Orr Memorial, The Diamond, Coleraine, Co. Londonderry, BT52

Orr Memorial Fountain, The Diamond, Coleraine

A free-standing Gothic Revival style memorial stone fountain erected around 1880 to commemorate Andrew Orr, JP of Millburn, and his family. The fountain was completed on 11 January 1881 and is first shown on the large-scale map of Coleraine dating from 1904, where it is captioned 'Drinking Fountain'.

The structure is a three-stage composition constructed from ashlar greystone and polished red stone. The lower stage consists of a square-plan ashlar greystone die with chamfered corners and blind pointed-arched recesses to each face, set over a rock-faced projecting basecourse. Polished redstone plaques to the east and west arches bear the names of the Orr family members and a Bible verse in white lettering. Inverted semi-conical drinking fountains of similar red stone are positioned to the north and south faces.

The central proportion contains a large polished red-granite column surrounded by polished grey granite columns. These rise to foliated capitals and pointed-arches in the Gothic style. Above sits an eight-sided ashlar sandstone spire, terminated by an ornate metal finial.

The memorial is located on an elevated, prominent site within the pedestrianised public square at the western end of The Diamond in Coleraine's town centre. In conjunction with the nearby Town Hall, the fountain terminates the vista from Waterside across the River Bann to the west and serves as a key visual focal point. The surrounding public square is paved in stone flags and furnished with benches and raised flower beds. Historic buildings in close proximity include the former Belfast Bank to the south and No. 24 to the north-east.

In 2004, the memorial was relocated several metres to the west during refurbishment of the Town Hall and square, moving it to its current position on the western side of the central square where it continues to make an important contribution to the historic fabric of Coleraine.