The name of the town is believed to have derived from the Irish Prince, Lathar who owned the lands around Larne in ancient times. The area became known as Lathar-na, and was finally shortened to Larne. Both fossils and prehistoric human artefacts have been found in the sea cliffs. Larne was one of the earliest Viking settlements in Ireland, who also called it "Ulfreksfjord" (the name of the present-day townland, "Olderfleet", is derived from this Viking name), and Viking burial sites have been discovered in the area. Norse pirates used Larne Lough as a base in the tenth and eleventh centuries; Edward Bruce, brother of Robert, landed here in 1315 with a force of six thousand men to urge the Irish to overthrow the English; and in 1914, the Ulster Volunteers, opposed to the Irish Home Rule Bill, landed German arms here.

Today, Larne is a busy market town.

	Country:	Northern Ireland
	Location:	Northeast
	Country Code:	+44
	Population:	18,228
	Language:	English
	Currency:	GBP Sterling (£)
	Time Zone:	GMT
	Train Station:	Larne Town
	Tourism:	Larne Tourism

By Car From Belfast: Take the M2 Motorway north staying in Lane 2 (of 5) or (if overtaking), lane 3 (of 5). After about a mile, you will pas under two flyovers, which are an overhead interchange. Follow the motorway for a further 1/2 mile and you will notice that it appears to split into three. To your left is a tight left turning slip road, to Greencastle; straight ahead are the two lanes of the M2 which actually turn to the left before rising uphill and the two lanes to the right become the M3 and follow the shoreline of Belfast Lough. It is crucial that at this point you are in lane 2 or 3. Follow the motorway up the hill for about 3 miles (5km), and after it levels out, you will be aware of a slip road to your left which will take you to Larne via the A8 (M). Leave the M2 at this point and on the off-slip get into the right hand lane as you are approaching a roundabout type junction. As you travel around the roundabout, you will pass under a flyover - that is the Motorway. Take the next exit from the roundabout and travel uphill and then down to another roundabout. Go straight ahead at this roundabout and follow this road until you reach Larne.

By Train Larne is connected via Belfast central station to the Northern Ireland Railway network that serves all parts of Ireland.

By Ferry Northern Ireland's premier port, is a bustling transport hub offering a choice of no less than 38 ferry arrivals and departures each day to Cairnryan and Troon. P&O Irish Sea offers a first class passenger service from Larne to Cairnryan ferry port in Western Scotland, offering the shortest and fastest crossings from Ireland to the UK, with fast and conventional ferries.

• Larne Museum
• Olderfleet Castle
• Chaine Memorial Tower
• The Glens of Antrim
• Larne Lough

Notable buildings in the town include the ruins of sixteenth century Olderfleet Castle and The Chaine Memorial, a replica of the traditional Irish round tower and known locally as "the giant's pencil". Larne Museum offers a glimpse into the town's rich and varied past. Larne Lough is designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, and Ramsar Site in order to protect the wetland environment, particularly due to the presence of certain bird species and shellfish. Larne Borough boasts two of the famous nine glens of Antrim - Glenarm and Glencloy.