Islandmagee Explained

Official Name:Islandmagee
Irish Name:Oileán Mhic Aodha
Static Image Name:Near Browns Bay, Islandmagee - geograph.org.uk - 172680.jpg
Static Image Caption:Cottages near Browns Bay, Islandmagee, in 2006
Coordinates:54.7964°N -5.703°W
Unitary Northern Ireland:Mid and East Antrim
Country:Northern Ireland
Post Town:LARNE
Postcode Area:BT
Postcode District:BT40
Dial Code:028
Constituency Westminster:East Antrim
Lieutenancy Northern Ireland:County Antrim
Hide Services:yes
Belfast Distance Mi:18
Constituency Ni Assembly1:East Antrim

Islandmagee [1] 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. The population is approximately 2,500 (excluding the village of Whitehead). In the early medieval period it was known as Semne, a petty-kingdom within Ulaid.

It is the site of Northern Ireland's main power station Ballylumford and the endpoint of the Scotland-Northern Ireland gas pipeline.

History

The name comes from Mac Aodha (Magee) a prominent Irish family in the area. An earlier Irish name was Rinn Seimhne (peninsula of (the district of) Seimhne) from an original tribal name.[1]

The Bissett family held the tenancy of the peninsula in Elizabeth I's reign (1558 - 1603), their rent being an annual offering of goshawks, birds which bred on the rugged white chalk cliffs nearby.

At the outset of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, a number of Catholic residents were murdered by Scottish and English troops from the nearby garrison at Carrickfergus; despite claims by an anonymous 17th century author that this amounted to "above 3,000 men women and children",[2] the true figure is now thought to have been two dozen.[3] This is alleged to be the first massacre to take place during the rebellion and the War of the Three Kingdoms.[4]

In 1711, the Islandmagee witch trial resulted in eight women being convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to a year's imprisonment. The last such trial to take place in Ireland, it is hoped to include these in a new historical tour.[5]

In the 19th century, the first fossilised dinosaur bones found in Ireland were discovered near Islandmagee.[6]

Archaeology

Gas storage project

The Gas storage project, owned by famous ship building firm Harland & Wolff, will consist of seven caverns storing up to 500 million cubic meters of gas and is the only one in North West Europe to have 'Project of Common Interest' status from the European Union.[11] The facility is expected to provide 25% of the UK's gas capacity when it is completed.[12]

Sport

Civil parish of Island Magee

The peninsula is part of the parish of Island Magee. The boundaries of the parish and the peninsula match.

Controversy

The gasline project is the subject of objections, citing "concerns of harm to dolphins, porpoise and whales". This caused the Environment Agency to extend the response time for consultation.[13] [14] In January 2022, the group "No Gas Caverns Islandmagee" confirmed that they have mounted a legal challenge against the project.[15] [16]

There has also been controversy over commemorating the Islandmagee Witch Trials. A local councillor said it would be a 'shrine to paganism'.[17] But others have said it should go ahead. One historian citing "It's a dark event in our history - but it happened. People are fascinated by what happened at the Islandmagee witch trials, and the council could get a lot more tourism value from their interest".[18]

Townlands

The civil parish contains the following townlands:[19]

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Island Magee. Place Names NI. 4 May 2015.
  2. https://www.historyireland.com/18th-19th-century-history/what-about-islandmagee-another-version-of-the-1641-rebellion/ John Gibney, ‘What about Islandmagee?’ Another version of the 1641 rebellion (History Ireland, 2013)
  3. McGee . Owen . Interpreting Islandmagee . History Ireland . 2014 . 22 . 3 . 24 May 2022.
  4. Web site: Interpreting Islandmagee . History Ireland . 6 February 2021.
  5. Web site: Gobbins tour guides 'not ordered to avoid witch trials' . Belfast Telegraph . 6 February 2021.
  6. Web site: Dinosaur bones discovered in Ireland for the first time in history . The Irish Post . 6 February 2021.
  7. Web site: Ballylumford Dolmen . Discover Northern Ireland . 5 December 2007.
  8. Book: O'Sullivan, Aidan . Breen, Colin . 2007 . Maritime Ireland. An Archaeology of Coastal Communities . Tempus . Stroud . 65 . 978-0-7524-2509-2.
  9. Web site: Investigations at Ballyharry Farm, Ballyharry, County Antrim . Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork . 5 December 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110613171948/http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/CentreforArchaeologicalFieldworkCAF/Reports/DataStructureReports/Filetoupload,64268,en.pdf . 13 June 2011 . dead . dmy-all .
  10. Web site: Dinosaur bones discovered in Ireland for the first time in history . The Irish Post . 6 February 2021.
  11. Web site: Isandmagee Energy- About Us . Isandmagee Energy . August 21, 2021 . August 26, 2021 .
  12. News: Preston. https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/former-naval-chief-joins-board-of-harland-and-wolff-owners/40748654.html . Allan . Former naval chief joins board of Harland & Wolff owners . The Belfast Telegraph . London . 13 August 2021.
  13. Web site: Extension for responses to consultation on Islandmagee Gas Storage Project . The Irish News . 6 February 2021.
  14. Web site: Islandmagee gas cavern project raises fears over wildlife impact . Belfast Live . 6 February 2021.
  15. Web site: MacDara . Conroy . Campaigners to Mount Legal Challenge Over Approval for Islandmagee Gas Project . Afloat.ie . 11 January 2022.
  16. Web site: Corr . Shauna . No Gas Caverns Islandmagee intend legal action against Edwin Poots over Harland & Wolff gas project near Game of Thrones filming site . Belfast Live . 11 January 2022.
  17. Web site: Gobbins tour guides 'not ordered to avoid witch trials' . Belfast Telegraph . 6 February 2021.
  18. Web site: Gobbins tour guides 'not ordered to avoid witch trials' . Belfast Telegraph . 26 December 2021.
  19. Web site: Islandmagee. IreAtlas Townlands Database. 4 May 2015.

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