Orr Memorial, Old Graveyard, Ballycarry, Larne, Co Antrim

The Orr Memorial stands within Templecorran Graveyard, near Larne in County Antrim, and was erected in 1831 over the grave of James Orr, a prominent Ulster ‘weaver poet’ and member of the United Irishmen. The monument commemorates Orr, known as the 'Bard of Ballycarry,' and was executed by William Fitzpatrick of Belfast, costing between £80 and £90. Later iron railings with urn finials were added to enclose the memorial.

The memorial is a tall, upright structure constructed of painted pale yellow sandstone, set upon a sandstone podium with concrete falls and surrounded by plain iron railings. It has a rectangular plan, featuring a deep, panelled base with a moulded offset, pilaster-piers at the corners, and a moulded cornice. Above the cornice is a deep slab supported by small, free-standing Greek Doric columns, topped with a plain Doric frieze and a semi-circular arched superstructure with a stepped upper surface. At the very top sits an urn with a Greek key frieze and fluted basin. Large rectangular inscription panels are on the front faces of the memorial, facing east and west. Spandrel panels of the superstructure display Masonic emblems in relief.

The memorial is situated in a rural setting on the southern edge of the village, close to the main entrance of the graveyard and near the ruins of the old church’s south transept. The site lies within the area of a scheduled monument (ANT47:10). The structure, including its railings, is afforded group value status, and is currently used as a mausoleum.