Carrickfergus Hotels & Information

 

Carrickfergus (from the Irish: Carraig Fhearghais meaning "Rock of Fergus") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 27,201 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre for Carrickfergus Borough Council. It is Co. Antrim's oldest town and takes its name from Fergus M?r mac Eirc, the 6th century king of D?l Riata. It lies about 6 miles (9.7 km) from the ancient village of Straid.

The town is the subject of a classic Irish folk song entitled "Carrickfergus", which begins with the words, "I wish I was in Carrickfergus."

Carrickfergus stands on the north shore of Belfast Lough and is home to the 12th century Carrickfergus Castle, one of the best-preserved Norman castles in Ireland. It was built around 1180 by John de Courcy.

As an urban settlement, Carrickfergus predates Belfast and was for a lengthy period both larger and more prominent than the nearby city. Belfast Lough itself was called 'Carrickfergus Bay' well into the 17th century. Carrickfergus and the surrounding area was, for a time, treated as a separate county, although it is today part of County Antrim.

The Battle of Carrickfergus, part of the Nine Years War, took place in and around the town in November 1597. It was fought between the crown forces of Queen Elizabeth I and the Scots clan of MacDonnell, and resulted in a defeat for the English.

The town was formerly an important centre for the textile industry. It now is a centre for leisure sailing, and is home to Carrickfergus Marina and Carrickfergus Sailing Club. The town is inside the Greater Belfast conurbation, being 11.4 miles (18.3 km) from Belfast City Centre.

Irelandin1 features Carrickfergus hotels and B&B accommodation. Use the search box on this page to search for hotel accommodation in Carrickfergus.