Larne (from the Irish: Latharna meaning "Lathair's place") is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the east coast of County
Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is today a major passenger and freight
roll-on roll-off port. Larne is twinned with Clover, South Carolina.
Larne is administered by Larne Borough Council. Together with the neighbouring district of
Carrickfergus and part of Newtownabbey, it forms the East Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly.
Larne takes its name from the small medieval kingdom of Latharna meaning "descendants of Lathair". This territorial name was applied exclusively to the location of the present town only in recent centuries. Before this the place was known in Irish as Inbhear an Latharna (meaning the "
river mouth of Larne") and in English as Inver Larne or simply Inver. The older name for Larne Lough was Loch Ollarbha or Inbhear nOllarbha from Ollarbha the ancient name of the Larne Water.
During the 18th century many Irish emigrated to America from the port of Larne. A monument in Smiley Park commemorates the Friends Goodwill, the first
emigrant ship to sail from Larne in May 1717, heading for Boston in the United States. Boston's long standing Irish roots can be traced to Larne. As with western and southern Ireland Larne, unlike some areas of north–east (
Antrim, Down,
Louth and North Dublin) and eastern Ireland (
South Dublin,
Wicklow), was hugely affected by the Irish Famine of the mid 19th century.citation needed
The Troubles
Larne throughout the course of The Troubles had a significant paramilitary presence in the town, Mostly through the presence of the Ulster Volunteer Force (
UVF) and Ulster Defence Association (
UDA). For further information see UDA South East Antrim Brigade
