This section is devoted to the people of Irvine, some of them were born in the town, some lived here and some just visited for a short time. Some achieved great things, some are famous names and some accomplished tiny things which shaped the world we live in. For a small Scottish town on the Ayrshire coast the people associated with Irvine have made a massive impression and will never be forgotten.
- Agnes and Margaret Smith
- Agnes Miller Parker
- Alexander MacMillan
- Alfred Nobel
- Earl of Eglinton
- Eddi Reader
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Elspeth Buchan
- George Henry
- Graeme Obree
- Henry Eckford
- Ian Parker
- Jack MConnell
- James Montgomery
- James Ramsay
- James Steadman
- Jean Gardner
- John Ferguson
- John Galt
- John Macmillan Brown
- John Muir
- John Munn
- John Strang
- Keir Hardie
- Margaret McLean
- Mary, Queen of Scots
- Monro S Orr
- Nicola Sturgeon
- Richard Brown (captain)
- Robert Bruce Mantell
- Robert Burns
- Robert the Bruce
- Roddy Woomble
- Simon Neil
- William Wallace

ROBERT B MANTELL POSTER
This is the 2nd poster designed on this subject. Unlike the previous design, which was in the style of the era of this actor, the present design has been created in the 'house style' of the Time Town series. For more information on R B Mantell: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_B._Mantell
and:
www.imdb.com/name/nm0544071/bio

DAVID KEIR POSTER
Stained Glass Artist David Keir was born in Irvine in 1802 and died in Glasgow in 1864. He is one a very small of pioneers in this field; Scotland's churches had rejected the use of stained glass after the Reformation in 1560. It was only in the early decades of the 19th Century that the first modern era windows were approved and installed. Keir created a thriving practice in Glasgow and is principally remembered for his work in the installation of 26 windows at Glasgow Cathedral. The year following his death, his sons installed a commemorative window and plaque, which can now be viewed at the South Entrance to the Cathedral - this is a very rare honour to have been accorded to an artist/craftsman. You can find out more here:
www.theglasgowstory.com/image.php?inum=TGSE01067
His prodigious output included several windows in the Mure Church in Irvine ( the principal West Window of which is shown in the design of this poster, photographed by Donald Gibson). For more on this:
www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-35412-west-road-mure-...
He and his sons were partly responsible for training one of the mid to late Victorian Era's greatest stained glass and interior decoration artists, a Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood-inspired genius - Daniel Cottier
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Cottier

Andrew Allan Poster
This lithographic artist was born in Irvine's Halfway (now called Montgomery Street), famously also the thoroughfare on which another famous son, poet, journalist and social reformer, James Montgomery, also saw the first light of day. Allan trained at The Glasgow School of Art from 1882 until 1896. He is mainly remembered for his landscape studies, which work is highly regarded, The painting in the poster is called 'Thistledown' and is part of the Glasgow Museums Collection.

MONRO S ORR POSTER
Munro Scott Orr, born in Irvine's High Street in October of 1874, studied at The Glasgow School of Art between 1894 and 1900 (he would have witnessed the construction of the Mackintosh building and would have been among its first occupants). In the first half of the 20th Century, Orr produced a prodigious and varied range of book illustrations: from children's books, such as The Arabian Nights, Grim Fairy Tales and Treasure Islands; to the works of Robert Burns; and the works of Charlotte and Emily Bronte (Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, respectively).

MONTGOMERY POSTER
This poster promotes one of Irvine's most notable sons, James Montgomery. He became a poet (writing many lyrics for hymns), a journalist and newspaper proprietor and an active social reformer (twice jailed by the Government for promoting his views). He was so loved by the people of his adopted home of Sheffield that he was accorded the honour of a public funeral, a statue was erected of him , a fountain and a window in Sheffield Cathedral dedicated to his memory and several streets and public buildings in that city bear his name.
He is best known for writing the words to the hymn, 'Angels from the Realms of Glory' (and beautiful words they are too):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDWUY3Me1kA
You can read more about his remarkable life here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Montgomery_(editor)