Larne
| Larne Scots: Olderfleet | |
| County Antrim | |
|---|---|
 Larne Harbour | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | D4102 |
| Location: | 54°51’4"N, 5°48’40"W |
| Data | |
| Population: | 18,228 (2001) |
| Post town: | Larne |
| Postcode: | BT40 |
| Dialling code: | 028 |
| Local Government | |
| Council: | Larne Borough Council |
| Parliamentary constituency: |
East Antrim |
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial town on the North Channel on the eastern coast of County Antrim. 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, serving in particular the ferries between Ulster and the Wigtownshire ports.
The town lies on the western side of a narrow inlet between the sea and Larne Lough, giving it a protected location and providing, in Larne Lough, a large anchorage. The Lough is a sealough formed by the peninsula of Islandmagee.
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.
Places of interest
- Carnfunnock Country Park, 3½ miles from Larne.