Larne

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Coordinates: 54°51′04″N 5°48′40″W / 54.851°N 5.811°W / 54.851; -5.811

Larne
Scots: Olderfleet
Irish: Latharna
View along Larne port
Larne shown within Northern Ireland
Population	18,228 (2001 Census)
Irish grid reference	D4102
District	Larne Borough
County	County Antrim
Constituent country	Northern Ireland
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	LARNE
Postcode district	BT40
Dialling code	028
Police	Northern Ireland
Fire	Northern Ireland
Ambulance	Northern Ireland
European Parliament	Northern Ireland
UK Parliament	East Antrim
NI Assembly	East Antrim
Website: www.larne.gov.uk
List of places: UK • Northern Ireland • Antrim

Larne (from the Irish: Latharna meaning "Lathair's location") 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 2001 Census. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is today a major passenger and freight roll-on roll-off port. Larne is twinned with Clover, South Carolina.

Larne is administered by Larne Borough Council. Together with the neighbouring district of Carrickfergus and part of Newtownabbey, it forms the East Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Troubles 2 Demographics 3 Transport 4 People 5 Industry 6 Larne Harbour Police 7 Trivia 8 Sport 9 References 10 See also 11 External links

[edit] History

Larne takes its name from the small medieval kingdom of Latharna meaning "descendants of Lathair". This territorial name was applied exclusively to the location of the present town only in recent centuries. Before this the place was known in Irish as Inbhear an Latharna (meaning the "river mouth of Larne") and in English as Inver Larne or simply Inver. The older name for Larne Lough was Loch Ollarbha or Inbhear nOllarbha from Ollarbha the ancient name of the Larne Water.

During the 18th century many Irish emigrated to America from the port of Larne. A monument in Smiley Park commemorates the Friends Goodwill, the first emigrant ship to sail from Larne in May 1717, heading for Boston in the United States. Boston's long standing Irish roots can be traced to Larne. As with western and southern Ireland Larne, unlike some areas of north–east (Antrim, Down, Louth and North Dublin) and eastern Ireland (South Dublin, Wicklow), was hugely affected by the Irish Famine of the mid 19th century.^{[citation needed]}

In 1914, Loyalists opposed to the Home Rule Act 1914 prepared for armed resistance. In an episode known as the Larne Gun Running, German weapons and ammunition were transported into the port of Larne in the dead of night, and distributed all over the country.^[1]

[edit] The Troubles

Larne throughout the course of The Troubles had a significant paramilitary presence in the town, Mostly through the presence of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA).

For more information see The Troubles in Larne.

[edit] Demographics

Larne is classified as a Large Town by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)^[2] (i.e. with population between 18,000 and 75,000 people). On Census day (29 April 2001) there were 18,228 people living in Larne. Of these:

• 20.9% were aged under 16 years and 21.2% were aged 60 and over
• 48.2% of the population were male and 51.8% were female
• 26.2% were from a Catholic background and 70.7% were from a Protestant background.
• 4.3% of people aged 16-74 were unemployed.

For more details see: NI Neighbourhood Information Service

[edit] Transport

• Ferries sail from the harbour to destinations including Cairnryan and Troon in Scotland, and Fleetwood in England.

• Larne is connected to Belfast by the A8 road. The A2 road or 'Antrim coast road' which runs along the Antrim coast, and passes through the scenic Glens of Antrim, also serves the town. South of the town the A2 passes the side of Larne Lough, via Glynn, Magheramorne, and Ballycarry, to Whitehead and Carrickfergus. The A36 road runs from the town to Ballymena.

• A railway route to Belfast, via Whitehead and Carrickfergus, also connects Larne to the Northern Ireland Railways network. Currently there is no freight transport by rail in Northern Ireland. Both Larne Town railway station and Larne Harbour railway station opened on 1 October 1862 and closed for goods traffic on 4 January 1965.^[3]

• The Ballymena and Larne Railway was a narrow gauge railway. It opened in 1878, was closed to passengers in 1933 and finally completely closed in 1950.

[edit] People

• Author and poet Amanda McKittrick Ros, who has been described by critics as "The world's best bad writer",^{[citation needed]} taught at Millbrook National School, Larne in the 1880s.
• Coventry City footballer Michael Hughes
• DJ Fergie
• Keith Semple of One True Voice from the ITV series Popstars The Rivals
• X-Factor finalist Phillip Magee

• Rock band Therapy?'s original lineup featured two members from Larne - Fife Ewing and Michael McKeegan. McKeegan is still with the band.
• Hugh Nelson (1830-1893) was a Canadian parliamentarian and Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia. He was born in Larne, the son of Robert Nelson and Frances Quinn, and emigrated to California in 1854 and then to British Columbia in 1858.
• Henry McNeill who was the pioneer of tourism in Ireland^{[citation needed]} had his hotel in Larne (McNeill's Hotel). He also owned Garron Tower (which he made into a hotel). The hotel has now been demolished, and now is a retirement community.
• Independent Catholic priest Father Pat Buckley runs his parish in Larne.
• Dave Clements, footballer and football manager (b.1945, Larne).
• Eddie Mooney of British Invasion/Merseybeat band The Dakotas and 60s /70s group The Fortunes grew up in Larne.
• Sheffield United and Northern Ireland midfielder Keith Gillespie was born in Larne.
• Veteran loyalist politician Jack McKee
• Former Stoke City defender from the 1960s Stephen McAllister was from Larne

[edit] Industry

• FG Wilson Ltd., Generator Manufacturer
• Ivex Ltd., Manufacturer of pharmaceutical, medical device and veterinary devices
• InspecVision Ltd., Industrial Inspection Equipment

[edit] Larne Harbour Police

Larne Harbour Police is a small,approximately seven officers ^[4], specialised police force responsible for policing Larne Harbour. The officers of the force are sworn in as special constables under the Harbours, Docks, and Piers Clauses Act 1847, and are responsible to Larne Harbour Ltd. Jurisdiction of the constables extends to one mile beyond the Harbour Complex.^[5]

[edit] Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (April 2009)

In memory of a a battle in the town of Musa Qala in Afghanistan in 2006, involving the Royal Irish Regiment, a new regimental march, composed by Chris Attrill and commissioned by Larne Borough Council, was gifted to the regiment on Saturday 1st November 2008 in Larne, during an event in which the regiment was also presented with the 'Freedom of the Borough'. This gave the regiment the right to march through the towns of the borough with 'flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed'. The march was named Musa Qala. ^[6]

[edit] Sport

• Larne F.C.
• Larne R.F.C.
• Larne Hockey Club
• Larne Cricket Club
• Larne Golf Club
• Latharna Óg G.A.A Club (Latharna Og hurlers)

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• List of towns in Northern Ireland
• List of villages in Northern Ireland
• List of RNLI stations
• Larne Gun Running

[edit] External links

• Larne Town
• A history of the Port of Larne
• Larne Ferry Web
• Larne on the Culture Northern Ireland website.

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