County Antrim | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
| Nickname: TheGlens County | |
| Motto(s): | |
 | |
| Coordinates:54°51′54″N6°16′48″W / 54.865°N 6.280°W /54.865; -6.280 | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Region | Northern Ireland |
| Province | Ulster |
| Established | c. 1400 |
| County town | Antrim |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,192 sq mi (3,086 km2) |
| • Rank | 9th |
| Highest elevation (Trostan) | 1,808 ft (551 m) |
| Population (2021) | 651,321 |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| Time zone | UTC±0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcode area | |
| Contae Aontroma is the Irish name;Coontie Antrìm,[2]Countie Antrim,[3]Coontie Anthrim[4] andCoonty Entrim[5] areUlster-Scots names. | |
County Antrim (named after the town ofAntrim, fromIrishAontroim, meaning 'lone ridge')[6] is one of the sixcounties of Northern Ireland, located within the historicprovince ofUlster. Adjoined to the north-east shore ofLough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3,086 square kilometres (1,192 sq mi) and has a population of 651,321,[7] as of the2021 census. County Antrim has a population density of 211 people per square kilometre or 546 people per square mile.[8] It is also one of the thirty-two traditionalcounties ofIreland.
TheGlens of Antrim offer isolated rugged landscapes, theGiant's Causeway is a unique landscape and a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site,Bushmills produces whiskey, andPortrush is a popular seaside resort and night-life area. The majority ofBelfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, is in County Antrim, with the remainder being inCounty Down.
According to the2001,2011, and2021 censuses it is currently one of only two counties of the Island of Ireland in which a plurality or majority of the population are from aProtestant background. The other isCounty Down to the south.
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A large portion of Antrim is hilly, especially in the east, where the highest elevations are attained. The range runs north and south, and, following this direction, the highest points are Knocklayd 514 m (1,690 ft),Slieveanorra 508 m (1,670 ft),Trostan 550 m (1,800 ft),Slemish 437 m (1,430 ft), Agnew's Hill 474 m (1,560 ft) andDivis 478 m (1,570 ft).[9] The inland slope is gradual, but on the northern shore the range terminates in abrupt and almost perpendicular declivities, and here, consequently, some of the finest coast scenery in the world is found, widely differing, with its unbroken lines of cliffs, from the indented coast-line of the west. The most remarkable cliffs are those formed of perpendicular basaltic columns, extending for many miles, and most strikingly displayed inFair Head and the celebratedGiant's Causeway. From the eastern coast the hills rise instantly but less abruptly, and the indentations are wider and deeper. On both coasts there are several resort towns, includingPortrush (with well-known golf links),Portballintrae andBallycastle; on the eastCushendun,Cushendall andWaterfoot on Red Bay,Carnlough andGlenarm,Larne on theSea of Moyle, andWhitehead on Belfast Lough. All are somewhat exposed to the easterly winds prevalent in spring. The only island of size is the L-shapedRathlin Island, off Ballycastle, 11 km (6.8 mi) in total length by 2 km (1.2 mi) maximum breadth, 7 km (4.3 mi) from the coast, and of similar basaltic and limestone formation to that of the mainland. It is partially arable, and supports a small population.Islandmagee is a peninsula separatingLarne Lough from theNorth Channel.[10]
The valleys of theBann andLagan, with the intervening shores ofLough Neagh, form the fertile lowlands. These two rivers, both rising in County Down, are the only ones of importance. The latter flows to Belfast Lough, the former drains Lough Neagh, which is fed by a number of smaller streams. The fisheries of the Bann and of Lough Neagh (especially forsalmon andeels) are of value both commercially and to sportsmen, the small town ofToome, at the outflow of the river, being the centre. Immediately below this point liesLough Beg, the "Small Lake", about 4.5 m (15 ft) lower than Lough Neagh.[10]
County Antrim has a number of air, rail and sea links.
Northern Ireland's main airport, Belfast International Airport, at Aldergrove, is in County Antrim. Belfast International shares its runways with38 Brigade Flying Station Aldergrove, which otherwise has its own facilities.[11] It is the fifth-largest regional air cargo centre in the UK. There are regular services to Great Britain, Europe and North America.
The region is also served byGeorge Best Belfast City Airport, a mile east ofBelfast city centre on the County Down side of the city, which was renamed in 2006 in honour offootballerGeorge Best.
The mainTranslinkNorthern Ireland Railways routes are the major line between Belfast, Antrim,Ballymena,Coleraine andDerry, Belfast toCarrickfergus andLarne, the port forStranraer in Scotland and Coleraine toPortrush.
Two of Northern Ireland's main ports are in County Antrim,Larne andBelfast.
Ferries sail from Larne Harbour to destinations includingCairnryan in Scotland.
