- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 20, 2026
Make Friends in Comber, one greenway mile at a time
Comber sits at the far end of a seven-mile, almost traffic-free greenway, and a general born in the town has looked down on its square since 1845.
9,500+
residents in the Comber settlement at the most recent census, in 2021 (NISRA)
24%
of Comber residents were 65 or older in 2021, against 17% across Northern Ireland (NISRA Census 2021)
37%
of Comber homes hold two people, set against 30% in Northern Ireland overall (NISRA, 2021 census)
Comber friendships begin at the library table
To make friends in Comber, pick one weekly session and keep turning up. Comber Library on the Newtownards Road runs Knit and Natter on Monday mornings from 10.30, a Crochet Circle from 5pm on Tuesdays and tea with the newspapers on Monday and Friday mornings. On Saturdays the parkrun at Parkway starts at 9.30am, and the greenway is there for a midweek walk. A Comber woman keen on the same routine may already be on Gofrendly.
Comber questions, with answers
What time does the library in Comber open?
Comber Library on the Newtownards Road opens at 10am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, closing at 2pm on Thursdays and at 5pm on the other three days. On Tuesdays it is open from 1pm until 8pm, on Saturdays from 10am to 1pm, and it is closed on Sundays.
What is there at the leisure centre in Comber?
Comber Leisure Centre on Castle Street has a gym, a heavy weights room, a health suite with a steam room and sauna, and a studio with a sprung floor. Four covered tennis courts sit under a dome, and the centre opens at 8am on weekdays and stays open until 10pm from Monday to Thursday.
How long is the greenway from Comber?
The Comber Greenway, part of National Cycle Network Route 99, runs for seven miles between Comber and the Big Fish sculpture in Belfast. It follows a former railway line, is almost entirely traffic-free and is mostly surfaced in asphalt, so it suits walkers, runners and cyclists of most abilities.
What is the best way to meet women in Comber?
Gofrendly is a women-only friendship app that shows you women living in and around Comber, so you can message someone with the same interests. A first meeting at the Kingfisher Cafe at Castle Espie, open from 10am to 4pm, gives you a walk, a coffee and an easy way to finish.
How making friends works in Comber
Comber developed as a market town, and spending one week on library groups, parkrun and leisure-centre classes is a sensible route to recognising a few regulars. In 2021 almost 24 in every 100 people in the town had reached 65, a clear step above the Northern Ireland figure, and two-person homes accounted for nearly 37% of households. Several library groups meet in the daytime, so if you work office hours, start with the Tuesday evening sessions and Saturday mornings, and give any group three visits before you decide.
Settling into a smaller town without a ready-made circle can feel lonely at the start, but a regular group with a booking list takes the guesswork out of the first visit. The Comber Historical Society gathers on the second Monday of each month between September and May in the Smyth Hall on Killinchy Street, and WWT Castle Espie on the shore of Strangford Lough opens from 10am on all but two days of the year. A short list to try:
1
Knit and Natter at Comber Library, Mondays 10.30am to 12.30pm.
2
The Crochet Circle on Tuesdays from 5pm, open to every level.
3
Comber parkrun at Parkway, Saturdays at 9.30am.
4
A walk or ride along the Comber Greenway, almost entirely traffic-free.
5
The wetland paths and bird hides at WWT Castle Espie.
LOCAL TIP
When someone at the Monday knitting table saves you a seat, Comber has started to feel like yours.
How to
Meeting people in Comber, four ways in
1
Reserve a place at Knit and Natter, which costs nothing but needs booking ahead.
2
Join the general fiction reading group at the library, held at 7pm on the final Tuesday of each month.
3
Volunteer at Comber parkrun, which had 201 finishers and 26 volunteers on 17 October 2026.
4
Through Gofrendly, line up a Comber woman to walk the opening stretch of the greenway with you.
More to read on friendship
Notes on who made the Comber page
Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, who founded Gofrendly, built this Comber page with our editorial colleagues, centring it on the library groups, the greenway and the Saturday run that set the weekly pattern of a small County Down town.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Friendship looks different at every stage
More guides for women in this area – each with its own local advice.
Find women near you
See who’s nearby and say hi — it’s free to start.