The North West 200 is an International Road Racing motorcycle event run on a triangular circuit on public roads between Portrush, Portstewart, and Coleraine. First held in 1929, it is one of the last major motorcycle road races where competitors race on closed public roads at speeds exceeding 200 mph through towns and past ordinary houses. It typically draws 100,000 or more spectators, making it the largest outdoor sporting event in Ireland.
The race takes place in May, usually over the weekend of the third week of the month. If you happen to be in Portrush around that time, the atmosphere along the circuit is electric — families stake out spots on the grass banks hours in advance, barriers go up along the seafront, and the town essentially becomes the race paddock. If you are not a motorcycle racing fan, it is worth knowing that roads in the area are closed during race days and accommodation books out months in advance.
For the rest of the year there is nothing to see at the circuit itself — it reverts to ordinary roads — but the race remains the defining annual event of the Portrush calendar.