County Antrim, Ireland
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Surnames/tags: IRISH_ROOTS COUNTY_ANTRIM ULSTER
| Ireland Links | Main Antrim Page | Civil Parishes | Towns & Villages | Ulster Team page |
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| Baronies of County Antrim | Antrim Registrar Districts |
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- For details of items categorized under County Antrim see the County Antrim Category
Part of the Ireland Project
- To join this project click the Ulster Team Page link above.
Contents |
County Antrim
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| Antrim Coat of arms |
- Motto - Per angusta ad augusta - Through Trial to Triumph
- Country - Northern Ireland
- Region - Antrim
- Province - Ulster
- County town - Antrim
- Area Total - 3,046 km2 (1,176 sq miles)
- Area rank - 9th
- Population - 618,108
- Rank - 2nd
- Irish name - Contae Aontroma / Coontie Antrìm / Countie Antrim
History
The territory of county of Antrim is ancient, once the kingdom of Ulaid, in north-eastern Ulster. Ulaid was peopled by three distinct groups of people, the Dál nAraidi in the north, the Ui Echach Cobo south of Lough Neagh, and the Dál Fiatach on the south coast of Antrim. The district of Antrim was already known in the early 14th century, the name "Antrim" retained when shired by Sir John Perrot and sheriffs appointed in the 16th century.
The Vikings came to county Antrim when a great Viking fleet established themselves on Lough Neagh in the year 839.
In the late 12th century, Antrim became part of the Earldom of Ulster, following inroads by Anglo-Normans from the south. A campaign against the Anglo-Normans led by Edward de Brus (brother of Robert the Bruce) in 1315 was initially successful, but eventually faltered and was defeated in 1318.
In the late Middle Ages, Antrim was divided into three parts: northern Clandeboye (where a branch of the O'Neills of Tyrone became powerful for a time in the 14th C.); the Glynnes (the Scots/Irish MacDonnells became powerful in the Glynnes in the 15th C.); and the Route (where the Cambro-Norman MacQuillans became powerful).
The 16th century saw a determined effort by Queen Elizabeth 1st to bring Ulster under English control, the province was shired, caught up in the long rebellion of the Nine Years War (1594-1603) resulting in the Flight of the Earls, overrun by the English and finally colonized in a systematic plantation of Scots and English settlers.
Today
The Glens of Antrim offer isolated rugged landscapes, the Giant's Causeway is a unique landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bushmills produces whiskey, and Portrush is a popular seaside resort and night-life area. The majority of the capital city of Northern Ireland, Belfast, is also in County Antrim, with the remainder being in County Down.
Resources
WikiTree Resources - County Antrim
- County Antrim on the All Ireland Sources page.
- Information about the Baronies of Antrim and of the Superintendent Registrar Districts or Poor Law Unions of Antrim.
- External Resources for Irish Genealogy Research
External Resources - County Antrim
- RootsChat Genealogy forum - Antrim, Ireland section
- GENUKI Page for County Antrim
- The Braid - Search gravestone inscriptions for 41 of 42 graveyards in the Ballymena area.
- Family Search.org - County Antrim Genealogy Page
- Wikipedia - County Antrim
- Belfast Street directory indexes lennonwylie.co.uk. Lots of other things as well.
- If you have any suggestions or edits to this list, let us know, or add them yourself!
Creating Geographic Categories for County Antrim
- Please see the full details on the page Creating Location Categories for Ireland.
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