Antrim, County Antrim

Antrim (from Irish: Aontroim, meaning "lone ridge", [ˈeːnˠt̪ˠɾˠɪmʲ]) is a town and civil parish in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile northeast of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. It is the county town of County Antrim and was the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council. It is 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Belfast by rail.

History

At the beginning of recorded history, the Antrim area was populated by Irish Gaels and was within the territory of Dál nAraidi. According to tradition, a monastery was founded near the present site of the round tower in 495, thirty years after the death of Saint Patrick, to take forward his ministry, and a small settlement grew up around it.

By 1596, an English settlement had grown up around a ford across the Sixmilewater River and All Saints Parish Church has a datestone of 1596 with the words 'Gall-Antrum' written on it meaning 'The Antrum of the English'. Hugh Clotworthy, father of the Anglo-Irish politician John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene, supervised the building of secure military quarters beside the old Norman motte. This later became the site of Antrim Castle. Hugh was knighted in 1617 and appointed High Sheriff of County Antrim.

A battle was fought near Antrim between the English and Irish in the reign of Edward III; and in 1642 a naval engagement took place on Lough Neagh, for Viscount Massereene and Ferrard (who founded Antrim Castle in 1662) had a right to maintain a fighting fleet on the lough.

The Society of United Irishmen launched a rebellion in 1798, which began in Leinster and quickly spread to Ulster. The United Irishmen had been founded in 1791 by liberal Protestants in Belfast. Its goal was to unite Catholics and Protestants and make Ireland an independent republic. Although its membership was mainly Catholic, many of its leaders and members in northeast Ulster were Protestant Presbyterians. On 7 June 1798, about 4000 United Irishmen led by Henry Joy McCracken 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.

Before the Act of Union, Antrim returned two members to parliament by virtue of letters patent granted in 1666 by Charles II.

Antrim is the setting for the novel All The Little Guns Went Bang, Bang, Bang by author Neil Mackay.

The Troubles

See also the UDA South East Antrim Brigade

Geography

Divisions and suburbs of Antrim include Ballycraigy, Carnbeg, Caulside, Dublin Road, Greenvale, Greystone, Islandbawn, Meadowlands, Muckamore, Newpark, Niblock, Parkhall, Rathenraw, Riverside, Belmont Heights, Springfarm, Steeple, Stiles, The Folly, Townparks, Massereene.

Climate

As with the rest of Ireland, Antrim experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. The nearest official Met Office weather station for which online records are available is at Aldergrove, under 4 miles to the south of the town centre.

In a typical year the warmest day should reach a temperature of 25.4 °C (77.7 °F) and 2.1 days should attain a temperature of 25.1 °C (77.2 °F) or above in total.

The coldest night of the year averages −6.6 °C (20.1 °F) and 39 nights should register an air frost. The absolute minimum temperature of −14.2 °C (6.4 °F) was reported during the record cold spell of December 2010. In total during that month 10 nights fell to −10.0 °C (14.0 °F) or below, and the 21st recorded a daytime maximum of just −7.7 °C (18.1 °F)

Demography

Antrim is classified as a large farmer town by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) (i.e. with population between 18,000 and 75,000). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 20,001 people living in Antrim. Of these:

• 23.1% were aged under 16 years and 15.7% were aged 60 and over
• 48.6% of the population were male and 51.4% were female
• 32.9% were from a Catholic background and 61.5% were from a Protestant background
• 3.8% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

For more details see: Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service

Landmarks

There are many buildings of historic note in the town, especially in and around High Street. The courthouse sits at the end of the street, near the Barbican Gate, the old gateway to Antrim Castle. There are also hidden gems, such as a 19th-century smithy (now a shop) on Bridge Street with a distinctive horseshoe entrance.

• Shane's Castle and Antrim Castle
• About a mile from the town is one of the most perfect of the round towers 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 cafe.
• The Castle Grounds, that is beside the Antrim Castle.
• The Springfarm Rath

Transport

Antrim railway station was opened on 11 April 1848, and closed for goods traffic on 4 January 1965. Served by passenger trains on the Belfast-Derry railway line run by Northern Ireland Railways.

Antrim's Aldergrove Airport Knowing 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. connection.

Junction One / The Junction

Is a Retail Park With Restaurants and a Hotel

Antrim Supermarkets

Asda Superstore at The Junction / Junction One Near Antrim

lidl The Junction /. Junction One Near Antrim

Tesco Extra Castle Way Antrim

Iceland (supermarket) Market Square Antrim

Castle Mall Antrim

Castle Mall Was Formerly Known As Castle Centre, it's on High Street Antrim It has a selection of every day shops. Plus the towns main Post Office

Education

• Antrim Grammar School
• Parkhall College
• Antrim Primary School
• St Comgall's Primary School
• Greystone Primary
• Ballycraigy Primary School
• Parkhall Primary School
• St Joseph's Primary School
• Rathenraw Primary School
• Round Tower Primary School

Colleges

• Greenmount Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE)

Sport

• Naomh Comhghall Clg
• Antrim Hockey Club
• Antrim Forum activity centre
• Chimney Corner F.C.
• Muckamore Cricket Club

People

• Mark Allen Snooker player

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antrim,_County_Antrim