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Carrickfergus is a large town in County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. It had a population
Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
 of 27,201 people recorded in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
. The town is the administrative centre for Carrickfergus Borough Council
Carrickfergus Borough Council

Carrickfergus Borough Council is a district council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The council headquarters are in Carrickfergus and the council administers the town, on the north shore of Belfast Lough, and surrounding area, which extends from Greenisland in the south-west to Whitehead, Northern Ireland in the east....
. It is Co. Antrim's oldest town and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king of Dál Riata
Dál Riata

D?l Riata was a Gaels overkingdom on the western seaboard of Scotland with some territory on the northern coasts of Ireland. In the late 6th and early 7th century it encompassed roughly what is now Argyll and Bute and Lochaber in Scotland and also County Antrim in Northern Ireland....
. Due to the expansion of Belfast, Carrickfergus is often considered by many to be a large district of the city, as it now forms part of the Belfast Metropolitan Region.

The town is the subject of a classic Irish folk song
Folk music of Ireland

The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire Ireland, North and South of the Border....
 entitled "Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus (song)

"Carrickfergus" is an Ireland folk music. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, 'Do Bh? Bean Uasal', which is attested to the poet Cathal Bu? Mac Giolla Gonna who died in 1745 in Co....
", a 19th century translation of an Irish-language song from Munster
Munster

Munster is the southernmost of the four provinces of Ireland. The largest city in Munster is Cork ....
, which begins with the words, "I wish I was in Carrickfergus."

ickfergus stands on the north shore of Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough

Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons....
 and is home to the 12th century Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle

Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman architecture castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the shore of Belfast Lough....
, one of the best-preserved Norman
Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock....
 castles in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
.






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Carrickfergus is a large town in County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland

conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
. It had a population
Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
 of 27,201 people recorded in the 2001 Census
United Kingdom Census 2001

A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th Census in the United Kingdom....
. The town is the administrative centre for Carrickfergus Borough Council
Carrickfergus Borough Council

Carrickfergus Borough Council is a district council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. The council headquarters are in Carrickfergus and the council administers the town, on the north shore of Belfast Lough, and surrounding area, which extends from Greenisland in the south-west to Whitehead, Northern Ireland in the east....
. It is Co. Antrim's oldest town and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king of Dál Riata
Dál Riata

D?l Riata was a Gaels overkingdom on the western seaboard of Scotland with some territory on the northern coasts of Ireland. In the late 6th and early 7th century it encompassed roughly what is now Argyll and Bute and Lochaber in Scotland and also County Antrim in Northern Ireland....
. Due to the expansion of Belfast, Carrickfergus is often considered by many to be a large district of the city, as it now forms part of the Belfast Metropolitan Region.

The town is the subject of a classic Irish folk song
Folk music of Ireland

The folk music of Ireland is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire Ireland, North and South of the Border....
 entitled "Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus (song)

"Carrickfergus" is an Ireland folk music. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, 'Do Bh? Bean Uasal', which is attested to the poet Cathal Bu? Mac Giolla Gonna who died in 1745 in Co....
", a 19th century translation of an Irish-language song from Munster
Munster

Munster is the southernmost of the four provinces of Ireland. The largest city in Munster is Cork ....
, which begins with the words, "I wish I was in Carrickfergus."

History

Carrickfergus stands on the north shore of Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough

Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons....
 and is home to the 12th century Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle

Carrickfergus Castle is a Norman architecture castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the shore of Belfast Lough....
, one of the best-preserved Norman
Normans

The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. They descended from Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of mostly Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock....
 castles in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
. It was built around 1180 by John de Courcy
John de Courcy

John de Courcy was a Normans knight who arrived in Ireland in 1177. From then until his expulsion in 1204, he conquered a considerable territory, endowed religious establishments, built abbeys for both the Benedictines and the Cistercians and built strongholds at Dundrum Castle in County Down and Carrickfergus Castle in County Antrim....
. The church of St. Nicholas also dates from the late 12th century.

