Where is NIs only nuclear bunker?
By Johnny Caldwell BBC News Despite the ending of the Cold War and the warming of relations between Washington and Moscow, the nuclear issue still features regularly on the international news agenda. North Korea, Iran, China and Pakistan all get a mention these days, but just how prepared is Northern Ireland for any fallout from current arms race rumblings? Well, you may be surprised to learn that, at present, there is only one nuclear bunker with room for just 235 people (Northern Ireland currently has a population of approximately 1.7m). Furthermore, it’s not located at Stormont, the Queen’s NI residence – Hillsborough Castle – or in the caverns of Belfast City Hall. Ballymena No, Northern Ireland’s only nuclear bunker is located in Ian Paisley’s spiritual home, Ballymena, County Antrim. At Woodside Industrial Estate, which is home to an array of businesses including a children’s adventure playground, to be precise. Work on the bunker began in 1987 and it was completed in 1989. An of
