Exploring Larne: A Brief History Of This Seaport Town
Today Larne is one of Irelands busiest seaports and welcomes 750000 passengers not to mention 385000 freight units every year. However although its fortitude as a harbour has been undisputed for many centuries Larne hasnt always been a hub of commerce and industry. While today Larne may be renowned for its integral role in freight shipping and sea crossings it was once better known as the playground of preChristian royalty as well as the site of preference for pillaging Viking raiders.
Historians can date Larnes existence back to Mid Paleolithic times. Unsurprisingly Larne has gone through several name changes in its time. The name Larne is originally believed to have derived from Lathar son of the ancient King Hugony the Great of Ireland who gifted his son a stretch of land that supposedly encompassed the area around Larne as we know it today.
More recently the Romans and ancient Greeks who knew of its existence in the 2nd Century AD recognised a post called Portus Saxa now believed to be Larne Lough on ancient maps. The Vikings too left their mark on Larne; the Lough at one stage was called Ulfrich after a Norse King.
Despite a name change or two as a natural inlet Larne always served a popular purpose whether as a small fishing harbour or laterally as an industrial scale freight port.
Over the 19th and 20th Centuries Larne developed through change and challenge whether galvanised through war or tragedy or moulded by the hands of shipping entrepreneurs such as James Chaine and Lt. Colonel Frank Bustard.
Enterprising people perhaps did the most to put Larne on the industrial road map to success. James Chaine who bought the harbour in 1866 for a down payment of 9000 repaired the pier existing quays and provided a rail link to the port. He also introduced a regular paddle steamboat crossing service between Larne and Stranraer which commenced in 1872.
In 1873 Larne began its integral role in the emigration of hundreds of thousands of Brits and Irish who travelled from Glasgow via Larne to New York.
Into the 20th Century and Larne continued to prosper as well as provide vital services. During the First and Second World Wars Larne became a navel and ammunitions port to the Allied Forces and through which five million people 4.3 million of whom were service personnel passed en route to various landings including the 1944 Normandy DDay landings.
Like James Chaine entrepreneur Lt. Colonel Frank Bustard had similar vision for Larne in the 20th Century and was integral in its development as a freight shipping port. He initiated the pioneering Rollon/Rolloff loading service for freight ships for which he was awarded an OBE in 1965.
Larne grew under Busters Transport Ferry Service TFS which commenced freight crossings between Larne and Preston in 1948. This service eventually ceased in 1973 but made way for the development of the Cairnryan to Larne crossing which was operated by the TFS under the new ownership of Atlantic Steam Navigation Company. Larne now offered the shortest crossing on the Irish Sea which was to prove big business for the small Irish community.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s the port underwent a series of redevelopments and growth in loading and storage facilities new quays and purchasing and maintaining nearby harbours. All of this worked to consolidate Larnes services enabling the port to receive even greater traffic in sailings and passengers.
Throughout the 1970s 80s 90s and into the new Millennium Larne was redeveloped significantly and further modernised with multimillion pound distribution and freight centres built to further develop service provision.
To this day Larne continues to operate around the clock seven days a week. By taking a ferry to Larne you will arrive into one of the busiest commercial ports on the Irish Sea welcoming over 200000 tourist vehicles a year.
About the writer: Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote but should be considered professional content.
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