Carrickfergus, regarded locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is actually a substantial town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It's on the north shore of Belfast Lough, 11 miles (18 km) from Belfast. The town had a populace of 27,201 in the 2001 Census and got its name from Fergus Mór maEirc, the 6th century king of Dál Riata. It is County Antrim's oldest town and one of the older settlements in Northern Ireland overall. Carrickfergus is the admin centre for Carrickfergus Borough Council and forms a portion of the Belfast Metropolitan Area.