Younger Generation Recall The Somme

School children will join Chelsea Pensioners and other 'old soldiers' this Sunday to commemorate those from County Antrim and from across Ireland who fought in the bloody Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Councils from across the whole of the county will be represented at a ceremony revived by the locally based Whiteabbey Royal British Legion over a decade ago, when wreaths will be laid and the traditional two-minute silence observed.

John Dumigan, Secretary of the Whiteabbey Club welcomed the role played by the young people and said that as today's service personnel continued to sacrifice their lives on a near daily basis in Afghanistan, the youngsters "will add poignancy to the formal ceremonies by laying flowers at the memorial as their own contribution to remembrance".

Taking place at what is one of the most picturesque settings anywhere for a commemoration - high above Belfast Lough at the County Antrim War Memorial, Knockagh the children will also join in a solemn act of remembrance at 11am, when the salute will be taken by the Queen's official representative, Joan Christie, the Lord-Lieutenant of Co Antrim.

The event will be one of a series of such commemorations to recall the thousands of WWI Irish Soldiers from the 36th (Ulster) Division and comrades from the 16th (Irish) Division who died fighting between 1 July and 13 November 1916 in the fateful battle.

After a cross-county committee was formed to restore, maintain and continue commemorative use of the giant obelisk, civic representatives from councils across County Antrim, and also from Coleraine, will be present at the event.

It is now organised by Carrickfergus Borough Council's Alderman May Beattie, whose dedication to commemorating the Somme - both at home and on the original battlefield in France - is well known. She said that she was proud to play her part in the ceremony and welcomed ever growing attendance.

The local politician - who is also due to travel again to France for the services of remembrance on 1st July - said: "As well as the Lord-Lieutenant, it will be attended by various local councillor representatives, members from Whiteabbey Royal British Legion - which is also represented on the Knockagh Committee - and former soldiers from other conflicts such as ex-UDR members and three, uniformed Chelsea Pensioners, who are to be in NI as part of this year's Veteran's Week.

Welcoming the children's input she said that bringing the younger generation along helped nurture their understanding of their own past and Co Antrim's heritage: "Surviving soldiers from WWII are now entering old age - and sadly, the last WWI veteran died last year - so it is vital that the spirit of selflessness that the soldiers of the Somme typified is seen and recognised by the younger generation," she said.

"This will encourage the young people to recognise the importance of service and also see war itself as an abomination, that - as the adults of tomorrow - they can help 'make history'.

"Given the continued sacrifice of our young men in Afghanistan," she continued, this solemn occasion at the imposing hilltop memorial is an appropriate tribute to both today's heroes and to the 36th Ulster Division's 5,500 casualties on 1st July 1916 alone - with nearly 2,000 of those fatalities - on top of the many from the 16th (Irish) Division who died.

(BMcC/GK)