces; Meadow Lane East is BT62 3NJ, with 108 spaces.
Banbridge Church Square and Gospel Lane car parks are free council options, but the separate Bridge Street East car park on Gospel Lane is pay-and-display.
Banbridge council parking includes several free sites and several pay-and-display sites. Church Square, Gospel Lane, Kenlis Court and Downshire Road are listed as free. Bridge Street East, Commercial Road, Downshire Place and Townsend Street are charged.
Yes. Lurgan Castle Lane is a chargeable council car park, whereas Black’s Court is listed as free. Castle Lane is at BT67 9BG with 174 spaces and a TL4 pay tariff; Black’s Court is at Church Walk, BT67 9AA, with 200 free spaces.
Yes. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council lists both Black’s Court and Johnston’s Row in Lurgan as free council car parks. Black’s Court is at Church Walk, BT67 9AA, and Johnston’s Row is at BT66 8BE.
Omagh Drumragh Avenue car park is listed at 40p per hour (TL4), while Market Street car park is 50p per hour (TL5). They are both operated within Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s off-street parking system.
Omagh has free council car parks at Cunningham Terrace and Castle Street. The council also lists Church Street North and South, Brook Street, Old Mountfield Road and Campsie Road as free.
For parking near Enniskillen’s Head Street, Eden Street or Queen Street, the charges differ by named council car park: Head Street is TL4 at 40p per hour, Eden Street is TL5 at 50p per hour, and Queen Street is listed as free.
Quay Lane North and Quay Lane South in Enniskillen are both listed as charged council car parks under tariff level TL4, which Fermanagh and Omagh District Council defines as 40p per hour.
Yes. Fermanagh and Omagh District Council lists Derrychara Road car park in Enniskillen as free, rather than one of its TL4 or TL5 pay-and-display facilities.
Enniskillen has both free and pay-and-display council car parks. Derrychara Road, Queen Street, Hollyhill, Castle Park and Wellington Place are listed as free; Down Street/Market Street/Cross Street, Eden Street, Head Street and both Quay Lane sites are charged.
Derry City and Strabane District Council does not designate any of its car parks specifically for motorhomes or campervans. It says a motorhome can use a standard council car park only where the vehicle fits wholly within the marked parking bays.
Derry City and Strabane council lists Simpson’s Brae, BT47 6DL, as a free off-street car park in the Waterside area, with 11 spaces. Spencer Road, BT47 6QA, is also on the Waterside side but is chargeable.
If your car is still inside Strabane Canal Basin car park after its published 8.30pm closing time, the council says it will be locked in. The car park is listed as open every day from 7.30am until 8.30pm.
No, do not assume you can drive out at any hour. William Street council car park in Derry has restricted opening hours: Monday to Saturday 7.30am–10pm, and Sunday 9am–8pm.
Derry council lists Foyle Street car park at BT48 6AT and Queens Quay at BT48 7AS. Foyle Street costs 80p per hour during charged hours, while Queens Quay is 70p per hour.
Carlisle Road car park in Derry is listed at 80p per hour, charged Monday to Saturday from 8.30am to 6.30pm. Its RingGo location code is 50157 and its postcode is BT48 6JW.
Bishop Street car park in Derry uses RingGo location code 50160. The council lists its postcode as BT48 6PR, with a tariff of 80p per hour and charged hours of Monday to Saturday, 8.30am to 6.30pm.
No, not without checking for a newer update. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council says the EV charge points in its council car parks have been temporarily disconnected for infrastructure upgrades, including the listed location at Dunluce Avenue in Portrush.
