McGarel Cemetery, Old Glenarm Road, Larne, Co Antrim

McGarel Cemetery is a Victorian burial ground of local interest situated on the edge of Larne's built-up area on slightly elevated ground rising from the main road. The cemetery was established as a public burial place at the cost of Charles McGarel, with half an acre originally designated for separate Roman Catholic use under the management of the parish priest, and the remainder entrusted to the guardians of the poor. It was consecrated in 1867.

The cemetery is enclosed by boundary walls of basalt rubble with sandstone coping. The eastern boundary wall is constructed in rough courses of basalt rubble with sandstone copings surmounted by ornamental iron railings. The main entrance gateway, which faces east, comprises two square piers of snecked squared basalt with sandstone capstones and sandstone weathering to the plinth. A pair of iron gates in similar style to the railings hangs between them. Square corner piers of identical design stand at each extremity of the east boundary wall. The left corner pier is surmounted by a large terracotta urn, which was presumably an original feature of all four piers. The right corner pier is abutted by a modern rendered wall belonging to adjoining playing fields. The boundary walls on the remaining three sides are constructed in basalt rubble with sandstone coping.

On axis with the entrance gateway stands a small single-cell chapel in Gothic Revival style. The walls are of roughly coursed basalt rubble with white brick quoins, dressings to openings, and string courses. The entrance front features a segmental arch containing double doors, each with three panels, a radial fanlight, and sidelights, all constructed in chunky chamfered timber. Iron ornamental grille gates protect the front entrance, with two sandstone steps leading up to the doorway. Above the doors is a three-light timber Gothic-style window. Each side elevation has three windows with four-centred arches and sandstone cills; all windows are currently boarded up. The roof is covered in Bangor blue slates laid in regular courses with red terracotta ridge tiles. A three-light window in the gable to the west (ecclesiastical east end) is blocked up with cement render. Cast iron guttering has been removed from the eaves and lies on the ground; a cast iron downpipe remains.

To the south-west of the chapel, built tight against the interior of the southern boundary wall, stands a single-cell gabled stone vault in Gothic Revival style. Its walls are constructed in snecked basalt with red sandstone quoins, all rock-faced. The roof is covered in red sandstone laid in regular courses. The entrance gable contains a Gothic arched doorway in red sandstone with two three-panel timber leaves below a red sandstone tympanum, approached by two sandstone steps. Low iron-railed enclosures on sandstone dwarf walls project from each side elevation.

The cemetery contains no monuments of special architectural interest, with the exception of a red sandstone pedestal with corner colonnettes and High Victorian stylised leaf ornament to its base, standing to the east of the vault. This marks a broken obelisk bearing an artist's palette in relief on its front face. The inscription reads: "Erected by a few friends in memory of Thomas Semple, Artist, who died at Larne, 18th December 1874, aged 33 years." Thomas Semple appears otherwise to be unknown.

The cemetery has suffered loss of original fabric. Apart from one tall tree and a few bushes, the site is rather bare of vegetation and presents no particular aspect of attractiveness. The cemetery contains little of real architectural interest.