Larne

We Also Serve

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

This is a series of ten boards in Craigyhill, Larne about WWII. (It replaces a set of twelve UDA boards – see The Loyalist Executioner.)

From left to right (top to bottom) their subjects are:
the Ulster Defence Volunteers/Ulster Home Guard, formed from the B Specials;
Paddy the pigeon;
submarine HMS Thrasher (using an image from the Seosamh Mac Coılle collection);
HMS Larne, a minesweeper built in Renfrew, Scotland;
the port of Larne through which passed “over 5 million people and Allied forces”;
Kilwaughter Castle, a training ground for UK and American troops;
the royal visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in June 1942;
James Stuart Steele of Ballycarry, who served in both WWI and WWII;
the Larne Spitfire, one of seventeen spitfires funded by a Belfast Telegraph fund-raising drive (Wartime NI | see also the Ballymena spitfire in Per Ardua Ad Astra);
local casualties of WWII – “In remembrance of those from town of Larne that paid the supreme sacrifice during the Second World War”.

Shanlea Drive, Craigyhill, Larne

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2025 Paddy Duffy
T07064 T07065 T07066 T07067 T07068 T07069 T07070 T07071 T07072 T07073 T07074

Hit The Coast

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment
Woskerski (ig)

The pillars under the Harbour Highway at Bridge Street were repainted on July 28th in a jam called “Hit The Coast”. The wall along the back of the space was also painted, along with the large piece above on the back wall of Ruby’s, to give approximately 37 total pieces. Where known, the artist(s) is given in the caption.

These images were taken on August 2nd, after Wee Nuls repaired several pieces that were vandalised soon after painting (BelTel).

For images from the artists at work, see Grahame Morrison’s ig. For the previous (2022) paint jam, see Be The Change.

Lost Lines (ig)

Alana McDowell (ig)

KloWi (ig)

Leo Boyd (ig)

Katriona (ig)

Not Pop (ig)

FGB (ig)

Jam2 (ig)

KVLR (ig)

Malarko (ig)

Malarko

Malarko

Malarko

Danni Simpson (ig)

Danni Simpson + Mr Fenz

Mr Fenz (ig)

Ana Fish (ig)

Imogen Donegan (ig)

Wee Nuls (ig)

Shona Hardie (ig) + Zippy (ig) + Kerrie Hanna (ig)

emic

RAZER (ig)

NOYS (ig)

Shane Ha (ig) + Niall OL (ig) + Ink Fun (ig)

Malarko

Niall OL

HMConstance (ig)

HMConstance

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
cats: T05119 [T05120] [T05121]
wall: T05098 T05137 T05136 T05135 T05134 T05133 T05132 T05131 T05130 T05129 T05128 T05127 T05126 T05125 T05124
pillars: T05097 T05100 T05099 T05101 [T05102] T05103 T05104 T05105 T05106 T05107 T05108 T05109 T05110 T05111 T05112 T05113 T05114 T05115 T05116 T05117 (wide T05139 [T05138] [T05140]) T05118 T05122 T05123 T05141 T05142

Millbrook Arch

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

The Millbrook arch has three panels: “36th (Ulster) Division, Battle Of The Somme, 7:30 am 1st July 1916”; the Clyde Valley (Mountjoy II) “The SS Clyde Valley achieved notoriety for its role in the Larne gun-running operation 24th-25th April 1914”; “Sir Edward Carson signing the Ulster Covenant, Belfast City Hall 28th September 1912”.

Drumahoe Gardens, Larne

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T04974 T04975

Craigyhill Bonfire 2024

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Bonfire builders in the Craigyhill area of Larne (Fb) are once again attempting to build the world’s tallest bonfire, a record held unofficially by their 2022 effort (see Commonwealth Handling Equipment) and officially by an Austrian bonfire in 2019 (Guinness Book Of Records).

This year’s pyre is now finished and was tall enough for a base-jumper to parachute off it on July 9th (BBC). The builders are hoping that the 35′ beacon on top of the 363-pallet base will take the total height over 210 feet and towards 220 when it is measured professionally (Belfast Live). Update: the tower was measured at 205′ (BelTel | News Letter).

The final two images were taken on the 28th when the pyre was 150 feet (280 pallets) in height (BelTel).

See also: Craigyhill Bonfire 2023.

June 28th:

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2024 Paddy Duffy
T04984 [T04983] T04976 T04977 T04979 T04980 T04981 T04982 T04978
T04895 T04896
Ulster freedom fries

Craigyhill Bonfire 2023

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

A mammoth bonfire in Craigyhill (Larne) is again being built this year (for last year’s 202′ effort, see Commonwealth Handling Equipment). 30,000 pounds has already been spent on pallets (Sunday World) but the attempt to build a record bonfire and have the bonfire officially declared the world’s tallest by the Guinness Book Of World Records has now been substituted by a (justgiving) fundraiser for Larne child Pia-Grace who is suffering from cancer (Belfast Live). A two-day festival begins today (July 10th) at noon and the boney will be lit after dark on Eleventh Night.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
T02943 [T02941] [T02942]
T02937
T02938 [T02939]
T02940
T02936 [T02935]

Shaped By Sea And Stone

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

Brussels artist iota (ig) painted a mermaid in Larne, inspired by the local myth of Lí Ban (NI World), who was caught in nets in Larne Lough and baptised by Christian monks (WP). 

With support from the Recovery Revitalisation Programme for town centres, administered here by Mid And East Antrim Borough Council (web) in consultation with Daisy Chain (tw), Seedhead Arts (ig), and FGB (ig).

See also Lí Ban in Bangor: Sea-Born.

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
T02809 [T02808]

A Fighter For Our Freedom

Extramural ActivityLeave a comment

“Sergeant John Kernohan. Service No. 7011935. The youngest of a family of ten, John enlisted with the Royal Ulster Rifles in 1932, then transferring to the Royal Inniskillen Fusiliers in 1942 serving King, Queen and Country for 22 years. The record of his service exhibits great variety, both in regimental affiliation and in location with a service record which was exemplary. John saw service in Hong Kong, Palestine, France, Belgium, India[,] Austria and Malaya, where with the R.A.S.C. for distinguished service was mentioned in dispatches, his name appe[a]ring in the London Gazette of May 1950 [May 19th, 1950, page 2489, “in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Malaya during the period 1st July 1949 to 31st December 1949″; Royal Army Service Corps, Corporal Kerohan].”

The medals from left to right are: General Service – Palestine ribbon, 1939-1945 Star, War Medal, Burma Star, Defence Medal

Drumahoe Gardens, Millbrook, Larne

Click image to enlarge
Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
T02798 T02799 [T02800] T02801 sign-link.ni