Larne Lough

Last updated

Larne Lough
Larne Lough.PNG
Location of Larne Lough
Location Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Coordinates 54°49′39″N5°47′24″W / 54.82762°N 5.79011°W / 54.82762; -5.79011 Coordinates: 54°49′39″N5°47′24″W / 54.82762°N 5.79011°W / 54.82762; -5.79011
Basin  countries Northern Ireland
Designated4 March 1997
Reference no.895 [1]

Larne Lough, historically Lough Larne (from Irish : Loch Latharna), [2] is a sea loch or inlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies between the Islandmagee peninsula and the mainland. At its mouth is the town of Larne. It is designated as an area of special scientific interest, a special protection area, and a Ramsar site to protect the wetland environment, particularly due to the presence of certain bird species and shellfish.

Contents

Name

The lough takes its name from the small medieval territory of Latharna meaning "descendants of Lathair". The older name for the lough was Loch Ollarbha or Inbhear nOllarbha, from Ollarbha, the ancient name of the Larne Water.

Places of interest

Chaine Memorial Tower lighthouse is on the west side of the entrance to Larne Lough.

Flora and fauna

In 1929, a "Coastal Survey" of the algae of the north-east of Ireland was begun when a few members of the Botanical Society in The Queen's University of Belfast investigated and mapped the distribution of the seaweeds. Among the algae recorded was Ascophyllum nodosum var. minor Turn. [3] The northern end was also surveyed. [4]

Railway line

The Belfast-Larne railway line brings the line alongside the shore line from Larne Harbour, Larne Town, Glynn, Magheramorne, and Ballycarry, over the section of land linking Islandmagee to Whitehead railway station then running alongside Belfast Lough via Carrickfergus and Belfast Central to Belfast Great Victoria Street railway station.

See also

Related Research Articles

County Antrim Historic Northern Ireland county

County Antrim is one of six former counties and two county boroughs that formed Northern Ireland until 1973. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3,086 square kilometres (1,192 sq mi) and has a population of about 618,000. County Antrim has a population density of 203 people per square kilometre or 526 people per square mile. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland, as well as part of the historic province of Ulster.

Larne Town (and civil parish) in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Larne is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,755 at the 2011 Census. It is a major passenger and freight roll-on roll-off port. Larne is administered by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Together with parts of the neighbouring districts of Antrim and Newtownabbey and Causeway Coast and Glens, it forms the East Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly. The civil parish is in the historic barony of Glenarm Upper.

Lough Neagh Freshwater lake in Northern Ireland

Lough Neagh is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland, and the largest in the island of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the British Isles overall, with a surface area of 151 square miles. It supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's water. Its main inflows are the Upper River Bann and River Blackwater, and its main outflow is the Lower River Bann. Its name comes from Irish Loch nEachach[ˌl̪ˠɔx ˈn̠ʲahəx], meaning "Eachaidh's lake". The lough is owned by the Earl of Shaftesbury and managed by Lough Neagh Partnership Ltd.

Northern Counties Committee Railway in Northern Ireland (1903–1949)

The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge but later acquired a number of 914 mm narrow gauge lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway that opened to traffic on 11 April 1848.

Lough Foyle Estuary of the River Foyle, north Ireland

Lough Foyle, sometimes Loch Foyle, is the estuary of the River Foyle, on the north coast of Ireland. It lies between County Londonderry in Northern Ireland and County Donegal in the Republic of Ireland. Sovereignty over the waters has been in dispute since the Partition of Ireland.

Newtownabbey Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Newtownabbey is a large settlement in north Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.It is separated from the rest of the city by Cavehill and Fortwilliam golf course. It surrounds Carnmoney Hill, and was formed from the merging of several small villages including Whiteabbey, Glengormley and Carnmoney. At the 2011 Census, Metropolitan Newtownabbey Settlement had a population of 65,646, making it the third largest settlement in Northern Ireland. It is part of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

Carlingford Lough

Carlingford Lough is a glacial fjord or sea inlet in northeastern Ireland, forming part of the border between Northern Ireland to the north and the Republic of Ireland to the south. On its northern shore is County Down, the Mourne Mountains, and the town of Warrenpoint; on its southern shore is County Louth, the Cooley Mountains and the village of Carlingford. The Newry River flows into the loch from the northwest.

