Editing Carrickfergus (section)

{{short description |Town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland}}
{{About|the town of Carrickfergus|the song|Carrickfergus (song)|the poem|Carrickfergus (poem)|the barony|Carrickfergus (barony)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2011}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name= Carrickfergus
| irish_name= Carraig Fhearghais
| scots_name= Carrick<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/nsmc_annual_report_2002_-_ulster-scots_version_%28pdf_837kb%29-2.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110829113640/http://www.northsouthministerialcouncil.org/nsmc_annual_report_2002_-_ulster-scots_version_%28pdf_837kb%29-2.pdf|url-status=dead|title=North-South Ministerial Council 2002 annual report (Ulster-Scots)|archivedate=29 August 2011}}</ref> {{noitalic|or}} Craigfergus<ref>[http://www.scots-online.org/dictionary/read.asp?letter=C&CurPage=66 Carrickfergus] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100709012739/http://www.scots-online.org/dictionary/read.asp?letter=C&CurPage=66 |date=9 July 2010 }} ''The Online Scots Dictionary'', retrieved 21 August 2012.</ref>
| map_type= Northern Ireland
| coordinates = {{coord|54|42|49|N|05|48|27|W|display=inline,title}}
| population = 28,141
| population_ref = ([[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]])
| irish_grid_reference=
| unitary_northern_ireland= [[Mid and East Antrim District Council|Mid and East Antrim District]]
| country= Northern Ireland
|historic_county=
|post_town= CARRICKFERGUS
| postcode_area= BT
| postcode_district= BT38
| dial_code= 028 93
| constituency_ni_assembly= [[East Antrim (Assembly constituency)|East Antrim]]
| constituency_westminster= [[East Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)|East Antrim]]
| lieutenancy_northern_ireland= [[County Antrim]]
| belfast_distance= {{convert|11|mi|km}}
| static_image_name = Carrickfergus Castle, reflections at sunset - geograph.org.uk - 1098306.jpg
| static_image_caption=[[Carrickfergus Castle]] at sunset
}}

'''Carrickfergus''' ({{Irish derived place name|Carraig Fhearghais}} {{IPA|ga|ˌkaːɾˠəɟ ˈaɾˠɣəʃ|}}{{audio|Uladh - Aontroim - Carraig Fhearghais.wav|}}, meaning "[[Fergus Mór mac Eirc|Fergus]]' rock")<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.logainm.ie/ga/61738|title=Carraig Fhearghais/Carrickfergus|website=Logainm.ie}}</ref> is a large town in [[County Antrim]], [[Northern Ireland]]. It sits on the north shore of [[Belfast Lough]], {{convert|11|mi|km}} from [[Belfast]]. The town had a population of 28,141 at the [[2021 United Kingdom census|2021 census]].<ref name="2021 pop"/> It is County Antrim's oldest town and one of the oldest towns in [[Ireland]] as a whole.<ref name="CarrickfergusHistory">{{Cite web|url=http://www.carrickfergus.org/tourism/museum/history-of-carrickfergus/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709202143/http://www.carrickfergus.org/tourism/museum/history-of-carrickfergus/|url-status=dead|title=History of Carrickfergus|archivedate=9 July 2011}}</ref> [[Carrickfergus Castle]], built in the late 12th century at the behest of [[Anglo-Normans|Anglo-Norman]] knight [[John de Courcy]], was the capital of the [[Earldom of Ulster]]. After the earldom's collapse, it remained the only English outpost in Ulster for the next four centuries. Carrickfergus was the administrative centre for [[Carrickfergus Borough Council]], before this was amalgamated into the [[Mid and East Antrim District Council]] in 2015, and forms part of the [[Belfast Metropolitan Area]]. It is also a [[townland]] of 65 acres, a [[Civil parishes in Ireland|civil parish]] and a [[Barony (Ireland)|barony]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Carrickfergus|url=http://www.thecore.com/seanruad/|website=IreAtlas Townlands Database|access-date=20 April 2015}}</ref>