Cargan


Cargan is a small village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies at the foot of Slievenanee in Glenravel – locally known as "The Tenth Glen" along with the more widely known nine Glens of Antrim. It is part of Mid and East Antrim district. It had a population of 588 people in the 2011 Census.

History

One of the earliest anglicisations of the townland of Cargan is Carrigan. In the late 1800s, the village of Cargan was known as Fisherstown after the man who, in 1866, opened the first iron ore mines near the village. The ore was shipped to Barrow-in-Furness, at first by horse and cart to the pier at Waterfoot where he had his own ships, then from 1875 by railway to Ballymena and onwards. The railway closed in 1937.

Transport

The Ballymena to Cargan railway line was opened in 1875 and extended to Parkmore and Retreat in 1876. Cargan railway station opened on 1 June 1894, was closed for passenger traffic on 1 October 1930, and finally closed altogether on 12 April 1937. It was on the Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway which operated narrow gauge railway services from Ballymena to Parkmore from 1875 to 1940.

2011 Census

On Census day in 2011: