Rasharkin

Rasharkin is a small village and civil parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is south of Ballymoney, near Dunloy and Kilrea. It had a population of 1,114 people in the 2011 census.

Folklore

Rasharkin features in Buile Shuibhne an old Irish tale about the Suibhne mac Colmain, king of the Dál nAraidi, driven insane by St. Ronan's curse. The tale is the final installment of a three-text cycle in medieval Irish literature, continuing on from Fled Dúin na nGéd and Cath Maige Rátha.
King Sweeney's homeplace in the tale was Glenbuck that lies just outside Rasharkin. Seamus Heaney published an English version of the tale entitled Sweeney Astray

History

Pre-history

Craigs Dolmen, situated three miles north of Rasharkin, is a megalithic passage tomb featuring a big capstone on seven upright stones.

Early modern history

Historically Rasharkin, also spelt as 'Rosharkin' and 'Rosarkin', lay within the barony of Kilconway. This barony was controlled by the MacDonnell family in the 17th century.
In the period Irish Rebellion of 1798, a number of guns were reportedly robbed from a house in Rasharkin by a local member of the United Irishmen. Presbyterians and Catholics in the area were reputedly active in the United Irishmen and an account of a member of the Rasharkin yeomanry in 1865 states that "at a meeting of sixty five persons held for the formation of a rebel club in Rasharkin". A resolution moved and passed at one such meeting was that:

The Troubles

Three people were killed in the village of Rasharkin during the period of The Troubles. John McFadden, a member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, and Robert Irvine, a member of the Royal Irish Regiment, were killed by the Irish Republican Army in separate incidents in 1983 and 1992. Gerard Casey, a member of the Irish Republican Army, was killed by the Ulster Freedom Fighters in 1989.

Churches

There are four churches in the village, including Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Roman Catholic and Free Presbyterian churches.
The oldest remaining building is in the churchyard of St. Andrew's Church of Ireland. Built c.1650 on the site of a medieval church, this structure is now in ruins.
The Free Presbyterian Church in Rasharkin was one of the first congregations of the new Free Presbyterian Church in 1951 after a split with the local Presbyterian church.

Sport

The local Gaelic Athletic Association club is St Mary's GAC Rasharkin. Based in Dreen, the club fields hurling, camogie and Gaelic football teams.
A local association football club, Rasharkin United F.C., competed in the Ballymena & Provincial League until their disbandment in 2012. The club had been crowned league champions in 2005.

Demography

2011 census

Rasharkin had a population of 1,114 people in the 2011 census. On census day in 2011:

75.6% were from a Catholic background and 20.8% were from a Protestant background

2001 census

Rasharkin is classified as a small village or hamlet by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency . On census day in 2001, there were 864 people living in Rasharkin. Of these:

24.9% were aged under 16 years and 15.7% were aged 60 and over
48.4% of the population were male and 51.6% were female
73.5% were from a Catholic background and 26.0% were from a Protestant background
6.0% of people aged 16–74 were unemployed.

People

Chris Baird, footballer, who won 79 caps for Northern Ireland is from the village.
Gerard Casey, IRA member killed by loyalists in 1989.
Karla Quinn a figure skater. She was crowned as British Junior Ice Skating Champion 2008, British junior silver medallist and the 2006 British junior bronze medalist. She is the first ever female Northern Irish skater to take three British titles at Novice, Primary and Junior levels.
Paddy McConnell, a footballer born in 1900, played for the all-island Ireland National Team as well as a number of clubs including Southport and Shelbourne.
Daithi McKay, Newspaper columnist and former Sinn Féin Assembly Member for North Antrim. He secured the introduction of a carrier bag levy & rate relief for Sport Clubs and later was a for the campaign to secure Northern Ireland's first Climate Change Act.
Tom Ekin former Alliance Mayor of Belfast was raised in Rasharkin and went to school in the nearby townland of Ballymaconnelly.