Antrim () 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.
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...
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