Magheramorne

Last updated

Magheramorne Presbyterian Church Magheramorne Presbyterian church - geograph.org.uk - 176720.jpg
Magheramorne Presbyterian Church

Magheramorne (from Irish Machaire Morna - meaning 'Plain of Morna') [1] is a hamlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is about 5 miles south of Larne on the shores of Larne Lough. It had a population of 75 people in the 2001 census. [2] Following the reform of Northern Ireland's local government system on 1 April 2015, Magheramorne lies within the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area.

Contents

Industry

Nearby is an old limestone quarry owned by Lafarge (formerly known as Blue Circle). Extraction of limestone from the quarry, for use in the Magheramorne cement plant, ceased in 1980. [3] The high point for limestone extraction at Magheramorne was in the 19th and 20th centuries. In the 19th century, a mission church for labourers at the limeworks was established and became a Presbyterian church.

In September 2009, Lafarge obtained outline planning permission for redevelopment of the quarry and cement works, including a new eco-friendly village and a cycling centre mainly in the quarry. [3]

A regeneration plan was proposed to transform the quarry into a nature conservation, leisure and housing area. If the plans go ahead, the 75 hectare quarry would be home to a World Cycling Centre and the All-Ireland Scuba Diving Centre. [4] [ needs update ]

The area of Larne Lough, that was used to ship cement out of Magheramorne, is now used as an anchorage for the Blue Circle Boat Club which has a social club in the grounds.[ citation needed ] The factory area is now desolate and crumbling and private property with no public access.[ citation needed ]

Game of Thrones

The abandoned Magheramorne quarry area was used as a filming location for the HBO TV series Game of Thrones . Castle Black, Hardhome and The Wall were filmed there, and battlements were built there to serve as King's Landing's defences during the Battle of Blackwater Bay; [5] scenes shot atop the wall were filmed inside the Paint Hall Studios in Belfast.

The composite set (with both exteriors and interiors) consisted of a large section of Castle Black including the courtyard, the ravenry, the mess hall and the barracks, and used the stone wall of the quarry as the basis for the ice wall that protects Westeros. A functional elevator was built to lift the rangers to the top of The Wall. A castle with real rooms and a working elevator were built near a cliff 400 feet (120 m) high, CGI fills in the rest to make the wall appear 700 feet (210 m) high. [6]

The area around the elevator was painted white to make it look like ice. George R. R. Martin said: "It's a pretty spectacular, yet miserable location. It is wet and rainy, and the mud is thick. I visited there; it really gets the actors in the mood of being at the end of the world in all of this cold and damp and chill". [7]

Transport

Magheramorne railway station was opened on 1 October 1862.[ citation needed ]

Culture

Magheramorne Silver Band with BBC's Ralph McLean MSB BBC 2012 Recording.jpg
Magheramorne Silver Band with BBC's Ralph McLean

The area is home to the Magheramorne Silver Band, established in 1882 by a local Orange Lodge.[ citation needed ] Other local organisations include the Magheramorne Presbyterian Church and its associated groups for women and children. Several Loyal Orders are based in Magheramorne also.[ citation needed ]

Sport

The local association football (soccer) club, Newington Rangers F.C., plays in the Northern Amateur Football League.[ citation needed ]

People

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Antrim</span> Historic Northern Ireland county

County Antrim is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, located within the historic province of Ulster. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 3,086 square kilometres (1,192 sq mi) and has a population of 651,321, as of the 2021 census. County Antrim has a population density of 211 people per square kilometre or 546 people per square mile. It is also one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Down</span> County in Northern Ireland

County Down is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of 961 sq mi (2,490 km2) and has a population of 552,261. It borders County Antrim to the north, the Irish Sea to the east, County Armagh to the west, and County Louth across Carlingford Lough to the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larne</span> Town (and civil parish) in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Larne is a town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, with a population of 18,853 at the 2021 census. It is a major passenger and freight roll-on roll-off port. Larne is administered by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Together with parts of the neighbouring districts of Antrim and Newtownabbey and Causeway Coast and Glens, it forms the East Antrim constituency for elections to the Westminster Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly. The civil parish is in the historic barony of Glenarm Upper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larne Borough Council</span> Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Larne Borough Council was a Local Council in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. It merged with Ballymena Borough Council and Carrickfergus Borough Council in May 2015 under the reorganisation of local government in Northern Ireland to become Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larne Lough</span> Inlet on the coast of Northern Ireland

Larne Lough, historically Lough Larne, is a sea loch or inlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies between the Islandmagee peninsula and the mainland. At its mouth is the town of Larne. It is designated as an area of special scientific interest, a special protection area, and a Ramsar site to protect the wetland environment, particularly due to the presence of certain bird species and shellfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenisland</span> Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Greenisland is a town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 7 miles north-east of Belfast and 3 miles south-west of Carrickfergus. The town is on the coast of Belfast Lough and is named after a tiny islet to the west, the Green Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehead, County Antrim</span> Human settlement in Northern Ireland

Whitehead is a large seaside village on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, lying almost midway between the towns of Carrickfergus and Larne. It lies within the civil parish of Templecorran, the historic barony of Belfast Lower, and is part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. Before the Plantation of Ulster its name was recorded as both Whitehead and Kinbaine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Lough</span> Large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland

Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to the Irish Sea.

