Larne (from Irish Latharna, [ˈl̪ˠahəɾˠn̪ˠə], the name of a Gaelic territory)[1][2][3] is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,853 at the 2021 census.

Knockdhu, north of Larne, was the site of a Bronze Age promontory fort and settlement.

The early coastal dwellers are thought to have had a sophisticated culture which involved trading between the shores of the North Channel and between other settlements on the coasts of Scotland.

Archaeological digs in the area have found flintwork and other artefacts which have been assigned dates from 6000 BC onwards.

Larne takes its name from Latharna, a Gaelic territory or túath that was part of the Ulaid minor-kingdom of Dál nAraidi.

According to the Norse historian Snorri Sturluson, Connor, King of Ireland, defeated Orkney Vikings at Ulfreksfjord in 1018.

[14] In the 13th century the Scots Bissett family built Olderfleet Castle at Curran Point.

In 1315, Edward the Bruce of Scotland (brother of Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland) landed at Larne with his 6000 strong army en route to conquer Ireland, where Olderfleet Castle was of strategic importance.

A monument in the Curran Park commemorates the Friends Goodwill, the first emigrant ship to sail from Larne in May 1717, heading for Boston, Massachusetts in the New England region of the modern United States of America.

The Protestant rebels from this area (almost entirely Presbyterian) filled Larne and engaged the government forces around 2am on the morning of 7 June.

This surprise attack drove the garrison to flee the town, at which point the rebel force marched off to join up with McCracken and fight in the Battle of Antrim.

[16] This event marked a major step in cementing the right to Ulster Unionist self-determination, with the recognition of such a right ultimately leading to the creation of Northern Ireland.

The town suffered a number of Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb attacks during The Troubles, notably including a large car bomb at the King's Arms hotel[17] in 1980 that caused damage to the main shopping areas, for which the IRA claimed responsibility.

[4] Of these: On census day (27 March 2011) there were 18,755 people living in Larne, accounting for 1.04% of the NI total.

[46] Larne is also home to the headquarters of Caterpillar (NI) Limited (part of the Caterpillar group which manufactures diesel and gas generators),[47] InspecVision (industrial inspection equipment),[citation needed] TerumoBCT (a Japanese manufacturer of intravenous drip solutions and blood products),[48] and the LEDCOM (Larne Enterprise Development Company) business park.

South of the town the A2 passes the side of Larne Lough, via Glynn, Magheramorne, and Ballycarry, to Whitehead and Carrickfergus.

[52] Moyle Hospital offers limited services after the closure of its accident and emergency department.

This gave the regiment the right to march through the towns of the borough with 'flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed'.