As an urban settlement, Carrickfergus predates Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and was for a lengthy period both larger and more prominent than the nearby city
City

A city is an urban area with a high population density and a particular administrative, legal, or historical status.Large industrialized cities generally have advanced systems for sanitation, utilities, land usage, house, and transportation and more....
. Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough

Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough situated at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons....
 itself was called 'Carrickfergus Bay' well into the 17th century. Carrickfergus and the surrounding area was, for a time, treated as a separate county, although it is today part of County Antrim
County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six Counties of Northern Ireland that form Northern Ireland, and one of nine counties that historically and geographically constitute the Province of Ulster....
.

The Battle of Carrickfergus
Battle of Carrickfergus

The Battle of Carrickfergus took place in November 1597, in the province of Ulster in what is now County Antrim, Northern Ireland, during the Nine Years War ....
, part of the Nine Years War, took place in and around the town in November 1597. It was fought between the crown forces of Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
 and the Scots clan of MacDonnell
Clan Donald

Clan Donald is one of the largest Scottish clans. The MacDonald clan has many separate branches:These are the Clan Donald branches with extant chiefs, including the main Clan Donald followed by their Gaelic patronymics:...
, and resulted in a defeat for the English.

In 1637 the town sold its customs rights - which ran from Groomsport
Groomsport

Groomsport is a village two miles north east of Bangor, Northern Ireland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the south shore of Belfast Lough and on the north coast of the Ards Peninsula....
 in County Down
County Down

County Down is one of the nine Counties of Ireland that form the province of Ulster and one of six counties that form Northern Ireland. The county forms an area of ....
 up to Larne
Larne

Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
 in County Antrim - to Belfast and this in part led to its decline in importance as the province of Ulster
Ulster

Ulster is one of the four Provinces of Ireland of Ireland, in addition to Connacht, Munster and Leinster. The name is sometimes informally used as a synonym for Northern Ireland, one of the countries of the United Kingdom, although Northern Ireland covers only two thirds of Ulster....
 grew. Nevertheless, the decaying castle withstood several days of siege by the forces of William of Orange
William III of England

William III was a Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 onwards, he governed as List_of_stadtholders_for_the_Low_Countries_provinces William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic....
 in 1689, before surrendering on 28 August; William himself subsequently landed at Carrickfergus on 14 June 1690. During the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War

The Seven Years' War lasted between 1756?1763 and involved all of the major European powers of the period. The war pitted Kingdom of Prussia and Kingdom of Great Britain and a coalition of smaller German states against an alliance consisting of Archduchy of Austria, Early Modern France, Russian Empire, Kingdom of Sweden, and Electorate of Sa...
, in February 1760, the whole town was briefly captured and held to ransom by French troops landed from Francois Thurot
François Thurot

Fran?ois Thurot was a French privateer, merchant captain, smuggler and naval captain who terrorised British shipping in the early part of the Seven Years' War....
's naval squadron, after the defenders ran out of ammunition.

In April 1778 John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones was United States first well-known US Navy fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among the American ruling class, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day....
 attempted to capture a British
Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
 Royal Navy
Royal Navy

The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British Armed Forces . From the mid-18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early 1940s....
 sloop of war, HMS Drake
HMS Drake (1777)

HMS Drake was a twenty-gun sloop-of-war of the Royal Navy. Originally named Resolution, she was purchased in 1777. She served in the American Revolutionary War, and on 24 April 1778, off Carrickfergus, Ireland, she fought the North Channel naval duel with the 18-gun sloop USS Ranger of the Continental Navy, commanded by Captain John...
, moored at Carrickfergus; having failed, he returned a few days later and challenged Drake to a fight out in the North Channel
North Channel (British Isles)

The North Channel is the strait which separates eastern Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland. It is part of the marine area officially classified as 'Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland' by the International Hydrographic Organisation ....
 which the Americans won decisively
North Channel naval duel

}|-||}The North Channel naval duel was the fight between the United States Continental Navy sloop of war USS Ranger and the British Royal Navy sloop of war HMS Drake on the evening of 24 April 1778....
.

