a town of Ireland, in the county of Antrim. It is seated at the bottom of Carrickfergus bay, and is the chief town and port in this part of Ireland, as well for beauty, as for its wealth, trade, and shipping. The customhouse duties for the year 1816 amounted to £49,471; and the inhabitants, who are mostly Scots, and of the Presbyterian religion, amounted in the same year to 30,000. W. Long. 5° 54' N. Lat. 54° 38'.

Belfry, Belfredus, is used by military writers of the middle age for a sort of tower erected by besiegers to overlook and command the place besieged. Belfry originally denoted a high tower, whereon sentinels were placed to watch the avenues of a place, and prevent surprise from parties of the enemies, or to give notice of fires by ringing a bell. In the cities of Flanders, where there is no belfry on purpose, the tower of the chief church serves the same end. The word belfry is compounded of the Teutonic bell, and freid, "peace," because the bells were hung for preserving the peace.

Belfry is also used for that part of a steeple wherein the bells are hung. This is sometimes called by the middle-age writers campanile, cloctaria, and tristegum.

Belfry is more particularly used for the timberwork which sustains the bells in a steeple, or that wooden structure to which the bells in church-steeple are fastened.