Historic Buildings Record · Northern Ireland
Bangor War Memorial
Corporation, Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland
The record
- Designation
- Listed building, Grade B+
- Grade
- B+
- Type
- Memorial
- Date of listing
- 8 July 1992
- Date of construction
- 1920 - 1939
- Address
- Bangor War Memorial, Ward Park, Bangor, Co Down
- Townland
- Corporation
- Council
- Ards and North Down
- Country
- Northern Ireland
- Coordinates
- 54.65995, -5.66204
- Date of survey
- 10 August 2010
- HB reference
- HB23/05/005
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesNational Library of Scotland
Shown on 4 historical map sheets, the earliest the 1900 "Ireland" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
The Department's description
Exterior description and setting
A Portland stone war memorial commemorating the Great War dating from 1927. Located in an elevation position in Ward Park. With life-size bronze female figure, white stone obelisk and bronze memorial plaque by Thomas Eyre Macklin.
The memorial depicts Erin at the foot of the obelisk holding a palm frond symbolising victory. Bronze lion cast in relief on north. Various plaques to all sides commemorating those lost in World War I. Applied lettering on north reads “DIED IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY”. On the south side is bronze shield surmounted by laurel and oak leaves with plaque beneath reading: “THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918 TO THE MEMORY OF OUR FALLEN SONS”. Plaque to east reads “DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI”.
Setting
The memorial is set on an elevated site on a masonry plinth accessed by steps to north and south.
Material: Portland stone and bronze
Historical information
The memorial, of Portland stone, cost £6,000 and was unveiled in 1927. A bronze figure representing Erin holds a palm frond symbolising victory. A lion, also symbolising victory, appears near the top of the obelisk. (www.ulsterwarmemorials.net)
The ‘War M[emoria]l’ is shown, captioned on the fifth edition of the OS map (1939), next to the ‘War Trophy’ which is a gun taken from a German submarine. (www.ulsterwarmemorials.net)
The sculptor was Thomas Eyre Macklin, who was the sculptor of a memorial to soldiers fallen in the Boer War situated in the Haymarket area of Newcastle, Co. Down. It was originally proposed to place a winged ‘Victory’ atop the obelisk in Bangor, in similar fashion to the Newcastle memorial. (Patton, p.96)
References:
Primary Sources
1. PRONI OS/6/3/2/5 – Fifth Edition OS Map 1939
Secondary Sources
1. Patton, M, “Bangor, An Historical Gazetteer” Belfast: Ulster Architectural Heritage Society, 1999
2. www.ulsterwarmemorials.net
Criteria for listing: architectural interest
A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
H-. Alterations detracting from building
J. Setting
Criteria for listing: historic interest
W. Northern Ireland/International Interest
Evaluation
A Portland stone and bronze war memorial by sculptor Thomas Eyre Macklin, commemorating the Great War and dating from 1927. The memorial is an original composition with sculpture of high artistic and craft value. It is unusual in the catalogue of War Memorials due to its size and ornamentation. Although its setting has been compromised by modern landscaping, it remains a notable structure of great presence.
Nearby in the register
- Gun TrophyNo type recordedunder 1 mi
- Hamilton House Community CentreGallery/ Museumunder 1 mi
- Bangor Carnegie LibraryLibraryunder 1 mi
- 82 Hamilton RoadHouse - Terraceunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.