Rathcoole (meaning back of the tomb) is a housing estate north of Belfast, in Newtownabbey, built in the 1950s on a site of 366 acres on the lower slopes of Carnmoney Hill in the town land of Whitehouse. Approximately 3,800 dwellings with a population of 10,000 were projected for a "self-contained neighbourhood". Rathcoole was to become the largest housing estate in Northern Ireland.

However, towards the end of the 1960s, civil unrest known as The Troubles brought about sectarian conflict. It was during these times that Bobby Sands, (later to become an IRA hunger striker) and Member of Parliament for Fermanagh & South Tyrone moved out, with more than 1000 Catholic families to follow. The estate eventually ended up with a largely unionist community, and was the scene of several murders during the conflict.

The Alpha Cinema became the East Way Social Club, a loyalist bar, the Diamond shopping centre was in ruins and the two secondary schools’ numbers were declining. Rioting was commonplace, and at times the police only ventured into the area in a fleet of army escorted armoured Land Rovers.

The 1990s, with its hope for change and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, brought about a change in the estate. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive renovated its out of date housing, providing items now taken for granted such as gas heating. Derelict flats were demolished and the Diamond shopping area was totally rebuilt, creating more open space. New football pitches and changing areas were provided, and opened by HRH Princess Anne.

The estate has now changed into a progressive area, often a source of affordable housing for Belfast commuters. However, there are still some underlying problems. As with many working class areas of Northern Ireland, paramilitary groups, particularly the Ulster Defence Association still have a huge influence on the estate, although their domain is now criminal activities such as drug dealing.

Rathcoole Bytes opened in 1995 and has been the "in-place" for local young people ever since. It was opened by the then Secretary Of State Mo Molem. The opening night was a great success and was filmed by UTV.

The atmosphere in Rathcoole Bytes has been described by the users as "bubbly, fun, warm and relaxed". We talk to the users regularly to establish what it is they want from Bytes and try to accommodate their needs.

Wikipedia