Antrim ( ga, Aontroim , meaning 'lone ridge') is a town and
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
in
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
in the northeast of
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
, on the banks of the
Six Mile Water
The Six Mile Water is a river in southern County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is an indirect tributary of the River Bann, via Lough Neagh.
Name
The river was historically called the ''(river) Ollar'' and is known in Irish as ''Abhainn na bhFiodh ...
, on the northeast shore of
Lough Neagh. It had a population of 23,375 people in the
2011 Census.
It is the
county town of County Antrim and was the administrative centre of
Antrim Borough Council. It is northwest of
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
.
History
Middle Ages
According to tradition, a monastery was founded at Antrim in AD 495, thirty years after the death of
Saint Patrick, to take forward his ministry, with a small settlement growing up around it. The
round tower
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...
(see below), also known as "the Steeple", is all that remains.
The original name of Antrim was ''Aontreibh'',
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
for 'lone house', referring to the monks' house. This later became, or was reinterpreted, as ''Aontroim'' ('lone ridge').
In the early Middle Ages, the area was part of the
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
territory of
Dál Araide, which covered much of what is now
County Antrim
County Antrim (named after the town of Antrim, ) is one of six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the thirty-two counties of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of and has a population o ...
. At the eastern edge of town is a
ringfort called Rathmore (''Ráth Mór'', "the great fort"), which was the royal residence of the kings of Dál Araide.
In the late 12th century, the area was conquered by
Anglo-Normans
The Anglo-Normans ( nrf, Anglo-Normaunds, ang, Engel-Norðmandisca) were the medieval ruling class in England, composed mainly of a combination of ethnic Normans, French, Anglo-Saxons, Flemings and Bretons, following the Norman conquest. A sma ...
led by
John de Courcy
{{Infobox noble
, image = Sir John de Courcy (1150-1219).jpg
, caption =
, alt =
, more = no
, succession =
, reign =
, predecessor =
, successor =
, ...
, becoming part of the
Earldom of Ulster
The Earldom of Ulster was an Anglo-Norman lordship in northern medieval Ireland, established by John de Courcy from the conquest of the province of Ulaid in eastern Ulster. It was the most important Anglo-Norman lordship in the north of Ireland ...
. They built a
motte-and-bailey castle
A motte-and-bailey castle is a European fortification with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised area of ground called a motte, accompanied by a walled courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade. Relatively easy t ...
at Antrim. Its mound (motte) still stands in Antrim Castle Gardens.
The Anglo-Norman earldom collapsed in the early 14th century and Antrim became part of the Gaelic territory of
Clannaboy
Clandeboye or Clannaboy (from Irish ''Clann Aodha Buí'', "family of Hugh the Blond") was a kingdom of Gaelic Ireland, comprising what is now south County Antrim, north County Down, and the barony of Loughinsholin, Northern Ireland. The entity w ...
. During the late Middle Ages, the
O'Neill
The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...
chiefs of Clannaboy were based at Edenduffcarrick castle (later called
Shane's Castle
Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, having been destroyed by fire in 1816. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh. Built in 1345 by a member of the Clandeboy O'Neill dynasty, it was ...
), two miles west of Antrim.
Early Modern era
Following the
Nine Years' War (1593–1603), Antrim came under English control. The area was then colonized by English and Scottish settlers as part of the
Plantation of Ulster. Hugh Clotworthy, father of the Anglo-Irish politician
John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene
John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene (died September 1665) was a prominent Anglo-Irish politician.
Origins
He was the son and heir of Sir Hugh Clotworthy (died 1630), High Sheriff of Antrim (who first came to Ireland as a soldier in the Nin ...
, supervised the building of
Antrim Castle
Antrim Castle or Massereene Castle was a fortified mansion in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Sixmilewater River. It was built in stages between 1613 and 1662. It was destroyed by fire in 1922 and finally demolish ...
, a
fortified mansion beside the old Norman motte. Hugh was knighted in 1617 and appointed High Sheriff of County Antrim.
In 1642, during the
Irish Confederate Wars, Clotworthy's fleet fought a naval engagement on
Lough Neagh.
The
Society of United Irishmen launched a
rebellion in 1798, which began in
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
and quickly spread to
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
. The United Irishmen had been founded in 1791 by liberal Protestants in
Belfast
Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...
