Inscribed Stone, Garron Road, Carnlough, Ballymena, Co Antrim

Inscribed Stone, Garron Road, Carnlough

This is a white limestone inscription stone with dimensions of approximately 15 feet by 12 feet, featuring a projecting base. It stands at the side of the main road in a rural coastal setting, backed by a steep rocky hill and flanked by low limestone and basalt rubble retaining walls.

The stone was commissioned by Frances Anne Vane, Marchioness of Londonderry, in 1849 as a memorial to the Irish Famine of 1846-47. It is sometimes known as the 'Famine Stone'. The inscribed face originally carried a lengthy inscription in English verse that reflected on the famine as a period of unparalleled suffering and acknowledged England's charitable response. The inscription concluded with lines in Irish: "O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good; who remembered us in our plight, for His mercy endureth forever."

The stone has been significantly damaged by later alterations. All references to England and Britannia were removed from the inscription in the 1920s. A bronze tablet that had been affixed alongside the stone, reproducing the original complete inscription, was also removed at some point after 1970. The well-lettered quality of the remaining inscription remains evident despite these defacements.

The stone's presence on the inland side of the main coast road, facing seaward, emphasises its role as a public memorial to a significant historical event and serves as a testament to the connection between the Marchioness and the province through ties of both birth and marriage.