Coleraine

Coleraine stands on the River Bann near its mouth on Ulster's northern coast. Its crossing and access to the sea made it a natural centre for the surrounding country. In the early seventeenth century it became one of the principal towns developed by the Irish Society as part of the Ulster plantation. New streets and defences were laid out, and settlers were brought to the town and its hinterland. The plantation altered ownership and settlement around the Bann, while the river continued to connect Coleraine with Lough Neagh and the Atlantic.