Nationalist anger over demolition of 1916 memorial by council

NATIONALISTS angry over the destruction of a 1916 memorial in Carnlough, north Antrim, are accusing Mid and East Antrim Council of sectarian bias as monuments and murals to modern-day unionist death squads are left untouched by the authorities.

● Sinn Féin MLA Oliver McMullan and Martina Anderson MEP with the memorial before it was destroyed on orders of the local council

The 1916 monument, unveiled in March as part of the area’s centenary celebrations, was destroyed in the early hours of Friday morning when a contractor employed by the council moved in (reportedly with a PSNI police escort) and removed the monument.

Sinn Féin MLA Oliver McMullan accused the council of “ a shameful and disrespectful and one-sided act”.

There are loyalist memorials all through the council area and none of them have been removed, the Assembly member pointed out.

The row over symbols and equality of esteem has erupted the day after it emerged that loyalists in the north Antrim village of Dervock have again erected loyalist flags beside the village’s Our Mary & St John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

The church was the centre of controversy in 2014 because loyalists, in an attempt to intimidate church-goers, placed a loyalist flag in the chapel grounds and painted the gates red, white and blue.

Speaking to An Phoblacht, Carnlough-based Sinn Féin Councillor James McKeown said:

“Unionists preach equality but it means very little to them.

“Ratepayers have paid thousands of pounds in our council area to commemorate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, British Armed Forces Day, the Battle of the Somme, Eleventh Night July bonfires and a, Ulster Defence Regiment memorial yet very little of this money is directed towards nationalist and republican projects.”

In 2012, Larne Borough Council (before it merged to become Mid and East Antrim Council) erected a £13,000 crown without planning permission as a tribute to the British queen. The  controversial monument was erected using ratepayers’ money and was given retrospective planning permission.

Nationalists have replaced the memorial with the National Flag until the memorial is replaced.