The town was formerly an important centre for the textile
Textile

A textile is a flexible material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by Spinning raw wool fibres, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands known as yarn....
 industry. It now is a centre for leisure sailing
Sailing

Sailing is the art of controlling a boat with large pieces of canvas cloth called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and dagger or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to change the direction and speed of a boat....
, and is home to Carrickfergus Marina
Carrickfergus Marina

Carrickfergus Marina also known as 'Carrickfergus Waterfront' is situated on the north shore of Belfast Lough and provides two harbours for craft....
 and Carrickfergus Sailing Club
Carrickfergus Sailing Club

Carrickfergus Sailing Club is located in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland on the north shore of Belfast Lough.The club was originally founded in 1866....
. The town is part of the Greater Belfast
Greater Belfast

Greater Belfast is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern Ireland.It generally is taken to include North Down, Lisburn, Castlereagh and parts of South Antrim including Newtownabbey and Whiteabbey....
 conurbation, being from Belfast city centre
Belfast City Centre

Belfast City Centre is the central business district of the Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area....
.

On 8 September 2007, Carrickfergus was the Northern Irish host for the Last Night at the Proms
The Proms

The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral european classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London....
, featuring Alison Balsom
Alison Balsom

Alison Balsom is an England trumpet soloist. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama the Paris Conservatory, and also with H?kan Hardenberger....
, Alfie Boe
Alfie Boe

Alfred Giovanni Roncalli Boe, known as Alfie Boe, is an England tenor....
, and Ulster conductor Kenneth Montgomery
Kenneth Montgomery

Kenneth Montgomery is a British conductor, the only child of Lily and Tom Montgomery. His upbringing was in Wandsworth Parade and he attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution....
.

Demographics

Carrickfergus is classified by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) as a large town (ie population between 18,000 and 75,000 people) and within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (BMUA). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 27,201 people living in Carrickfergus. Of these:
  • 23.2% were aged under 16 years and 15.9% were aged 60 and over
  • 48.6% of the population were male and 51.4% were female
  • 7.8% were from a Roman Catholic community background and 86.1% were from the Protestant and Christian community backgrounds.
  • 3.6% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.


For more details see: Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information

Notable residents


Historical

  • Robert Adrain
    Robert Adrain

    Robert Adrain was a scientist and mathematician, considered one of the most brilliant mathematical minds of the time in America.He was born in Carrickfergus, Ireland, but left Ireland after the failure of the uprising of the United Irishmen in 1798 and moved to Princeton, New Jersey....
     (1775-1843), mathematician, considered one of the best mathematical minds of his time, was born in Carrickfergus
  • Andrew Jackson
    Andrew Jackson

    Andrew Jackson was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States . He was List of governors of Florida of Florida , commander of the American forces at the Battle of New Orleans , and eponym of the era of Jacksonian democracy....
    , 7th President of the United States
    President of the United States

    The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition....
    , was born in 1767 in the predominantly Scots-Irish Waxhaws
    Waxhaws

    The Waxhaws is a geographical area on the border of North Carolina and South Carolina....
     area on the border of North Carolina
    North Carolina

    North Carolina is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Seaboard in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north....
     and South Carolina
    South Carolina

    South Carolina is a U.S. state in the Southern United States of the United States. It borders Georgia to the south and North Carolina to the north....
     two years after his parents left Boneybefore, near Carrickfergus. A heritage centre in the village pays tribute to the legacy of 'Old Hickory', the People's President.
  • Sir John Jamison
    John Jamison

    Sir John Jamison was an important Australian physician, pastoralist, banker, politician, constitutional reformer and public figure.Sir John's parents were Thomas Jamison and Thomas's wife Rebecca ....
     (1776-1844), naval surgeon, physician and, later, an important Australian land-owning pioneer and constitutional reformer, was from Carrickfergus.
  • Richard Kane (1662-1736), British general, governor of Minorca
    Minorca

    Minorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea and belongs to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than nearby island of Majorca....
     and Gibraltar
    Gibraltar

    Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located near the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. The territory shares a border with Spain to the north....
    , was from Carrickfergus. Minorca Place in the town is named for him.
  • William Orr
    William Orr

    William Orr was a member of the United Irishmen who was executed in 1797 in what was widely believed at the time to be "judicial murder" and whose memory led to the rallying cry ?Remember Orr? during the Irish Rebellion of 1798....
    , United Irishman was hanged in Carrickfergus on October 14, 1797 for his part in the failed rebellion.
  • Jonathan Swift
    Jonathan Swift

