- Women only
- Friendship, not dating
- Free to join
- Local guide
- October 19, 2026
Make Friends in Lisburn, from Wallace Park to the Linen Centre
Lisburn has proportionally more social tenants than the NI average, while its Saturday parkrun stays on tarmac paths a short walk from Market Square.
51,400+
people living in Lisburn City, the census settlement used by NISRA (2021)
19%
of Lisburn households are tenants of the Housing Executive or a housing association; NI 15% (NISRA Census 2021)
13%
of Lisburn homes rent privately, a smaller share than Northern Ireland’s 17% (NISRA, 2021)
Lisburn knits over Friday tea
Knit and Natter on Friday mornings at Lisburn City Library on Linenhall Street, running alongside Tea and Newspapers from 10am to noon, is an unhurried way to make friends in Lisburn. Wallace parkrun loops its namesake park each Saturday, while the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum on Market Square welcomes visitors free of charge Monday to Saturday. Agree with a Lisburn contact from Gofrendly on which one to try first.
Lisburn questions worth asking
What is at the Irish Linen Centre in Lisburn?
The Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum on Market Square has free entry, with donations welcome, and keeps 9:30am–5pm hours from Monday to Saturday. Its Flax to Fabric exhibition tells the linen story, and live spinning and weaving demonstrations make it a sociable outing in Lisburn.
Where is Wallace parkrun in Lisburn?
Every Saturday morning, Wallace parkrun takes over Wallace Park, about 0.7 kilometres from Lisburn city centre, on tarmac paths all the way round. Afterwards there is the bandstand, a café, a pond, tennis courts and a wildflower area to wander.
What reading groups meet at Lisburn City Library?
Lisburn City Library runs a Saturday Reading Group at 2pm on first Saturdays, with booking needed, and a Tuesday Evening Reading Group that meets monthly at 6:30pm. Friday mornings bring Knit and Natter and Tea and Newspapers, both open to Lisburn adults.
Which app helps Lisburn women find friends?
Gofrendly, a women-only friendship app, shows Lisburn women nearby profiles, and a few messages can come before any plan. A slow lap of Wallace Park or a visit to the Irish Linen Centre gives two people something to talk about besides themselves.
Lisburn, a Lagan Valley city with a linen past
Across Lisburn City, nearly 19 homes in every 100 are social tenancies and only around 13% rent privately, fewer short lets than in Northern Ireland as a whole. Where fewer homes change hands every year, groups often have regulars who have come for ages, so join one, keep turning up, and wait for the morning someone saves you a seat without being asked.
Feeling lonely in a city you know well is more common than it sounds. Lagan Valley LeisurePlex on Governors Road has a leisure pool with slides and a 25-metre pool, the Island Arts Centre is marking its 25th year with an autumn 2026 season, and Castle Gardens preserves the site of a 1622 castle and a rare 17th-century formal garden. The library adds a first-Saturday reading group and a monthly Tuesday evening one, and the Linen Centre puts on live spinning and weaving demonstrations. Good first stops:
1
Lisburn City Library on Linenhall Street, Friday mornings.
2
Wallace Park, its bandstand, pond and café.
3
Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum on Market Square.
4
Castle Gardens, around the old castle site.
5
Island Arts Centre and its 100-seat theatre.
LOCAL TIP
Stay for Lift the Lid, the Saturday piano session at the library, and music may break the ice faster than small talk.
How to
Lisburn: ways to meet people close to home
1
Book the first-Saturday reading group at Lisburn City Library.
2
Run or walk Wallace parkrun, which had 225 finishers on 17 October 2026.
3
Watch a spinning and weaving demonstration at the Irish Linen Centre with a friend.
4
Arrange a Wallace Park café coffee with a Lisburn match from Gofrendly.
A real friendship, and a month that honours it
Lisburn guide: written by
Our editors and Gofrendly’s founders, Claudia Gård and Ulrika Lilja, wrote this Lisburn page for readers who already know the city well and would like a few new faces in it.
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.