Larne

The Maidens

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The Maidens was originally a pair of lighthouses built on a pair of rocky islets (also called the Maidens) about 9 km from Ballygally, first made operational in 1729. One tower was abandoned in 1903 and the remaining tower was automated in 1977 (WP).

“Audrey Kyle is a watercolour artist from Islandmagee and draws inspiration from the area’s rich maritime history and beautiful scenery. Her painting shows one of the Maidens Lighthouses off the coast of Islandmagee, along with a Schooner and the Princess Victoria. This is to demonstrate maritime history both old and new. One of the local stories related to the Maidens is from 1830s when the Assistant Keeper of one lighthouse fell in love with daughter of the keeper of the other. He would visit his love by boat, until the girl’s father found out and he forbade them to meet. The story ends with the couple eloping to Carrickfergus on the mainland.”

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Copyright © 2021 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Potential

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The old Poundstretcher in Larne was in Lower Cross Street, in a building once home to the Savoy cinema, but the site has been vacant since 2016 (Cinema Treasures) as are many other properties in the town. Mid & East Antrim council promises to “realise our potential” and has tried to brighten up an abandoned site in Dunluce Street with images of the canopy of colourful umbrellas installed in the two streets ahead of the Spring Festival in 2019 (Larne Times).

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Valerie Hobson

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Valerie Hobson, star of movies, television, and theatre in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, was born in Larne in 1917 but grew up in and around London. Here she is as (the adult) Estella in the 1946 adaptation of Great Expectations (youtube). Her second marriage was to John Profumo (he of the Profumo Affair) but chose to stay with him. She died in 1998 (Independent obit).

The mural of Hobson is in Point Street, Larne, by Visual Waste (tw | ig).

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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The Staff Are Social Distancing

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Businesses across the north (and across the world) struggle to function during the coronavirus pandemic with measures such as limiting the number of customers on site, shifting to kerb-side pick-up, frequent sanitising of surfaces, requiring the wearing of masks, and maintain a physical distance of 6 feet from customers. This images from ‘USA Hand Car Wash & Valet’ in Larne, describes the measures being taken: “Staff are social distancing. Wash & dry only. Door sills not dried to avoid contact. No contact payments. Money to be left on passenger seat. Thank you for your co-operation.”

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Raising The Flag On Covid-19

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Three of the six Marines who raised an American flag on Iwo Jima in February 1945 – made famous by a photograph Joe Rosenthal – were killed in the battle. The soldiers in this new Glynn mural are planting the flag (a real flag) into a mass of coronavirus molecules, hopefully protected by their surgical masks and gloves. “NHS heroes. Sending a <heart> to all our key workers.”

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Nihil Timeo

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The Royal Air Force was established on April 1st, 1918 and in 1925 the 502 (Ulster) Squadron was formed at Aldergrove as a Special Reserve squadron (and later as an Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadron). The squadron flew bombing raids against enemy submarines and ships during the second World War, from a succession of bases, including Limavady, Norfolk, Cornwall, and Stornoway (WP). (The plane depicted is perhaps a Halifax from later in the war. The officer depicted is perhaps Robert Oxland, the first commanding officer.) The mural above, in Main Road, Glynn, was unveiled on August 20th, 2018 (Roy Beggs) to commemorate the Force’s 100th anniversary.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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Larne For A Happy Holiday

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These three (reproduction) advertisements date to before partition. Thus (on the left) McNeill’s hotel of “Co Antrim, Ireland”, which also transported tourists along the Antrim coastline, promises information on “How to spend a cheap holiday in the north of Ireland”.

On the right is a poster for State Line steamships, which ran services from Glasgow to Liverpool to New Orleans and from Glasgow to Larne to New York (ShipsList).

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Copyright © 2018 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Join Yourself To This Chariot

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“Which way is your life going? Easy street? Hard slog? No where? Dead End? Call us & see if we can help guide you.” “God said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.” Acts 8:29” The chariot in Philip’s case contained an Ethiopian eunuch, reading the book of Isaiah, which Philip explained and so converted him. The chariot in our case contains the number for Glory Road Ministries.

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