    Jonathan Swift was an Anglo-Irish satire, essayist, political pamphleteer , poet and cleric who became Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin, Dublin....
    , the poet
    Poet

    A poet is a person who writes poetry....
     and satirist
    Satire

    Satire is often strictly defined as a literary genre; although, in practice, it is also found in the graphic arts and performing arts. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to censure by means of ridicule, derision, burlesque, irony, or other methods, ideally with the intent to bring about improv...
     lived in Kilroot
    Kilroot

    Kilroot is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the eastern outskirts of Carrickfergus, east of Belfast on the north shore of Belfast Lough....
    , on the outskirts of the town, and wrote A Tale of a Tub
    A Tale of a Tub

    A Tale of a Tub was the first major work written by Jonathan Swift, composed between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704. It is arguably his most difficult satire, and perhaps his most masterly....
     there.


20th century

  • Daniel Cambridge
    Daniel Cambridge

    Daniel Cambridge Victoria Cross born in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Ireland, was an Irish people recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth of Nations forces....
     VC and James Crichton
    James Crichton (VC)

    James Crichton Victoria Cross was a soldier in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, during the First World War....
     VC were born in Carrickfergus
  • Hugh McCarthy, the notable literary enthusiast mentioned Carrickfergus in his poem 'Town of Despair'.
  • Sean Lester (1888-1959) was born in Carrickfergus.He was the last Secretary General of the League of Nations
    League of Nations

    The League of Nations was an inter-governmental organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919?1920. At its greatest extent from 28 September 1934 to 23 February 1935, it had 58 members....
    , from 1940-1946.
  • Louis MacNeice
    Louis MacNeice

    Frederick Louis MacNeice was a United Kingdom poet and playwright. He was part of the generation of "thirties poets" which included W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender and C....
    's family moved to the town when the poet was two years old (his father was appointed Rector of St Nicholas' Church of Ireland
    Church of Ireland

    The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating across the island of Ireland. Like other Anglican churches, it considers itself to be both Catholicism and Protestant Reformation....
     Church), and he left at the age of ten to attend boarding school in England. One of MacNeice's most well-known poems, Carrickfergus (1937), relates his ambiguous feelings about the town where he spent his early boyhood.


Contemporary

  • Neighbours
    Neighbours

    Neighbours is a long-running multiple Logie Award-winning Australian soap opera, which first aired in March 1985. The series follows the daily lives of several families who live in the six houses at the end of Ramsay Street, a short cul-de-sac in the fictional middle-class suburb of Erinsborough....
     actress Jackie Woodburne
    Jackie Woodburne

    Jackie Woodburne is a Northern Ireland-born Australian actress. She emigrated with her family as a child.Woodburne is best known for playing Susan Kennedy in Neighbours, whom she has played since 1994; and Julie Egbert "Chook" in Prisoner , whom she played from 1985 to 1986....
     was born in Carrickfergus in 1957.
  • Giselle Allen, the soprano
    Soprano

    A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four part chorale style harmony the soprano takes the highest part which usually encompasses the melody....
     currently resides in Carrickfergus and performed at The Last Night of the Proms
    The Proms

    The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral european classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London....
     when it took place in the town in 2007, singing the folk song Carrickfergus
    Carrickfergus (song)

    "Carrickfergus" is an Ireland folk music. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, 'Do Bh? Bean Uasal', which is attested to the poet Cathal Bu? Mac Giolla Gonna who died in 1745 in Co....
    .
  • Crime novelist Adrian McKinty
    Adrian McKinty

    Adrian McKinty is an Ireland novelist. He was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1968 and grew up in Carrickfergus, County Antrim. He read law at the University of Warwick and politics and philosophy at the University of Oxford....
     was born and grew up in Carrickfergus.
  • Kristina Grimes, the runner up in the final of the third series
    The Apprentice (UK Series Three)

    Series Three of The Apprentice is a television series which aired in the UK on BBC One. The series began on 28 March 2007 and finished on 13 June 2007, with Simon Ambrose as the winner....
     of the British
    United Kingdom

