Antrim, County Antrim
| Antrim | |
|---|---|
 Church of Ireland and bridge over the Six Mile Water | |
| Population | 20,001 (2001 Census) |
| Irish grid reference | J1588 |
| • Belfast | 19 miles (31 km) |
| District | |
| County | |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | ANTRIM |
| Postcode district | BT41 |
| Dialling code | 028 |
| Police | Northern Ireland |
| Fire | Northern Ireland |
| Ambulance | Northern Ireland |
| UK Parliament | |
| NI Assembly | |
| Website | [1] |
Antrim (from Irish Aontroim, meaning 'lone ridge', [ˈeːnˠt̪ˠɾˠɪmʲ])[4] 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
The area around what was to become Antrim was the subject of attack and invasion by a variety of peoples, including Celtic tribes and Viking raiders from around the 4th century. A monastery established close to the present site of the round Tower in 495, thirty years after the death of St. Patrick, to take forward his ministry, and a small settlement grew up around it.[5]
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.[6]
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.[7]
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,[8] 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)[9] and 2.1 days[10] 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)[11] and 39 nights should register an air frost.[12] The absolute minimum temperature of −14.2 °C (6.4 °F) was reported during the record cold spell of December 2010.[13] 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)
| Climate data for Aldergrove 63m asl, 1971–2000, Extremes 1926– (Weather Station 3.8 Miles South of Antrim) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) |
14.9 (58.8) |
20.2 (68.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
29.0 (84.2) |
29.4 (84.9) |
28.0 (82.4) |
25.6 (78.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
16.4 (61.5) |
14.4 (57.9) |
29.4 (84.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.8 (44.2) |
7.3 (45.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.6 (52.9) |
14.7 (58.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
18.6 (65.5) |
16.1 (61.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
9.3 (48.7) |
7.5 (45.5) |
12.5 (54.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) |
1.6 (34.9) |
2.6 (36.7) |
3.9 (39.0) |
6.3 (43.3) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.4 (52.5) |
11.1 (52.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
6.8 (44.2) |
3.5 (38.3) |
2.3 (36.1) |
5.8 (42.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −12.8 (9.0) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−12.2 (10.0) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
1.1 (34.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
−8.6 (16.5) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 86.9 (3.42) |
59.7 (2.35) |
68.1 (2.68) |
56.9 (2.24) |
56.3 (2.22) |
60.8 (2.39) |
66.2 (2.61) |
76.5 (3.01) |
80.1 (3.15) |
88.0 (3.46) |
79.6 (3.13) |
83.3 (3.28) |
862.4 (33.95) |
| Average rainy days | 15.3 | 11.9 | 14.5 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.2 | 12.2 | 13.0 | 12.9 | 13.9 | 14.1 | 14.3 | 155.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 45.6 | 64.4 | 93.3 | 150.6 | 189.4 | 166.5 | 151.9 | 146.0 | 117.6 | 90.5 | 58.5 | 39.4 | 1,313.7 |
| Source: Met Office[14] | |||||||||||||
Demography
Antrim is classified as a large town by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)[15] (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[16]
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.
- The Springfarm Rath
Transport
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Antrim's Aldergrove Airport is the largest airport in Northern Ireland, serving destinations in Britain, Europe and North America. Antrim railway station was opened on 11 April 1848, and closed for goods traffic on 4 January 1965.[17]
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
People
|
- Mark Allen Snooker player
See also
References
- ^ Ballycopelann Wun-mäll – Department of the Environment
- ^ Languages/Cultural Diversity Dep. of Culture, Arts and Leisure.
- ^ The Ulster-Scot, July 2011 Charlie 'Tha Poocher' Rennals.
- ^ Postal Towns/Bailte Poist, Northern Ireland Place-name Project. Queen's University Belfast. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- ^ Hanna, John (2002). Old Antrim. Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 9781840331868.
- ^ Hanna, John (2002). Old Antrim. Catrine, Ayrshire: Stenlake Publishing. p. 3. ISBN 9781840331868.
- ^ Mackay, Neil (2013). All The Little Guns Went Bang, Bang, Bang. Glasgow, Scotland: Freight Publishing. ISBN 9781908754288.
- ^ "Station Locations". MetOffice.
- ^ "Annual average warmest day". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ ">25c days". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ ">Annual average coldest night". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ ">Average frost incidence". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ ">2010 minimum". Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ "Aldergrove 1971–2000 averages". Met Office. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
- ^ NI Statistics and Research Agency website.
- ^ Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information website.
- ^ "Antrim" (PDF). Railscot – Irish Railways. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 27 August 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Antrim Forum website.
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Antrim (town)". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Antrim on the Culture Northern Ireland website.
External links
| Large |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Medium | ||
| Small | ||
Italics denote settlements that are classed as towns but also have city status
 Northern Ireland portal | ||
