Knockagh Monument
The County Antrim War Memorial, more usually known as the Knockagh Monument stands on the edge of the escarpment of Knockagh Hill, a spur of the larger Carn Hill, above the village of Greenisland, which stands on the shore of Belfast Lough in County Antrim. It is a war memorial to those men of the county who served and died in the two World Wars. In its locatatio jat the top of the hill, it provides a broad view over the City of Belfast, the county's great metropolis and county town.
Features
- Location map: 54°42’40"N, 5°52’45"W
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The site is 1,230 feet above sea level[1] and is the largest war memorial in Northern Ireland.[1] The monument then stands 110 feet high, consisting of a basalt obelisk: it is is a replica of the Wellington Monument in Phoenix Park, Dublin, though exactly half the height.[1]
The Monument's inscription was adapted from the hymn O Valiant Hearts by John S. Arkwright. It reads:
YOUR MEMORY HALLOWED IN THE LAND YOU LOVED."
History
A committee was set up with Mr. Henry Barton, the High Sheriff of County Antrim, as secretary to raise £25,000 to erect an obelisk in local basalt, with bronze panels listing the names of all those from Co. Antrim who had died in the Great War.[2] The foundation stone was laid on 7 October 1922, but financial difficulties delayed work for a decade. Following Mr Barton's death in 1935, Antrim Rural District Council were asked to adopt the monument and oversee its completion.[3] It was eventually completed in 1936.
After the Second World War the memorial was dedicated to the fallen of both wars. It was refurbished in 1985 and again in 2006, taking three months to complete.[2] On 5 November 2006, the refurbished memorial was unveiled by the Lord Lieutenant of County Antrim, Lord O’Neill and rededicated by Rev. Canon E. J. Moore, T.D., M.A.
Outside links
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