Prayer for County Antrim
Nickname: The Glens County
Motto: Per angusta ad augusta meaning "Through Trial to Triumphs"
Irish Name: named after the town of Antrim, from Irish: Aontroim, meaning 'lone ridge'.
History:
· This county is one of six former counties and two county boroughs that formed Northern Ireland until 1973. Part of the historic province of Ulster. The population of County Antrim was 615,384 according to recent census information, making it the most populous county in Northern Ireland.
· In ancient times, Antrim was inhabited by a Celtic people called the Darini.
· Slemish, about eight miles (13 km) east of Ballymena, is notable as being the scene of St Patrick's early life. According to tradition Saint Patrick was a slave for seven years, near the hill of Slemish, until he escaped back to Great Britain.
· In the early Middle Ages, southern County Antrim was part of the Kingdom of Ulidia, ruled by the Dál Fiatach clans Keenan and MacDonlevy/McDunlavey; the north was part of Dál Riada, which stretched into what is now western Scotland over the Irish Sea. Dál Riada was ruled by the O'Lynch clan, who were vassals of the Ulidians.
· Besides the Ulidians and Dál Riada, there were the Dál nAraide of lower County Antrim, and the Cruthin, who were pre-Gaelic Celts and probably related to the Picts of Britain.
· Between the 8th and 11th centuries Antrim was exposed to the inroads of the Vikings.
· In the late 12th century Antrim became part of the Earldom of Ulster, conquered by Anglo-Norman invaders.
· A revival of Gaelic power followed the campaign of Edward Bruce in 1315, leaving Carrickfergus as the only significant English stronghold.
· In the late Middle Ages, Antrim was divided into three parts: northern Clandeboye, the Glynnes and the Route.
· During the Tudor era (16th century) numerous adventurers from Britain attempted to colonise the region; many Scots settled in Antrim around this time.
· In 1689 during the Williamite War in Ireland, County Antrim was a centre of Protestant resistance against the rule of the Catholic James II.
· Linen manufacturing was previously an important industry in the county.
Geography:
· The Glens of Antrim offer isolated rugged landscapes, the Giant's Causeway is a unique landscape and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bushmills produces whiskey, and Portrush is a popular seaside resort and night-life area. The majority of Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland, is in County Antrim, with the remainder being in County Down. The county was administered by Antrim County Council from 1899 until the abolition of county councils in Northern Ireland in 1973. The traditional county town is Antrim. More recently, Ballymena was the seat of county government. From 1973 Northern Ireland was split into districts, which were redrawn in 2015.
County Antrim is now divided across the following local government districts:
o Antrim and Newtownabbey
o Belfast
o Causeway Coast and Glens
o Mid and East Antrim
o Lisburn and Castlereagh
o Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon
The county contains within it the whole of five parliamentary constituencies:
o Belfast North
o Belfast West
o East Antrim
o North Antrim
o South Antrim
Parts of the following five parliamentary constituencies are also in County Antrim:
o Belfast East
o Belfast South
o East Londonderry
o Lagan Valley
o Upper Bann
Religion:
· County Antrim is one of two counties on the island in which the majority of people are Protestant, according to the 2001 census, the other being Down. The strong Presbyterian presence in the county is due largely to the county's historical links with lowland Scotland, which supplied many immigrants to Ireland. Protestants are the majority in most of the county, whilst Catholics are concentrated in the northeast; on the shore of Lough Neagh; and in Belfast, particularly the west of the city.
[Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Antrim ]
Some prayer points :
1. County Antrim is a county full of churches of many denominations. Please pray again for growing unity amidst the diversity, for an increase in warm relationship and collaborative activity between churches, church leaders, Christian ministries and believers, instead of any spirit of rivalry, competition or suspicion that may exist.
2. Pray for an increased connection between the churches and the statutory authorities, and a growing desire to bless, serve and support the aims and dreams of these authorities whose raison d’être is to work for the good of all.
3. An increased momentum and creativity in reaching out to love and serve the communities in which the churches are situated.
4. Pray for an increased evangelistic endeavour across the county, especially in those communities and areas where there has not been much activity in recent years, or where the churches have been in decline. Pray for a greater openness in churches prepared to work together in evangelism and to have their people trained and equipped in evangelism. Pray for this to be sustained and grow in momentum, and for many to get saved and find a spiritual home where they can grow in Christ.
5. A return to the Lord, and to church participation, of those who have stepped away from their faith in recent years as a result of secularisation, and the impact of Covid.
photos *unsplash