The 100th Anniversary of laying the foundation stone for the Knockagh Monument – the landmark County Antrim War Memorial which sits high above Greenisland and Belfast Lough – was marked on Friday 7th October 2022 by UAH CEO, Dr Paul Harron, being invited by Mid & East Antrim Borough Council to give a lecture on its architect, Henry Seaver (1860-1941), at Carrick Town Hall. The illustrated lecture followed a reception at the Civic Centre and the opportunity to see a Knockagh 100th Anniversary Exhibition which is on display at the Carrickfergus Museum and which will be toured across County Antrim.
Dr Harron spoke about Henry Seaver’s interesting family background, his engaging life and his notable contribution to Ulster architecture across domestic, commercial, ecclesiastical and civic spheres. He highlighted, for example, Seaver’s designs for houses for wealthy professionals and businesspeople in the Malone area of Belfast; the former Belfast Telegraph and former Scottish Mutual buildings in Belfast and several banks across Ulster; St John’s Church, Malone and St Patrick’s Memorial Church at Saul, and of course the Knockagh Monument itself. Moreover, he described the poignancy of the Knockagh commission for the architect who tragically lost his son Charles in the fighting at the Somme in 1916.
The talk on Henry Seaver will be repeated due to demand in the Old Museum Building in 2023.
Images: John Lockett OBE, High Sheriff of County Antrim, Dr Paul Harron, Cllr. Bobby Hadden and Cllr. Robin Stewart.
