Carrickfergus

Carrickfergus , town (1991 pop. 19,100) and district, E Northern Ireland, on the shore of Belfast Lough. A minor fishing port, the town has die-casting, distribution, electronics, and energy and mineral industries. A castle and church built in the 12th cent. still stand. John Paul Jones fought (1778) a victorious battle offshore from Carrickfergus. The area is a center for leisure boating and is known for its scenic camping and hiking.

Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim, the principal town of Anglo‐Norman Ulster, strategically located controlling Belfast Lough. The place name, meaning ‘the rock of Fergus’, is thought to preserve the memory of a Dál Riata king, and the rock possibly functioned as a fortress in early historic times. A castle was commenced c.1178 by John de Courcy and the town was laid out along High Street, stretching from the castle to the Franciscan friary (founded c.1232). Burgesses are first referred to in 1221. The town was captured by Edward Bruce in 1315 but the castle held out for another year. During the later Middle Ages Carrickfergus became an isolated frontier post. It was burnt by the Scots in 1386 and again in 1402, and was forced to pay ‘black rent’ to the O'Neills during the 15th and 16th centuries. Despite its detached position the town managed to retain links with Lecale and the Pale by means of the sea.

In 1569 Carrickfergus received a new charter from Elizabeth I and it became a major base for government operations in Ulster during the late 16th century. Sir Arthur Chichester remodelled the town. He rebuilt the parish church, erected a new town wall, and constructed a magnificent Renaissance‐style residence for himself at Joymount on the site of the former Franciscan friary. The town retained its strategic importance throughout the 17th century but by 1700 it was overshadowed by the growth of Belfast. In 1760 the castle was captured and briefly held by the French commander Thurot's expeditionary force.

John Bradley