Islandmagee Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Islandmagee is a peninsula and civil parish on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Larne and Whitehead. It is part of the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area and is a sparsely populated rural community with a long history since the mesolithic period. In the early medieval period it was known as Semne, a petty-kingdom within Ulaid.

Whitehead, County Antrim Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Whitehead is a small seaside village on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, lying almost midway between the towns of Carrickfergus and Larne. It lies within the civil parish of Templecorran, the historic barony of Belfast Lower, and is part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Before the Plantation of Ulster its name was recorded as both Whitehead and Kinbaine.

Belfast Lough Large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland

Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to the Irish Sea.

Whiteabbey Townland in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Whiteabbey is a townland in Newtownabbey, north of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Dál nAraidi

Dál nAraidi or Dál Araide, sometimes Latinised as Dalaradia or Anglicised as Dalaray, was a Cruthin kingdom, or possibly a confederation of Cruthin tribes, in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages. It was part of the over-kingdom of Ulaid, and its kings often contended with the Dál Fiatach for the over-kingship of the province. At its greatest extent, the borders of Dál nAraidi roughly matched those of County Antrim, and they seemed to occupy the same area as the earlier Robogdii of Ptolemy's Geography, a region shared with Dál Riata. Their capital was Ráth Mór outside Antrim, and their eponymous ancestor is claimed as being Fiachu Araide.

Belfast–Larne line

The Belfast–Larne line, or Larne line, is a railway line in Northern Ireland, operated by Northern Ireland Railways. It runs as double track along the majority of its route north along the scenic east Antrim coastline from Belfast to the coastal seaport town of Larne, serving commuters and ferry passengers.

Portmore Lough

Portmore Lough is a small lake in southwest County Antrim, Northern Ireland that drains water into nearby Lough Neagh. It is roughly circular and covers an area of 286 hectares. The Lough and its shoreland is designated a Ramsar site, a Special Protection Area (SPA) and an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI). The lough is now part of a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds nature reserve.

<i>Colpomenia peregrina</i> Species of seaweed

Colpomenia peregrina, sometimes referred to by its vernacular names oyster thief and bladder weed, is a species of brown seaweed.

Lough Beg

Lough Beg is a small freshwater lake north of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland. The lake is located on the border between County Londonderry and County Antrim. The Lower Bann flows into it from Lough Neagh at the southern end and continues on its route to the sea from the northern end. Church Island which is on the lake was the site of a pre-Viking monastery and during the summer it is normally reachable by foot. Due to the area's many rare plants and it being a stopping point for migrating birds the area was protected as the Lough Beg National Nature Reserve.

The Gobbins Cliff-path tourist attraction in Northern Ireland

TheGobbins is a cliff-face path at Islandmagee, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the Causeway Coastal Route. It runs across bridges, past caves and through a tunnel, along The Gobbins cliffs. The cliffs are recognised for their rich birdlife, important geology and notable species.

Antrim Coast and Glens Area of County Antrim, Northern Ireland

The Antrim Coast and Glens is an area of County Antrim in Northern Ireland, designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1988.

Carrickfergus (barony) Place in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Carrickfergus is a barony in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is bounded on the south-east by Belfast Lough, and otherwise surrounded by the barony of Belfast Lower. It is coextensive with the civil parish of Carrickfergus or St Nicholas and corresponds to the former county of the town of Carrickfergus, a county corporate encompassing Carrickfergus town.

Mary Johnston(e) Lynn was an Irish botanist known for her phyto-ecological studies in Northern Ireland.

References

  1. "Larne Lough". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. "Larne Lough, County Antrim". Place Names NI.
  3. Lynn, M.J. 1960 Coastal survey X (new series) southern end of Larne Lough, Co. Antrim. Ir. Nat. J.13:159–163.
  4. Lynn, M.J. 1961. Coastal survey XI (new series) northern end of Larne Lough, Co. Antrim. Ir. Nat. J.13:223–227.