Antrim

Antrim, a maritime county in the NE. of Ireland, province of Ulster, stands (since 1891) first among the Irish counties in population, but in size only ninth. Its greatest length is 57 miles; its greatest breadth, 28; its extent of sea-coast, 90; and its area, 1192 sq. m. Of this, rather more than three-fourths is in tillage and pasture; and one per cent. under wood. Off the north coast lie Rathlin Isle and the Skerries; and off the east coast, the Maiden Rocks. The east coast is hilly; and from Larne to Fair Head, parallel mountain-ranges of no great height, and covering a third of the county, stretch SW. into the interior, forming valleys opening seaward, called the Glens of Antrim. The interior slopes towards Lough Neagh. The highest eminences are—Trostan, 1810 feet; and Slievemish, or Slemish, 1782. The principal streams are—the Bann, from Lough Neagh to the Atlantic; the Main, running parallel to the Bann, but in the reverse direction, into Lough Neagh; and the Bush, flowing north into the Atlantic. Many peat-bogs occur in the county. Six-sevenths of the surface consists of igneous rocks (trachyte-porphyry and basalt-rock), often alternating with bands of a red clay or bole, and overlying cretaceous and jurassic strata, new red sandstone, and metamorphic rocks. The basalt-rocks, or old lava-flows, have frequently a columnar structure. Between Ballycastle and the mouth of the Bann, the basalt assumes very picturesque forms; and the Giants' Causeway (q.v.) is one of the most perfect examples of columnar basalt in the world. Fine salt-mines occur at Duncrue and Carrickfergus; and small coal-fields near Ballycastle and in the interior. Rich beds of iron ore of fine quality have been recently opened in Glenravel, and a large export has been carried on from Cushendall and Carnlough. The soil of Antrim is mostly light, and the chief crop is oats. The land is very much subdivided. Agriculture (including flax-growing), linen, cotton, and coarse woollen manufacture are the staple industries. Principal towns—Belfast, Lisburn, Carrickfergus, Ballymena, Larne, Ballymoney, and Portrush; Antrim, 1 mile from the NE. corner of Lough Neagh, has a pop. of 1385. County Antrim returns four members; Belfast borough, four. Pop. (1841) 351,496; (1881) 421,943; (1891) 471,179, of whom 180,375 were Presbyterians, 106,390 Catholics, 106,244 Protestant Episcopalians. The large number of Presbyterians is due to the fact that the county was extensively colonised from England and Scotland. The original possessors were the O'Neills, who, in 1333, regained the whole country, except Carrickfergus and part of the Glens—held by the Bissets of Glenarm. The forfeiture of Shane O'Neill, in the reign of Elizabeth, terminated the dominion of his race.