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Carrickfergus (from Irish Carraig Fhearghais [ˌkaːɾˠəɟ ˈaɾˠɣəʃ], meaning "Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, 11 miles (18 km) from Belfast. The town had a population of 28,141 at the 2021 census. It is County Antrim's oldest town and one of the oldest towns in Ireland as a whole. Carrickfergus Castle, built in the late 12th century at the behest of Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy, was the capital of the Earldom of Ulster. After the earldom's collapse, it remained the only English outpost in Ulster for the next four centuries. Carrickfergus was the administrative centre for Carrickfergus Borough Council, before this was amalgamated into the Mid and East Antrim District Council in 2015, and forms part of the Belfast Metropolitan Area. It is also a townland of 65 acres, a civil parish and a barony.

Demography[]

2021 census[]

As of the 2021 census, in March 2021, there were 28,141 people living in Carrickfergus. Of these:

  • 73.49% were from the Protestant or other Christian community backgrounds and 8.55% were from a Roman Catholic Christian community background.
  • 73.94% indicated that they had a British national identity, 5.53% had an Irish national identity and 37.32% had a Northern Irish national identity (respondents could choose more than one national identity).

2011 census[]

On census day 2011, 27 March 2011, there were 27,998 people living in Carrickfergus. Of these:

  • 20.23% were aged under 16 years and 14.73% were aged 65 and over.
  • 51.95% of the usually resident population were female and 48.05% were male.
  • 80.70% were from the Protestant or other Christian community backgrounds and 8.35% were from a Roman Catholic Christian community background.
  • 78.26% indicated that they had a British national identity, 4.73% had an Irish national identity and 29.36% had a Northern Irish national identity (respondents could choose more than one national identity)
  • 39 years was the average (median) age of the population.
  • 8.49% had some knowledge of Ulster-Scots and 1.99% had some knowledge of Irish.

Notable residents[]

See also: Category:People from Carrickfergus

Historical[]

  • Robert Adrain (1775–1843), mathematician, considered one of the best mathematical minds of his time, was born in Carrickfergus
  • Edward Bruce (c. 1280–1319), High King of Ireland and Earl of Carrick, brother to Robert the Bruce, King of Scots.
  • Sir John de Courcy (1160–1219) Anglo Norman knight and builder of Carrickfergus Castle
  • Hugh de Lacy, 1st Earl of Ulster (c. 1176 – c. 1242)
  • William Orr, United Irishman, was hanged in Carrickfergus on 14 October 1797 shortly before the failed rebellion.
  • Charlotte Riddell, writer of the Victorian period, was born Charlotte Eliza Lawson Cowan (1832) in Carrickfergus.
  • Jonathan Swift, the poet and satirist lived in Kilroot, on the outskirts of the town, and wrote A Tale of a Tub there.

20th century[]

  • Daniel Cambridge, recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • James Crichton, recipient of the Victoria Cross
  • Sammy Curran, a prolific Irish League goalscorer between the wars playing for Woodburn and Belfast Celtic among others, who was also capped 4 times by Ireland.
  • Bob Gilmore (1961–2015), musicologist and player of piano and keyboards, was born in nearby Larne; lived in Carrickfergus during his childhood.
  • Seán Lester (1888–1959) was born in Carrickfergus. He was the last Secretary General of the League of Nations, from 1940 to 1946.
  • Billy McMillan, former Belfast Celtic and dual IFA and FAI Irish international footballer who lived his entire life in Carrickfergus.
  • Louis MacNeice, poet, moved to the town when he was two years old (his father was appointed Rector of St Nicholas' Church of Ireland Church), and he left at the age of ten to attend boarding school in England; one of his poems, Carrickfergus (1937), relates his ambiguous feelings about the town where he spent his early boyhood.

Contemporary[]

  • Gillian Arnold, artist and designer, born Carrickfergus. (1971–1990)
  • Ryan Eagleson, Derbyshire and Irish international cricketer, 65 caps for Ireland, 1995–2004.
  • Fit Finlay, former WWE wrestler, was born and raised in the satellite village of Greenisland.
  • Jimmy Hill (Norwich City) and Billy McCullough (Arsenal), Northern Ireland international footballers born in Carrickfergus.
  • Bobby Irvine (Stoke City), Northern Ireland international footballer born in nearby Eden before moving to Carrickfergus.
  • Willie Irvine (Burnley), Northern Ireland international footballer born in Eden before moving to Carrickfergus.
  • Niamh Kavanagh, Irish Eurovision entrant and winner of 1993.
  • Adrian McKinty, novelist, author of the Sean Duffy novels set in Carrickfergus, was raised in the town.
  • Seán Neeson, politician and activist; former leader of the Alliance Party NI sat on Carrickfergus Council (1977–2013), and represented East Antrim in the NI Assembly (1998–2011).
  • Stuart Robinson, host of Northern Ireland's Young Star Search and presenter on Cool FM.
  • Jackie Woodburne, actress known for her role as Susan Kennedy in Australian soap opera Neighbours, was born in Carrickfergus.
  • Jo Zebedee (born 1971), writer brought up in the town.

Twin towns – sister cities[]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the United Kingdom

Carrickfergus is twinned with:

  • Anderson, United States
  • Danville, United States
  • Jackson, United States
  • Portsmouth, United States
  • Ruda Śląska, Poland

Schools and education[]

There are several primary in Carrickfergus, including St Nicholas' Primary School.

Secondary schools serving the area include Carrickfergus Grammar School, Carrickfergus Academy and Ulidia Integrated College.

Transport[]

Carrickfergus railway station opened on 1 October 1862. In addition, the northwest of the town is served by Clipperstown railway station, and the east by Downshire railway station. All three stations have regular commuter services to Belfast and Larne with connections to Dublin and Derry~Londonderry at Belfast. Four historic stations in Carrickfergus; Barn, Eden, Mount, and Kilroot; closed in the 1970s.

Sports[]

Sporting establishments in the town include the association football clubs Carrick Rangers F.C. and Barn United FC.

Carrickfergus Sailing Club and Carrickfergus Cricket Club are also based in the town.

Carrickfergus in song and poetry[]

The town is the subject of the classic Irish folk song "Carrickfergus", a 19th-century translation of an Irish-language song (Do Bhí Bean Uasal) from Munster, which begins with the words, "I wish I was in Carrickfergus".

Scottish Gaelic poet Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair's immram poem Birlinn Chloinne Raghnaill ("The Birlinn of Clanranald"), describes the sea voyage of a Highland war galley from Loch Eynort, in South Uist, to Carrickfergus. Alan Riach, who has translated the poem into English, has praised the genius of its 18th-century author and how brilliantly he emulated both Homer and Virgil in telling his tale of men against the sea. Riach has also alleged that, in addition to being an immortal work of Scottish Gaelic literature, The Birlinn of Clanranald, is, "one of the great poems of world literature."

Media[]

Carrickfergus FM is a Restricted Service Licence community radio station which broadcasts seasonally in the area.[

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