    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
     version of The Apprentice
    The Apprentice (UK)

    The Apprentice is a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award-winning British reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a ?100,000-a-year job as "apprenticeship" to the British business magnate Alan Sugar....
     once lived in the town.
  • Stuart Robinson
    Stuart Robinson

    Stuart Robinson is a broadcaster on Northern Ireland radio. Robinson's programmes currently air on the CN Group radio station Belfast CityBeat....
     host of Northern Ireland's Young Star Search
    Young Star Search

    The Young Star Search is a kids talent radio competition based in Northern Ireland. The competition currently airs on Belfast CityBeat and invites applications from kids aged 8-16 from across Ireland....
     and presenter on Belfast CityBeat
    Belfast CityBeat

    Belfast CityBeat is a Northern Ireland radio station. It broadcasts to Greater Belfast on 96.7 MHz Frequency modulation and on Digital audio broadcasting across all of Northern Ireland....
    .
  • Citybeat 96.7FM radio presenter Andy Pugh hails from Carrickfergus.
  • Current WWE wrestler Dave Finlay
    Dave Finlay

    David Edward Finlay, Jr. is a Professional wrestling and Road agent . He currently wrestles on the Extreme Championship Wrestling brand of World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Finlay....
     was born and raised in the satellite village of Greenisland
    Greenisland

    Greenisland is a suburb in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and lies 3 miles to the south-west of Carrickfergus, 1 mile north-east of Jordanstown and its University of Ulster campus and lies 7 miles east of Belfast....
    .
  • The Ulster Grenadiers Flute Band also hail from the town and are renowned all over Northern Ireland and in Scotland.
  • Ryan Eagleson
    Ryan Eagleson

    Ryan Logan Eagleson is a former Irish cricketer.A right-handed batsman and right-arm Fast bowling bowler, he made his debut for the Ireland cricket team against the Duchess of Norfolk's XI at Arundel Castle in June 1995 and went on to play for them on 65 occasions in all, his last match coming against the West Indies cricket team in June 2...
    , Derbyshire and Irish international cricketer, 65 caps for Ireland 1995-2004.
  • Willie Irvine
    Willie Irvine

    Willie Irvine is a former professional football striker. He played for Burnley F.C., Preston North End F.C., Brighton and Hove Albion F.C. and Halifax Town F.C....
     (Burnley), Bobby Irvine
    Bobby Irvine

    Robert Irvine is a celebrity chef.*Robert Irvine may also refer to:*Bobby Irvine , Irish football forward*Bobby Irvine , Irish football goalkeeper...
     (Stoke City), Jimmy Hill (Norwich City), and Billy McCullough
    Billy McCullough

    William James "Billy" McCullough is a Northern Ireland former football er.Born in Carrickfergus, McCullough first played for Portadown F.C., before being signed in 1958 by London club Arsenal F.C.....
     (Arsenal), Northern Ireland international footballers born in Carrickfergus.
  • Niamh Kavanagh
    Niamh Kavanagh

    Niamh Kavanagh is an Irish people singer.Singing "In Your Eyes " she won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1993 for the host nation, Ireland. It was the best selling single in Republic of Ireland for 1993, and reached No....
    , Irish Eurovision entrant and winner of 1993.
  • Robert Quinn, Who danced with the Royal Ballet, although born in Castlereagh in 1984, grew up in Carrickfergus.


Local schools & education

There are many primary and secondary schools in Carrickfergus.

  • Acorn Primary School
  • Carrickfergus Grammar School
    Carrickfergus Grammar School

    Carrickfergus Grammar School is a grammar school situated in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Since opening in 1962 with 60 pupils and 4 teachers, its pupil numbers have increased to just over 800 pupils from ages 11 to 18 in Years 8 to 14....
  • Carrickfergus Model Primary School
  • Central Primary School
  • Carrickfergus College
    Carrickfergus College

    Carrickfergus College is a Secondary education located in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The college was opened in 1959 and has over 750 students and 52 teachers....
  • Downshire School
    Downshire School