. Its goal was to unite Catholics and Protestants and to end British monarchical rule over Ireland and to found a sovereign, independent Irish republic. Although its membership was mainly Catholic, many of its leaders and members in northeast Ulster were Protestant
Presbyterians. On 7 June 1798, about 4,000 United Irishmen led by
Henry Joy McCracken
Henry Joy McCracken (31 August 1767 – 17 July 1798) was an Irish republican, a leading member of the Society of the United Irishmen and a commander of their forces in the field in the Rebellion of 1798. In pursuit of an independent and democra ...
attacked the town. The rebels were on the verge of taking the town until British reinforcements arrived. Thanks to a rebel band led by
James Hope, most of the United Irishmen were able to withdraw safely. This is known as the
Battle of Antrim
The Battle of Antrim was fought on 7 June 1798, in County Antrim, Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 between British troops and Irish insurgents led by Henry Joy McCracken. The British won the battle, beating off a rebel attack on Antri ...
.
Before the
Act of Union, the parliamentary borough of
Antrim returned two members to the
Irish House of Commons
The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, but on a highly restrictive fran ...
by virtue of letters patent granted in 1666 by
Charles II.
It was disenfranchised in 1801.
Steeple House, a substantial 18th-century mansion which was home to the Clark family and then became the headquarters of Antrim Borough Council, was destroyed in a fire in July 2019.
The Troubles
There were several incidents in and around Antrim during
the Troubles
The Troubles ( ga, Na Trioblóidí) were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it is sometimes described as an " ...
including, in 1976, when six civilians (5
Protestants and one
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
) were shot and killed during a
UVF gun attack on the Ramble Inn pub near Antrim.
Climate
As with the rest of Ireland, Antrim experiences a
maritime climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...
with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest official
Met Office weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...
for which online records are available is at
Belfast International Airport, under 4 miles to the south of the town centre.
In a typical year the warmest day should reach a temperature of and 2.1 days should attain a temperature of or above in total.
The coldest night of the year averages and 39 nights should register an air frost. The absolute minimum temperature of was reported during the record cold spell of December 2010. In total during that month 10 nights fell to or below, and the 21st recorded a daytime maximum of just
Demography
On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 23,375 people living in Antrim, accounting for 1.29% of the NI total,
[ representing an increase of 16.9% on the Census 2001 population of 20,001.] Of these:
* 21.47% were aged under 16 years and 13.33% were aged 65 and over;
* 48.72% of the usually resident population were male and 51.28% were female;
* 54.80% belong to or were brought up in a Protestant or other Christian related background and 34.12% were brought up in a Catholic background;
* 61.47% indicated that they had a British national identity, 30.76% had a Northern Irish national identity and 11.56% had an Irish national identity (respondents could indicate more than one national identity);
* 35 years was the average (median) age of the population.
* 8.43% had some knowledge of Ulster Scots and 5.20% had some knowledge of the Irish language
Irish ( Standard Irish: ), also known as Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was ...
.
Landmarks
* Shane's Castle
Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, having been destroyed by fire in 1816. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh. Built in 1345 by a member of the Clandeboy O'Neill dynasty, it was ...
and Antrim Castle
* In the north of the town is one of the most perfect of the round tower
A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and fu ...
s of Ireland, 93 feet high and 50 feet in circumference at the base. It stands in the grounds of Steeple, where there is also the "Witches' Stone", a prehistoric monument.
* There was a Castle, near the Six Mile Water, which was destroyed in a fire in 1922. All that remains is an octagonal tower.
* The river allowed the linen industry to be established. The linen industry has been replaced by a Technology Park, the only one in Northern Ireland.
* Antrim Market House is a 2–story building, nine bays long, three deep built in 1726. Formerly a Court House, it has recently been refurbished and is currently used as a tourist information centre and has a small theatre and café.
* The Castle Grounds, that is beside the Antrim Castle.
* The Springfarm Rath
Transport
Antrim railway station
Antrim railway station serves the town of Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.
The station currently serves trains on the Belfast to Derry line via Bleach Green and station. Until 2003, Belfast-Derry trains reached here by means of the ...
was opened on 11 April 1848, and closed for goods traffic in 1965.
