Early history According to tradition, a monastery was founded at Antrim in AD 495, thirty years after the death of
Saint Patrick, to take forward his ministry, with a small settlement growing up around it. The
round tower (see below), also known as "the Steeple", is all that remains. The original name of Antrim was ,
Irish for 'lone house', referring to the monks' house. This later became or was reinterpreted as ('lone ridge'). In the early Middle Ages, the area was part of the
Gaelic territory of
Dál Araide, which covered much of what is now
County Antrim. At the eastern edge of town is a
ringfort called Rathmore (, 'great fort'), which was the royal residence of the kings of Dál Araide. In the late 12th century, the area was conquered by
Anglo-Normans led by
John de Courcy, becoming part of the
Earldom of Ulster. They built a
motte-and-bailey castle at Antrim. Its mound (motte) still stands in Antrim Castle Gardens. The Anglo-Norman earldom collapsed in the early 14th century and Antrim became part of the Gaelic territory of
Clannaboy. During the late Middle Ages, the
O'Neill chiefs of Clannaboy were based at Edenduffcarrick castle (later called
Shane's Castle), two miles west of Antrim.
Early Modern era Following the
Nine Years' War (1593–1603), Antrim came under English control. The area was then colonized by English and Scottish settlers as part of the
Plantation of Ulster. Hugh Clotworthy, the father of the Anglo-Irish politician
John Clotworthy, 1st Viscount Massereene, supervised the building of
Antrim Castle, a
fortified mansion beside the old Norman motte. Hugh was knighted in 1617 and appointed High Sheriff of County Antrim. The
Society of United Irishmen launched a
rebellion in 1798, which began in
Leinster and quickly spread to
Ulster. The United Irishmen had been founded in 1791 by liberal Protestants in
Belfast. Its goal was to unite Catholics and Protestants, to end British monarchical rule over Ireland, and to found a sovereign, independent Irish republic. Although its membership was mainly Catholic, many of its leaders and members in northeast Ulster were Protestant
Presbyterians. On 7 June 1798 about 4,000 United Irishmen led by
Henry Joy McCracken attacked the town. The rebels were about to take the town when British reinforcements arrived. Thanks to a rebel band led by
James Hope, most of the United Irishmen withdrew safely. This is known as the
Battle of Antrim. Before the
Act of Union, the parliamentary borough of
Antrim returned two members to the
Irish House of Commons by virtue of letters patent granted in 1666 by
Charles II.
The Troubles There were several incidents in and around Antrim during
the Troubles. In 1976, six civilians (five
Protestants and one
Catholic) were shot and killed during a
UVF gun attack on the Ramble Inn pub near Antrim. ==Climate==