ThePort of Belfast is Northern Ireland's principal maritime gateway, serving the Northern Ireland economy and increasingly that of theRepublic of Ireland. It is a major centre of industry and commerce and has become established as the focus of logistics activity for Northern Ireland. Around two-thirds of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade, and a quarter of that for Ireland as a whole is handled at the port, which receives over 6,000 vessels each year.[12]
As of the2021 census, County Antrim had a population of 651,321,[13] making it the most populous county in Northern Ireland, and the second-largest county by population on theisland of Ireland, second only toCounty Dublin.
| Ethnic Group | Number | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| White: Total | 623,574 | 95.74 |
| White | 622,011 | 95.50 |
| White: British/Irish/Northern Irish/English/Scottish/Welsh (with or without non-UK or Irish national identities) | 600,912 | 92.26 |
| White:Other | 21,099 | 3.24 |
| White:Irish Traveller | 569 | 0.09 |
| White:Roma | 994 | 0.15 |
| Asian orAsian British: Total | 16,533 | 2.54 |
| Asian/Asian British:Indian | 5,406 | 0.83 |
| Asian/Asian British:Chinese | 5,149 | 0.79 |
| Asian/Asian British:Filipino | 2,221 | 0.34 |
| Asian/Asian British:Arab | 1,114 | 0.17 |
| Asian/Asian British:Pakistani | 687 | 0.11 |
| Asian/Asian British: Other Asian | 1,956 | 0.30 |
| Black orBlack British: Total | 4,614 | 0.71 |
| Black/Black British:Black African | 3,961 | 0.61 |
| Black/Black British: Black Other | 653 | 0.10 |
| Mixed: Total | 5,253 | 0.81 |
| Other: Any other ethnic group: Total | 1,347 | 0.21 |
| Total | 651,321 | 100.00 |
| Country of birth | Number | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom and Ireland | 605,844 | 93.02 |
| Northern Ireland | 565,951 | 86.89 |
| England | 24,451 | 3.75 |
| Scotland | 6,010 | 0.92 |
| Wales | 936 | 0.14 |
| Republic of Ireland | 8,496 | 1.30 |
| Europe | 21,643 | 3.32 |
| European Union | 20,400 | 3.13 |
| Other non-EU countries | 1,243 | 0.19 |
| Rest of World | 23,833 | 3.66 |
| Middle East andAsia | 14,325 | 2.20 |
| Africa | 4,951 | 0.76 |
| North America,Central America andCaribbean | 2,885 | 0.44 |
| Antarctica,Oceania and Other | 1,061 | 0.16 |
| South America | 611 | 0.09 |
| Total | 651,321 | 100.00 |
| Religious Background in Antrim (2021) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Religion | Per cent | |||
| Protestant and Other Christian | 47.0% | |||
| Catholic | 40.1% | |||
| None | 10.8% | |||
| Other faiths | 2.1% | |||
A traditionally Protestant-majority county since thePlantation of Ulster by Scottish and English settlers, the 2021 census revealed that those of a Protestant and Other Christian community background were no longer a majority in Antrim, comprising 47.0% of the population,[17] a sharp decline from 75.2% in 1861.[18] This is largely attributable to the rapid increase of the Catholic population, particularly in the city of Belfast, where they now comprise a plurality of the population, and its surroundingmetropolitan area, as well asimmigration from other parts of the world following the end ofThe Troubles and increasing rates of irreligion.
| Religion or religion brought up in | Number | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Protestant and Other Christian | 306,335 | 47.03 |
| Catholic | 260,867 | 40.06 |
| None (no religion) | 70,629 | 10.84 |
| Other religion | 13,490 | 2.07 |
| Total | 651,321 | 100.00 |
| Religion | Number | (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Christian | 498,196 | 76.49 |
| Catholic | 237,034 | 36.39 |
| Presbyterian | 127,230 | 19.53 |
| Church of Ireland | 66,990 | 10.29 |
| Methodist | 18,286 | 2.81 |
| Other Christian (including Christian related) | 48,656 | 7.47 |
| Protestant and Other Christian: Total | 261,162 | 40.10 |
| Other religions | 12,049 | 1.85 |
| None/not stated | 141,076 | 21.66 |
| No religion | 129,016 | 19.81 |
| Religion not stated | 12,060 | 1.85 |
| Total | 651,321 | 100.00 |
| National identity | Number | % |
|---|---|---|
| British only | 230,873 | 35.45% |
| Irish only | 167,425 | 25.71% |
| Northern Irish only | 121,867 | 18.71% |
| British and Northern Irish only | 57,822 | 8.88% |
