Carraig Fhearghais

Carrickfergus derives from the Irish Carraig Fhearghais, meaning the rock of Fergus, reputedly named after Fergus Mór (Fergus the Great), a legendary king whose ship ran aground on the rocky promontory. The settlement itself, however, became established after 1177, when the Anglo-Norman knight John de Courcy invaded Ulster with a small force and built Carrickfergus Castle on the promontory as h...