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All the United Kingdom Northern Ireland Larne Chaine Memorial Tower

Chaine Memorial Tower

This picturesque lighthouse at the edge of the Irish Sea looks like a giant stone pencil.

Larne, Northern Ireland

Added By
Nicholas Davis
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Front view.   larnerenovationgeneration / Atlas Obscura User
Front view.   larnerenovationgeneration / Atlas Obscura User
Looking toward Islandmagee.   larnerenovationgeneration / Atlas Obscura User
The eye hole.   larnerenovationgeneration / Atlas Obscura User
Low tide.   larnerenovationgeneration / Atlas Obscura User
Towering.   larnerenovationgeneration / Atlas Obscura User
Dawn Chaine Tower.   Wikimedia Commons
Chaine Memorial Tower   TownTactics / Atlas Obscura User
Chaine Memorial Tower looking up East Antrim Coast.   Geographbot
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About

Locals have cutely nicknamed this picturesque beacon “The Pencil.” It's easy to see why—with its long, cylindrical base and sharply pointed top, the tower does indeed resemble an enormous stone pencil ready to scribble in the sky.

The structure is both a working lighthouse and a memorial tower. Officially called the Chaine Memorial Tower, it honors James Chaine, a local businessman and politician who was key in developing the Port of Larne and the town itself.

Chaine was an elected representative as a Member of Parliament in 1874 for the constituency of Antrim, a position he held for 11 years until his death in 1885 at the age of only 44. Chaine is actually buried standing up in Larne Town Park, overlooking the sea and his memorial tower.

The tower is a replica of an Irish Round Tower and was built in 1888 thanks to generous public donations from people of every class. It stands nearly 90 feet tall and has a roughly 25-foot-wide base, making it a looming feature of the seaside landscape. The locally beloved piece of architecture continues to feature heavily in artists’ and photographers’ work to this very day.

Related Tags

Towers Memorials Lighthouses

Know Before You Go

Get the train to Larne Town or Harbor and walk up the Curran Road toward the town and then take the Tower Road. The tower is a great opportunity for dusk and dawn photographs, as well as winter photos.

Community Contributors

Added By

larnerenovationgeneration

Edited By

TownTactics

  • TownTactics

Published

June 11, 2018

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Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaine_Memorial
  • https://discovernorthernireland.com/Chaine-Memorial-Tower-Larne-P22238/
  • https://www.ireland.com/en-no/what-is-available/all/2-22238/
  • http://markhaggan.com/travel/chaine-memorial-tower/
Chaine Memorial Tower
28 Chaine Memorial Rd
Larne, Northern Ireland
United Kingdom
54.853806, -5.798889
Get Directions

Nearby Places

SS Clyde Valley Memorial

Larne, Northern Ireland

miles away

The Friends' Goodwill Memorial

Larne, Northern Ireland

miles away

James Chaine Burial Mound

Larne, Northern Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Larne

Larne

Northern Ireland

Places 22

Nearby Places

SS Clyde Valley Memorial

Larne, Northern Ireland

miles away

The Friends' Goodwill Memorial

Larne, Northern Ireland

miles away

James Chaine Burial Mound

Larne, Northern Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Larne

Larne

Northern Ireland

Places 22

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