Carincastle or Cairncastle is a small village and civil parish in County Antrim, Northern Ireland near the town of Larne and inland from the village of Ballygally. It had a population of 66 people in the 2001 Census. It is part of the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glenarm</span> Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Glenarm is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It is situated in the civil parish of Tickmacrevan and the historic barony of Glenarm Lower. It is part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and had a population of 568 people in the 2011 Census. Glenarm takes its name from the glen in which it lies, the southernmost of the nine Glens of Antrim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A2 road (Northern Ireland)</span>

The A2 is a major road in Northern Ireland, a considerable length of which is often referred to the Antrim Coast Road because much of it follows the scenic coastline of County Antrim; other parts of the road follow the coasts in Counties Down and Londonderry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glynn, County Antrim</span> Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Glynn is a small village and civil parish in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies a short distance south of Larne, on the shore of Larne Lough. As of the 2011 census, the Glynn ward had a population of 2,027 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cavehill</span> Hill overlooking the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland

Cave Hill or Cavehill is a rocky hill overlooking the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland,with a height of 368 metres (1,207 ft). It is marked by basalt cliffs and caves, and its distinguishing feature is 'Napoleon's Nose', a tall cliff resembling the profile of the emperor Napoleon. On top of this are the remains of an ancient promontory fort called McArt's Fort. Cavehill was also historically called 'Ben Madigan', after a king of Ulster called Madagán.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Ward</span> Country house in Northern Ireland

Castle Ward is an 18th-century National Trust property located near the village of Strangford, in County Down, Northern Ireland, in the townland of the same name. It overlooks Strangford Lough and is 7 miles from Downpatrick and 1.5 miles from Strangford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast–Larne line</span> Railway line along Antrim coast, Northern Ireland

The Belfast–Larne line, or Larne line, is a railway line in Northern Ireland, operated by Northern Ireland Railways. It runs as double track along the majority of its route north along the scenic east Antrim coastline from Belfast to the coastal seaport town of Larne, serving commuters and ferry passengers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shane's Castle</span> Castle in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which was mostly destroyed in 1816 by fire. The castle is situated on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh, 2.7 miles from Randalstown. Built in 1345 by a member of the Clandeboy O'Neill dynasty, it was originally known as Edenduffcarrick, meaning "brow of black rock". It owes its present name to Shane McBrian McPhelim O'Neill, who ruled Lower Clandeboy between 1595 and 1617.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Lower</span> Place in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Belfast Lower is a barony in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. To its east lies the east-Antrim coast and Belfast Lough, and it is bordered by four other baronies: Belfast Upper to the south, Carrickfergus to the east, Antrim Upper to the west; Glenarm Upper to the north. The Forth and Milewater rivers both flow through Belfast Lower, with Larne harbour also situated in the barony.

John Irving was an Irish landowner, industrialist and MP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilwaughter</span> Village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Kilwaughter is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, near the town of Larne. It is in an electoral ward situated within the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area. Kilwaughter is a rural village or Hamlet.

References

  1. Placenames Database of Ireland
  2. NI Neighbourhood Information Service [ not specific enough to verify ]
  3. 1 2 "Local MP Visits Magheramorne Quarry". Magheramore: Reinvented. Larfarge Tarmac. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  4. Magheramorne reinvented by Lafarge Archived 2016-06-28 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Game of Thrones Season 5: A Day in the Life. HBO. 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2017 via YouTube.
  6. "Game of Thrones: 10 decrets about HBO's adaption". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  7. "Travels to season 2 and beyond with Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin". Fodor's. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  8. Sandford, Ernest (1976). Discover Northern Ireland. Belfast: Northern Ireland Tourist Board. p. 53. ISBN   0-9500222-7-6.
  9. Gemmill, J. A. (1883). The Canadian Parliamentary Companion (PDF). Ottawa: J. Durie & Son. p. 67. Retrieved 23 May 2021.

54°49′N5°46′W / 54.817°N 5.767°W / 54.817; -5.767