War memorial upgrade planned in Ballynahinch

War memorial upgrade planned in Ballynahinch

29 May 2013

A PUBLIC meeting is being held in Ballynahinch tomorrow night to discuss restoring the town’s war memorial.

Erected in 1934, the cenotaph is in need of repair and the committee behind the restoration proposal is encouraging local people to attend tomorrow’s meeting in the town’s Market House at 7.30pm.

An update on the restoration plans will be outlined and committee members hope to enlist the support of the wider community to help restore the cenotaph at the top of High Street.

Invitations to attend the meeting have been sent to local schools, churches, youth groups, and community organisations.

The existing memorial — erected in 1934 — was paid for by personal subions within local church congregations. Money was also collected door-to-door through each street in the town.

A spokesman for the restoration committee said its aims are twofold. It wants to restore the memorial and restore ownership of the structure to the people of Ballynahinch and District.

Fundraising for the original memorial began in 1932 at a meeting in the Market House on May 24, with Lady Muriel Clanwilliam in the chair.

Among those who spoke at the event were the Rev. Tom McCreight (Magheradroll Parish Church), the Rev Tom Warwick (Congregational), the Rev. Nobel Huston (First Presbyterian) and Captain D. J. Bell (Postmaster and WW1 veteran).

The meeting was also addressed by local JP Mr. M. Murray and one of the Ballynahinch’s first GPs, Dr. Hamilton.

In that era it was not easy to collect money for good causes. The Wall Street crash had occurred in October 1929, and by 1932, the full effects of the Great Depression were being felt in Ireland and worldwide.

Money came in more slowly than the Ballynahinch committee had hoped. By 1933 the Rev. Warwick ruefully observed that “this effort has suffered through the fact that we are now passing through a time of industrial depression and financial stress, when there is a disposition to ignore sentiment in the face of stern realities.”

However, they persevered and by 1934 enough money had been raised. It’s clear from historical records that the fundraising initiative received solid cross-community support. Members of all church congregations in Ballynahinch had suffered death and disablement in the Great War, Protestant, Catholic and Dissenter. And all denominations contributed generously.

The completed memorial was unveiled on Sunday, November 11, 1934, by Major-General E. S. Girdwood. Ex-servicemen, Scouts, Guides, Cubs and Brownies paraded, and the band of the 2nd Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment played music for the hymns.

Eighty years later, at a time of more industrial depression and financial stress, organisers of tomorrow night’s meeting hope the people of Ballynahinch and District will rise to the occasion once again to ensure the town’s war memorial is restored to a fitting condition.