Larne Renovation Generation continuing mission to nurture civic pride

Larne Renovation Generation are a group of volunteers who are passionate about the town and the surrounding area. 

Starting out as a Facebook group in 2015, the LRG committee is made up of mother-and daughter duo, Lynda Hill and Tricia Robinson, alongside Andrew King and Angeline Kelly, who are siblings. 

The group met every fortnight for the first four years, but during lockdown, switched to virtual meetings.  

“Initially we met in local cafes, but we also worked around childcare commitments by meeting in each other’s houses,” said LRG committee member Angeline.  “Our families, especially children and grandchildren get involved in all sorts with us, from litter picks to planting for Ulster in Bloom and cleaning alleyways. 

“We also have around five regular volunteers who dedicate their time to helping us on specific projects.”

Public artworks

Since its inception, the group has spearheaded a large number of projects in Larne and the surrounding area - in particular, a range of public outdoor artworks.

The first of these during the pandemic was the ‘selfie’ frame, made by local resident Leslie King.

Inviting visitors to take a snap of themselves and share on social media with the hashtag #welovelarne, the piece is located at the promenade next to Larne Leisure Centre.

Meanwhile, a sculpture of a jaunting car was installed in recognition of the early pioneers of Antrim coast tourism.

Located at the junction of Pound Street and The Roddens, close to Larne Museum and Arts Centre and Larne Town Hall, the £80,000 project was proposed by LRG and commissioned by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and the Department for Communities.

Created by sculptor Kevin Killen after consultation with residents of the east Antrim town, the life-size jaunting car pays tribute to figures such as Larne hotelier Henry McNeill, who brought tourists over from Scotland in the late 1800s.

Further town centre regeneration efforts included a project to transform the Town Hall steps with the addition of colourful mosaic tiles.

A collaboration with the council and the local Traders’ Forum, the artwork saw east Antrim artist Janet Crymble painstakingly craft the mosaic by individually cutting, cementing and grouting tiles onto the steps over the course of a week.

Murals pay tribute to key figures

Over the past number of years, Larne Renovation Generation has also been behind several local murals paying tribute to key figures in the town’s history.

Actor, film-maker, musician and writer Richard Hayward is the subject of a large-scale artwork on Main Street, unveiled in 2018.

In addition to his travel writing, which opened up Ireland to the wider world, Hayward also filmed The Luck of the Irish in Glynn, and The Early Bird in Glenarm and Carnlough.

In 2019, the group added actress Valerie Hobson, who was born in Larne in 1917, to the ongoing outdoor gallery.

A mural of the Hollywood star, created by students from Larne Grammar School alongside artist Dean Kane from Visual Waste, can be seen at Point Street. 

The tradition of Irish festival dancing was in focus for a mural added to the town centre last year.

Featuring a young Irish festival dancer with a background of one of Larne’s best known landmarks, the Chaine Memorial Tower, it is located on the gable wall of the Silver Lounge café on Main Street.

More recently, the group has erected boards highlighting tales from Larne’s rich history along Main Street, including a ‘Larne map’ by local artist Jennifer Cooke and another telling the story of Ballygally woman Jane Park.

A board next to Thompson’s Lighting on Upper Main Street celebrates the fact that Larne was the first town in Ulster and Northern Ireland to get electrical street lighting. 

Other projects led by the group include a pop-up shop in collaboration with Larne Through a Lens, as well as a Halloween treasure hunt and family fun day.