| Irish and Northern Irish only | 10,341 | 1.59% |
| British, Irish and Northern Irish only | 9,673 | 1.49% |
| British and Irish only | 4,142 | 0.64% |
| Other identity | 49,178 | 7.55% |
| Total | 651,321 | 100.00% |
| All Irish identities | 193,538 | 29.72% |
| All British identities | 308,548 | 47.37% |
| All Northern Irish identities | 202,615 | 31.11% |
In the 2021 UK census in County Antrim:
Statistics for 2009–2010 show 1,832 students attending the twelveGaelscoileanna (Irish language primary schools) and oneGaelcholáiste (Irish language secondary school).[24]
The county was administered byAntrim County Council from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973.[25] The traditional county town isAntrim. More recently,Ballymena was the seat of county government. From 1973 Northern Ireland was split intodistricts, which were redrawn in 2015. County Antrim is part of the following districts:
The county contains within it the whole of fiveparliamentaryconstituencies:
Parts of the following fiveparliamentaryconstituencies are also in County Antrim:
Places with official city status:
(population of 18,000 or more and under 75,000 at 2001 Census)[26]
(population of 10,000 or more and under 18,000 at 2001 Census)[26]
(Population of 4,500 or more and under 10,000 at 2001 Census)[26]
(population of 2,250 or more and under 4,500 at 2001 Census)[26]
(Population of 1,000 or more and under 2,250 at 2001 Census)[26]
(population of less than 1,000 at 2001 Census)[26]
Baronies
Parishes
Townlands
At what date the county of Antrim was formed is not known, but it appears that a certain district bore this name before the reign ofEdward II (early 14th century), and when the shiring of Ulster was undertaken by SirJohn Perrot in the 16th century, Antrim and Down were already recognised divisions, in contradistinction to the remainder of the province. The earliest known inhabitants wereMesolithichunter-gatherers of pre-Celtic origin.[27] At theMount Sandel Mesolithic site (in Coleraine along the east side of the river Bann) known human habitation there dates to around 7000 BC making it one of the earliest sites in Ireland.[28] The names of thetownlands or subdivisions, supposed to have been made in the 13th century, are all of Celtic derivation.[10]
In ancient times, Antrim was inhabited by a Celtic people called theDarini.[29] In the early Middle Ages, southern County Antrim was part of the Kingdom ofUlidia, ruled by theDál Fiatach clans Keenan and MacDonlevy/McDunlavey; the north was part ofDál Riada, which stretched into what is now western Scotland over the Irish Sea. Dál Riada was ruled by the O'Lynch clan, who werevassals of the Ulidians. Besides the Ulidians and Dál Riada, there were theDál nAraide of lower County Antrim, and theCruthin, who were pre-Gaelic Celts and probably related to the Picts of Britain.[30] Between the 8th and 11th centuries Antrim was exposed to the inroads of theVikings.[10]
In the late 12th century Antrim became part of theEarldom of Ulster, conquered byAnglo-Norman invaders. A revival of Gaelic power followed the campaign ofEdward Bruce in 1315, leavingCarrickfergus as the only significant English stronghold. In the late Middle Ages, Antrim was divided into three parts: northern Clandeboye, the Glynnes and the Route. TheCambro-NormanMacQuillans were powerful in the Route.
A branch of the O'Neills of Tirconnell (modern Tyrone) migrated to Clandeboye in the 14th century, and ruled it for a time from their castle on Lough Neagh. Their family was called Clandeboye O'Neills. Donald Balloch, who succeeded his father John Mor Macdonald, Lord of Dunyvaig and the Glens, married the daughter of Conn O'Neill of the Clandeboye O'Neills sometime after the Battle of Inverlochy. In 1433, Alexander of Islay, Lord of the Isles, joined with his cousin, Donald Balloch, Conn O'Neill of the Clandeboye O'Neills, and Eoghan O'Neill, king of Tirowen (modern Tyrone) to defend against an attack on Antrim by the O'Donnells of Tirconnell. Alexander Macdonald led the attack that was successful, so that the O'Donnells became subject to the O'Neills of Tirowen.[31] AGallowglass sept, the MacDonnells (they were "Macdonalds" in Scotland), became the most powerful in the Glens in the 15th century.
