Antrim, County Antrim

According to tradition, a monastery was founded at Antrim in AD 495, thirty years after the death of Saint Patrick, to take forward his ministry, with a small settlement growing up around it. The round tower (see below), also known as "the Steeple", is all that remains.[6] The original name of Antrim was Aontreibh, Irish for 'lone house', referring to the monks' house. This later became, or was reinterpreted, as Aontroim ('lone ridge').[7]

In the early Middle Ages, the area was part of the Gaelic territory of Dál Araide, which covered much of what is now County Antrim.[8] At the eastern edge of town is a ringfort called Rathmore (Ráth Mór, 'great fort'), which was the royal residence of the kings of Dál Araide.[9]

In the late 12th century, the area was conquered by Anglo-Normans led by John de Courcy, becoming part of the Earldom of Ulster. They built a motte-and-bailey castle at Antrim. Its mound (motte) still stands in Antrim Castle Gardens.[10]

The Anglo-Norman earldom collapsed in the early 14th century and Antrim became part of the Gaelic territory of Clannaboy. During the late Middle Ages, the O'Neill chiefs of Clannaboy were based at Edenduffcarrick castle (later called Shane's Castle), two miles west of Antrim.

Following the Nine Years' War (1593–1603), Antrim came under English control. The area was then colonized by English and Scottish settlers as part of the Plantation of Ulster. Hugh Clotworthy, father of the Anglo-Irish politician John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene, supervised the building of Antrim Castle, a fortified mansion beside the old Norman motte. Hugh was knighted in 1617 and appointed High Sheriff of County Antrim.[6] In 1642, during the Irish Confederate Wars, Clotworthy's fleet fought a naval engagement on Lough Neagh.[11]

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 to end British monarchical rule over Ireland and to found a sovereign, independent Irish republic. Although its membership was mainly Catholic, many of its leaders and members in northeast Ulster were Protestant Presbyterians. On 7 June 1798, about 4,000 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, the parliamentary borough of Antrim returned two members to the Irish House of Commons by virtue of letters patent granted in 1666 by Charles II.[11] It was disenfranchised in 1801.

Steeple House, a substantial 18th-century mansion which was home to the Clark family and then became the headquarters of Antrim Borough Council, was destroyed in a fire in July 2019.[12][13]

There were several incidents in and around Antrim during the Troubles including, in 1976, when six civilians (5 Protestants and one Catholic) were shot and killed during a UVF gun attack on the Ramble Inn pub near Antrim.[14]

On Census day (21 March 2021) there were 25,606 people living in Antrim.[5] Of these:

• 48.28% belong to or were brought up in a Protestant or other Christian related background and 34.55% were brought up in a Catholic background.[27]
• 54.09% indicated that they had a British national identity,[28] 36.12% had a Northern Irish national identity[29] and 14.66% had an Irish national identity[30] (respondents could indicate more than one national identity).

On Census day (27 March 2011) there were 23,375 people living in Antrim, accounting for 1.29% of the NI total,[31] representing an increase of 16.9% on the Census 2001 population of 20,001.[32] Of these:

• 21.47% were aged under 16 years and 13.33% were aged 65 and over.
• 48.72% of the usually resident population were male and 51.28% were female.
• 54.80% belong to or were brought up in a Protestant or other Christian related background and 34.12% were brought up in a Catholic background.
• 61.47% indicated that they had a British national identity, 30.76% had a Northern Irish national identity and 11.56% had an Irish national identity (respondents could indicate more than one national identity).
• 35 years was the average (median) age of the population.
• 8.43% had some knowledge of Ulster Scots and 5.20% had some knowledge of the Irish language.