Mid and East Antrim: Castle Walls and Ferry Routes
Carrickfergus Castle has stood on the northern shore of Belfast Lough since 1177 — one of the best-preserved Norman castles in Ireland. The town around it predates Belfast as the principal English settlement in Ulster. John de Courcy built the castle; it was besieged by Edward Bruce, garrisoned by Cromwell's forces, and bombarded by the French in 1760. Today Carrickfergus is a commuter town for Belfast, its castle a tourist attraction, its keep overlooking a small harbour and a marina.
Larne, further up the coast, is a different proposition. It exists primarily as a ferry port — Cairnryan in Scotland is two hours across the North Channel, making Larne the shortest sea crossing between the two islands. P&O Ferries operates the route. The town itself has limited amenities and a reputation for economic decline, though the Antrim Coast Road north of Larne toward Carnlough and Glenarm ranks among the most scenic drives in these islands. Ballymena, inland, is the borough's commercial centre and the largest town in County Antrim outside Belfast. It has a solidly Presbyterian character — the Free Presbyterian Church, founded by Ian Paisley, has its roots here. Ballymena's economy rests on manufacturing (Wrightbus, the bus manufacturer, was a major employer until its crisis in 2019 and subsequent buyout by Jo Bamford), agriculture, and retail. The Ecos Centre, a millennium project on the edge of town, combines an environmental education centre with parkland. The borough stretches from the lough shore to the Antrim Plateau, taking in a cross-section of Northern Irish life: industrial, agricultural, coastal, and suburban.
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Carrickfergus Castle has stood on the northern shore of Belfast Lough since 1177 — one of the best-preserved Norman castles in Ireland. The town around it predates Belfast as the principal English settlement in Ulster. John de Courcy built the castle; it was besieged by Edward Bruce, garrisoned by Cromwell's forces, and bombarded by the French in 1760. Today Carrickfergus is a commuter town for Belfast, its castle a tourist attraction, its keep overlooking a small harbour and a marina.
Larne, further up the coast, is a different proposition. It exists primarily as a ferry port — Cairnryan in Scotland is two hours across the North Channel, making Larne the shortest sea crossing between the two islands. P&O Ferries operates the route. The town itself has limited amenities and a reputation for economic decline, though the Antrim Coast Road north of Larne toward Carnlough and Glenarm ranks among the most scenic drives in these islands. Ballymena, inland, is the borough's commercial centre and the largest town in County Antrim outside Belfast. It has a solidly Presbyterian character — the Free Presbyterian Church, founded by Ian Paisley, has its roots here. Ballymena's economy rests on manufacturing (Wrightbus, the bus manufacturer, was a major employer until its crisis in 2019 and subsequent buyout by Jo Bamford), agriculture, and retail. The Ecos Centre, a millennium project on the edge of town, combines an environmental education centre with parkland. The borough stretches from the lough shore to the Antrim Plateau, taking in a cross-section of Northern Irish life: industrial, agricultural, coastal, and suburban.
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