See Belfast for long-distance travel from Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. The TIC is within the Museum & Civic Centre, see below. It's become a commuter town for the city, with a population in 2011 of 27,998. The modern town's fortunes have ebbed and flowed with those of industry and civil stability in Northern Ireland. King William of Orange landed here to campaign against James II / VII, and in 1760 the town was even seized for a few days by French privateers. Until then, Carrickfergus was the place you had to capture to land your troops in Ulster, and the English, Scots and Irish took turns doing so. It long pre-dates Belfast, which only outgrew it in the 18th / 19th century as metal-bashing industries developed, and ships needed deeper harbours. It became a substantial walled town in the Norman period, acquiring the fine castle which today is the main reason to visit. It's often abbreviated to "Carrick" but that's a common place name in Ireland, so always specify "Carrickfergus" when organising transport.Ĭarraig Fhearghais means "The rock of Fergus" - Fergus the Great (430-501 AD) was King of Dál Riata and it's said his ship hit a rock here. The counties of Northern Ireland have been abolished so since 2015 the town has been part of Mid and East Antrim District. Carrickfergus is a large town 12 miles northeast of Belfast, historically in County Antrim.
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