Irish Brigade Postcard issued to one of the 300 nationalists who will be remembered in the event taking place at the Tower Museum, supplied courtesy of the Downey family.
A special event is to take place in Derry next week to mark the 100th anniversary of the enlistment of a band of local men from the nationalist community who were called to fight in the First World War on 5 December, 1914.
The event is being organised by Derry City Council and the Templemore Great War History Society and will take place in the Tower Museum at 1.30pm on Friday 5, December.
The men’s story will be told in four parts, charting the men’s enlistment, followed by the journey to Cork where the men trained, before being shipped off to France, and their return to a greatly changed post-war Derry.
St Columb’s Hall as it looked when the men enlisted
Two speakers will reflect on the experience of the First World War from the perspective of both the local unionist community and the nationalist community – Seamus Breslin, from the Templemore Great War History Society and Trevor Temple, who has worked on the fascinating Diamond War Memorial project.
Seamus Breslin explained a bit more about the significance of the role played by the 300 men.
“Templemore Great War History Society was formed in 1996 with the aim to encourage cross-cultural understanding by raising awareness of the largely unacknowledged role played by Derry Nationalists during the 1914-18 war.
“This involved researching the story of over 300 men associated with the Irish Nationalist Volunteers who enlisted en-masse in the Irish Brigade of the 16th Irish division. The date was December 5th 1914 when they gathered at St Columb’s Hall one hundred years ago. Their story has remained largely untold.”
Offering a parallel perspective, Trevor Temple will talk about the local unionist community and their experiences during World War I, with some fascinating insights into stories he has researched, particularly from his home area of the Fountain, and the attitude of Unionism over the years to commemoration.
Mayor of Derry, Councillor Brenda Stevenson, said the event was a fitting tribute to the sacrifice made by the men, which has gone unrecognised until now.
“I think that most people would not be aware of the contribution that local nationalists made to the war effort during the First World War.
These men were prepared to sacrifice both home and family to set off for France and lay down their lives for their fellow man.
“This event will delve further into their individual stories, the reality of war and the changing political situation at home. I would encourage everyone to come along and pay tribute to this forgotten group of men, whose contribution to the war effort has sadly gone unrecognised until now.”
Following the event in the Tower Museum those attending will have the opportunity to walk to the War Memorial at 3.00pm where they can lay a wreath in memory of the men, marking the day of their enlistment.
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