Served by passenger trains on the Belfast-Derry railway line are run by Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) ( ga, Iarnród Thuaisceart Éireann); and for a brief period Ulster Transport Railways (UTR), is the railway operator in Northern Ireland. NIR is a subsidiary of Translink, whose paren ...
.
Antrim's Aldergrove Airport known as Belfast International Airport is the largest airport in Northern Ireland, serving destinations in Britain, Europe and North America. However, Aldergrove does not have a proper Airport rail link
An airport rail link is a service providing passenger rail transport from an airport to a nearby city by mainline or commuter trains, rapid transit, people mover, or light rail. Direct links operate straight to the airport terminal, while ...
connection.
Retail
The Junction, formerly Junction One (named after junction 1 of the nearby M22 Motorway), is a retail park in the area with restaurants and a hotel. Supermarkets serving the town include an Asda
Asda Stores Ltd. () (often styled as ASDA) is a British supermarket chain. It is headquartered in Leeds, England. The company was founded in 1949 when the Asquith family merged their retail business with the Associated Dairies company of Yorks ...
store, Lidl
Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG (; ) is a German international discount retailer chain that operates over 11,000 stores across Europe and the United States. Headquartered in Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, the company belongs to the Schwarz Group, whi ...
outlet, Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
Extra, and Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
store. Castle Mall, located on High Street in the town, was formerly known as Castle Centre. It has a selection of every day shops, including the town's main Post Office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...
.
Education
Junior schools serving the area include Antrim Primary School, Ballycraigy Primary School, Greystone Primary School, St Comgall's Primary School, and St Joseph's Primary School.
The secondary schools are Antrim Grammar School and Parkhall College
Parkhall Integrated College is an integrated co-educational non-selective secondary school in Antrim, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. There are 1,100 students aged between 11 and 18, that is in Year 8 to Year 14.
Context
Integrated Education i ...
.
The Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise
College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is a public tertiary level land-based college offering training in agriculture, food technology, horticulture, equine and agri-business operating at three sites in Northern Ireland.
The c ...
(CAFRE) is near Antrim.
Sport
The local Gaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA; ga, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael ; CLG) is an Irish international amateur sports, amateur sporting and cultural organisation, focused primarily on promoting indigenous Gaelic games and pastimes, which include t ...
club is Naomh Comhghall CLG (St. Comgalls Antrim). The association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
club, Chimney Corner F.C.
Chimney Corner is a Northern Irish, intermediate football club playing in the Ballymena & Provincial Intermediate League. The club, founded in 1952, hails from Antrim and plays its home matches at Allen Park. Club colours are red and white. Th ...
, plays its home games in Allen Park on Castle Road. Other Antrim sports clubs include Antrim Hockey Club
Antrim Hockey Club is a hockey club based at Antrim Forum The club was founded in 1894 and was one of the founding members of the Ulster Hockey Union. Antrim Hockey Club's first eleven play in the Senior League of the Ulster Senior League.
Gro ...
and Muckamore Cricket Club.
People
* Mark Allen (b. 1986) – snooker player
* Declan Kearney
Declan Kearney (born 19 December 1964) is an Irish Sinn Féin politician who was elected as a member (MLA) of the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent the South Antrim constituency at the 2016 election.
Originally from Antrim, he is the ...
(b. 1964) – Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin ( , ; en, " eOurselves") is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active throughout both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur G ...
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking ...
, MLA
* Thomas McCord (1750–1824) – businessman and politician in Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec an ...
* Eva McGown (1883–1972) – Official Hostess of Fairbanks and Honorary Hostess of Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...
* Joseph Stephenson-Jellie (1874–1960) – cricketer
* Josh Rock (b. 2001) - darts player
See also
* List of localities in Northern Ireland by population
This is a list of settlements in Northern Ireland by population. The fifty largest settlements are listed. This list has been compiled from data published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA), based on the 2011 Census. Se ...
* Market Houses in Northern Ireland
* List of civil parishes of County Antrim
References
Antrim on the ''Culture Northern Ireland'' website.
External links
Antrim Borough Council
Antrim Community Website
{{authority control
County towns in Northern Ireland
Towns in County Antrim
Civil parishes of County Antrim