    Downshire School is a community high school in Carrickfergus, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The school located on Downshire Road in the historic town opened in 1977 and currently has an enrolment of 803 pupils and 59 teachers....
  • Eden Primary School
  • Oakfield Primary School
  • Sunnylands Primary School
  • St.Nicholas Primary school
  • Ulidia Integrated College
    Ulidia Integrated College

    Ulidia Integrated College is situated in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. It was opened in 1997 with an initial 63 students. It is the 44th integrated school to be created in the province and currently provides education for over 530 Roman Catholic Church and Protestantism children....
  • Victoria Primary School
  • Woodburn Primary School
  • Woodlawn Primary School


Transport

Carrickfergus railway station
Carrickfergus railway station

Carrickfergus railway station serves Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. There are two more railway stations in Carrickfergus. These are Clipperstown railway station and Downshire railway station....
 opened on 1 October 1862. and continues to offer regular commuter services to Belfast
Belfast

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland and the seat of Devolution#United Kingdom Northern Ireland Executive and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly in Northern Ireland....
 and Larne
Larne

Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the United Kingdom Census 2001....
.


Local churches

  • , Lancasterian Street
  • , North Street
  • , Oakfield Drive
  • , Northlands
  • , Northlands
  • , Sunnylands Avenue
  • , Albert Road
  • , Regent Park
  • , Robinsons Row
  • , West Street
  • , Prospect Road
  • , Oakfield Drive
  • , Copperwood Crescent
  • , Burleigh Drive
  • , New Line
  • , Larne Road
  • Downshire Presbyterian Church, Victoria Road
  • Carrickfergus Gospel Hall, Scotch Quarter
  • Sandringham Gospel Hall, Sandringham Heights
  • Church of St Nicholas (RC), Minorca Place


Local sports clubs

  • Carrickfergus Rugby Football Club
  • Carrick Rangers F.C.
  • Carrickfergus Sailing Club
    Carrickfergus Sailing Club

    Carrickfergus Sailing Club is located in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland on the north shore of Belfast Lough.The club was originally founded in 1866....
  • Carrickfergus Golf Club
  • Carrickfergus Knights American Football Club


Local hotels and accommodation

For those wishing to visit Carrickfergus, there are many places to enjoy your stay.
  • (Hotel Opening 2008!)
  • B&B and Self-Catering
  • Self-Catering
  • B&B and Self-Catering
  • Unit1 -Self-Catering
  • Unit2 -Self-Catering


Local councillors, MLAs and MPs


Carrickfergus is covered by the Carrick Castle district electoral area.


Local MLAs for the area are:
  • (DUP)
  • (DUP)
  • (DUP)
  • (UUP)
  • (UUP)
  • (Alliance)


The local MP is:
  • (DUP)


Town twinning

  • Portsmouth
    Portsmouth, New Hampshire

    Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 20,784 at the United States Census, 2000....
    , New Hampshire
    New Hampshire

    New Hampshire is a U.S. state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States of America. The state was named after the southern English Counties of England of Hampshire....


See also

  • Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland (County Antrim)
    Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland

    Abbeys and priories in Northern Ireland is a link page for any abbey, priory, friary or other religious house in Northern Ireland....
  • List of towns in Northern Ireland
    List of towns in Northern Ireland

    This is a list page for towns in Northern Ireland. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a town is any settlement which has received a charter of incorporation, more commonly known as a town charter, approved by the monarch....
  • List of villages in Northern Ireland
    List of villages in Northern Ireland

    This is a list page for villages in Northern Ireland.The defines a town as having a population of 4,500 or more. Settlements of 2,250 to 4,500 people are defined as intermediate settlements, villages are defined as having populations of 1,000 to 2,250 people and small villages and hamlets are defined as having fewer than 1,000 people ...
  • Market Houses in Northern Ireland
    Market Houses in Northern Ireland

    Market houses are a notable feature of many Northern Ireland towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape....
  • The song "Carrickfergus
    Carrickfergus (song)

    "Carrickfergus" is an Ireland folk music. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, 'Do Bh? Bean Uasal', which is attested to the poet Cathal Bu? Mac Giolla Gonna who died in 1745 in Co....
    "


External links