During theTudor era (16th century) numerous adventurers from Britain attempted to colonise the region; many Scots settled in Antrim around this time.[32] In 1588 the Antrim coast was the scene of one of the 24 wrecks of theSpanish Armada in Ireland. The Spanish vesselLa Girona was wrecked off Lacana Point, Giant's Causeway in 1588 with the loss of nearly 1,300 lives.[33]
Antrim is divided into sixteen baronies. Lower Antrim, part of Lower Clandeboye, was settled by the sept O'Flynn/O'Lynn. Upper Antrim, part of Lower Clandeboye, was the home of the O'Keevans. Belfast was part of Lower Clandeboye and was held by the O'Neill-Clannaboys. Lower Belfast, Upper Belfast, and Carrickfergus were also part of Lower Clandeboye. Cary was part of the Glynnes; ruled originally by the O'Quinn sept, the MacDonnell galloglasses from Scotland took power here in the late Middle Ages and some of the O'Haras also migrated fromConnaught. Upper and LowerDunluce were part of the Route, and were ruled by the MacQuillans. Upper and LowerGlenarm was ruled by the O'Flynn/O'Lynn sept, considered part of the Glynns. In addition to that sept and that of O'Quinn, both of which were native, the ScottishGallowglass septs of MacKeown, MacAlister, and MacGee, are found there. Kilconway was originally O'Flynn/O'Lynn territory, but was held by the MacQuillans as part of the Route, and later by thegallowglass sept of MacNeill. Lower Massereene was part of Lower Clandeboye and was ruled by the O'Flynns and the O'Heircs. Upper Massereene was part of Lower Clandeboye, ruled by the O'Heircs. Upper and Lower Toome, part of the Route, were O'Flynn/O'Lynn territory. Misc was first ruled by the MacQuillans. Later, the Scottish Gallowglass MacDonnells and MacAlisters invaded. The MacDonnells were a branch of the Scottish Clan MacDonald; the MacAlisters traced their origin back to the Irish Colla Uais, eldest of the Three Collas.
Islandmagee had, besides antiquarian remains, a notoriety as a home of witchcraft, and during theIrish Rebellion of 1641 was the scene of an act of reprisal (for the massacre ofProtestants) against the Catholic population by the ScottishCovenanter soldiery ofCarrickfergus.[10]
In 1689 during theWilliamite War in Ireland, County Antrim was a centre of Protestant resistance against the rule of the CatholicJames II. During the developing crisis James' garrison atCarrickfergus successfully repulsed an attempt by local Protestants to storm it. After the advance of theIrish Army underRichard Hamilton, all of County Antrim was brought underJacobite control. Later in the year a major expedition from England underMarshal Schomberg landed inBelfast Lough and successfullylaid siege to Carrickfergus. Having captured most of the largest towns of the area, they then marched southwards towardsDundalk.
The antiquities of the county consist ofcairns, mounts or forts, remains of ecclesiastical and military structures, andround towers.
There are three round towers: one at Antrim, one atArmoy, and one onRam's Island in Lough Neagh, only that at Antrim being perfect. There are some remains of the ecclesiastic establishments atBonamargy, where the earls of Antrim are buried,Kells, Glenarm,Glynn,Muckamore and Whiteabbey.[10]
The castle atCarrickfergus, dating from theNorman invasion of Ireland, is one of the best preserved medieval structures in Ireland. There are, however, remains of other ancient castles, asOlderfleet, Cam's,Shane's, Glenarm, Garron Tower, Red Bay,[10] andDunluce Castle, notable for its dramatic location on a rocky outcrop.
The principal cairns are: one on Colin mountain, near Lisburn; one onSlieve True, near Carrickfergus; and two on Colinward. Thecromlechs most worthy of notice are: one nearCairngrainey, to the north-east of the old road from Belfast toTemplepatrick; the large cromlech at Mount Druid, nearBallintoy; and one at the northern extremity of Islandmagee. The mounts, forts and entrenchments are very numerous.[10]
The natural rock formations ofGiant's Causeway on the Antrim coast are now designated aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
Slemish, about eight miles (13 km) east of Ballymena, is notable as being the scene of St Patrick's early life.[10] According to traditionSaint Patrick was a slave for seven years, near the hill of Slemish, until he escaped back to Great Britain.
Linen manufacturing was previously an important industry in the county. At the time Ireland produced a large amount offlax. Cotton-spinning byjennies was first introduced to Belfast by industrialists Robert Joy and Thomas M'Cabe in 1777; and twenty-three years later it was estimated that more than 27,000 people were employed in the industry within ten miles (16 km) of Belfast. Women were employed in the working of patterns onmuslin.
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Records of theseaweeds of County Antrim were brought together and published in 1907 by J. Adams[38] who notes that the list contains 211 species. Batter's list, of 1902,[39] contained 747 species in his catalogue of British marine algae.
Of the freshwateralgae there are 10 taxa in theCharophyta (Charales) recorded from County Antrim:Chara aspera var.aspera;Chara globularis var.globularis;Chara globularis var.virgata (Kütz.) R.D.;Chara vulgaris var.vulgaris;Chara vulgaris var.contraria (A. Braun ex Kütz.) J.A.Moore;Chara vulgaris var.longibracteata (Kütz.) J. Groves & Bullock-Webster;Chara vulgaris var.papillata Wallr. ex A. Braun;Nitella flexilis var.flexilis;Nitella translucens (Pers.) C.A. Ag. andTolypella nidifica var.glomerata (Desv.) R.D. Wood.[40]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Antrim (county)".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 152–154.
Places adjacent to County Antrim | |
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