Editing Carrickfergus (section)

===Modern era===
[[File:Town of Carrickfergus, 1835 (IA jstor-30004300) (page 1 crop).jpg|thumb|Town of Carrickfergus, 1835, ''[[Dublin Penny Journal]]'']]
In 1912 the people of Carrickfergus turned out in their thousands to watch as the {{RMS|Titanic}} made its first ever journey up the [[Belfast Lough|lough]] from its construction dock in [[Belfast]]. The famous passenger liner was anchored overnight just off the coast of Carrickfergus, before continuing on its journey.<ref name="CarrickfergusHistory-Recent">[http://www.carrickfergus.org/tourism/museum/recent-history/ Recent Times] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305020042/http://www.carrickfergus.org/tourism/museum/recent-history/ |date=5 March 2011 }}, Carrickfergus.org; accessed 2 May 2016.</ref>
[[File:Carrickfergus Castle 2020.jpg|thumb|View of Carrickfergus Castle from the dock, June 2020.]]
During [[World War II]], Northern Ireland was an important military base for [[United States]] Naval and Air Operations and a training ground for American G.I.s. The First Battalions of the elite [[United States Army Rangers|US Rangers]] were activated and based in Sunnylands Camp for their initial training. The ''US Rangers Centre'' in nearby [[Boneybefore]] pays homage to this period in history.<ref name="CarrickfergusHistory-Recent"/> It is rumoured that Italian and German POWs were held in the town, the Italians in a camp at Sullatober mill, and Germans at Sunnylands.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://carrickfergushistory.co.uk/about-carrick-2/|title=Carrickfergus History {{!}} The Complete History of Carrick {{!}} Part 2 {{!}} Carrickfergus History|work=Carrickfergus History|access-date=19 February 2018}}</ref>

In the 1970s, the town became an important centre for the [[textile]] industry. An [[Imperial Chemical Industries|ICI]] man-made fibres factory was opened at [[Kilroot]] and was followed by the Rothman's cigarette factory. [[Courtaulds]] operated a large rayon works there until the 1980s.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Garnsey|first= R.|title=The Experience of Courtaulds Ltd. In Northern Ireland|journal= The Journal of Industrial Economics|publisher=The Journal of Industrial Economics 13 |year=1965|volume= 13|pages=54–61|doi=10.2307/2098648|jstor= 2098648}}</ref>

In 1981, [[Kilroot power station]] opened and is the largest power station in [[Northern Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.r-e-a.net/installations/kilroot-power-station |title=Kilroot Power Station |work=r-e-a.net |accessdate=31 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724030445/http://www.r-e-a.net/installations/kilroot-power-station |archive-date=24 July 2011 }}</ref>

On 8 September 2007, Carrickfergus was the Northern Irish host for the ''[[The Proms|Last Night at the Proms]]'', featuring [[Alison Balsom]], [[Alfie Boe]], and Ulster conductor [[Kenneth Montgomery]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008m69j|title=Proms in the Park|publisher=BBC|access-date=30 April 2021}}</ref>

The British peerage title of [[Baron Carrickfergus]], which had become extinct in 1883, was bestowed upon [[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge|Prince William]] on his [[Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton|wedding day]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13240882 |title=Carrickfergus a 'Royal stronghold' for 1,000 years |last=Phoenix |first=Eamon |date=29 April 2011 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=28 September 2023 |quote=The designation of Prince William as Baron Carrickfergus links the heir to the British throne to Northern Ireland's oldest town and one identified with the English crown for almost a thousand years.}}</ref> He visited the town with [[Catherine, Princess of Wales]] in October 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/prince-william-prince-wales-chris-heatonharris-family-tree-b2197177.html |title=William and Kate bring historic town of Carrickfergus to a standstill |last=McCambridge |first=Jonathan |date=6 October 2022 |website=[[The Independent]]|location=London |access-date=28 September 2023 }}</ref>

====The Troubles====
Throughout the course of [[The Troubles]], there was a [[paramilitary]] presence in the town, namely the [[Ulster Volunteer Force (1966)|Ulster Volunteer Force]] and [[Ulster Defence Association]].<ref name="carrickparish.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.carrickparish.org/history_of_parish2.htm |title=History of Parish |access-date=22 August 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215225542/http://www.carrickparish.org/history_of_parish2.htm |archive-date=15 February 2012}}</ref> Census figures show that the Catholic population of Carrickfergus declined from 16.2% in 1971 to 9.56% in 2011.<ref>[http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/ni/popul.htm Census data], cain.ulst.ac.uk; accessed 24 September 2015.</ref>