|
Return To View All Towns In County Antrim
Bed And Breakfast In Antrim
Telephone: 028 94462929
Comfort Hotel Antrim
More Information About Antrim
Antrim (from the Irish: Aontroim meaning "Solitary Farm") is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council. It is 22 miles (35 km) northwest of Belfast by rail, and was, until recently, also served by the railway line from Lisburn. History 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. During the 1798 rebellion on June 7, 1798 United Irish rebels under Henry Joy McCracken unsuccessfully attacked the town, meeting defeat in the Battle of Antrim. The county governor, Lord O'Neill, was mortally wounded in the fighting. Before the Act of Union, Antrim returned two members to parliament by virtue of letters patent granted in 1666 by Charles II. GeographyDivisions 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. The town has a mainly Protestant population, and most of the estates in Antrim are Protestant, with the exceptions of Rathenraw, part of Upper Stiles, and part of Greystone Estates. The steep hill in Stiles Estate, between the majority Catholic Upper Stiles and majority Protestant Lower Stiles, has seen much conflict in the last 10 years, with gangs of youths from Rathenraw and Parkhall using the hill as a pitched battlefield. 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 is currently being renovated and will house Antrim Information Centre, which is transferring from its existing premises in High Street, and a new multi-purpose auditorium on the first floor providing space for a range of functions including theatre and music promotions.
- The Castle Grounds, that is beside the Antrim Castle.
Transport Antrim railway station was opened on 11 April 1848, and closed for goods traffic on 4 January 1965.[3]
This Article was sourced using Wikipedia
|