DUP and Sinn Fein councillors join forces to approve republican memorial events in Belfast City Hall grounds

Sinn Fein and DUP councillors backed the proposal – which will allow wreaths to be laid by the group at recently-erected statues of Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney. Alliance, SDLP and Green councillors abstained.

The DUP say they are “seeking to ensure there is no attempt to limit access to the garden of remembrance which would be the plan of republicans”.

The republican organisation looks after the graves of IRA men and women, such as the Shankill bomber Thomas Begley and the Provisional IRA’s hunger strikers.

Minutes of the council meeting where the decision was made note that a councillor “sought clarification as to whether or not there was a council policy which covered such requests or if granting the approval would set a precedence [sic]. Without such information he felt that he would not be in a position to make a decision in the application”. The council’s deputy Chief Executive did not have that information but said she would bring a report back to the next meeting.

Despite that lack of clarity about potential consequences, Sinn Fein and DUP councillors granted permission. No councillors voted against the request, however other parties abstained.

Ron McDowell said the there will now be memorial events at the two recently-erected statues of Winifred Carney and Mary Ann McCracken on the anniversaries of their deaths, meaning two events per year.

The TUV Court councillor said the Belfast National Graves Association’s social media shows that they bring in wreath layers from groups such as “the Irish republican movement, the Irish Republican Ex-Prisoners Association”.

He added: “They look after the republican plot [at Milltown Cemetery] and, they say, look after the memory of the republicans within that plot. But one of the plots is for people who were killed or died from 1972 – which includes Thomas Begley, who is obviously the Shankill bomber… That’s the sort of organisation that you have invited in”.

However, DUP Group Leader on Belfast City Council Sarah Bunting said “There should be no commemorations within the grounds of Belfast City Hall for any form of terrorism nor indeed should such be held anywhere. We would vigorously oppose any proposal to commemorate terrorists.

“Whilst the TUV is attacking fellow unionists today, they sat silent in last night’s council meeting. Its clear the central purpose behind the TUV is to attack fellow unionists. Indeed, one of their representatives even said he would vote for the Alliance Party before voting DUP.

“Belfast City Hall is freely accessible for anyone who wants to lay a wreath at any of the memorials within the Grounds. If there is a review of wreath laying within the grounds, we will be seeking to ensure there is no attempt to limit access to the garden of remembrance which would be the plan of republicans.”

Ron McDowell said the decision poses questions for the council. “About a year ago the News Letter covered a story where the Birmingham pub bombings families came to Belfast and they were turned down for laying a wreath in Belfast City Hall grounds”, the TUV man said.

Mr McDowell said that the council cited time constraints and the fact there was a specific day for remembering the dead – but argues victims would be put off from that event by the attendance of perpetrators.

Drawing a comparison with Belfast City Council handing over Roselawn exclusively for the use of Bobby Storey’s family during Covid he asked: “What’s this going to look like? Is this going to be a similar sort of issue where the grounds of Belfast City Hall are given over to the Irish republican movement who traditionally honour the IRA?”

The TUV deputy leader said every step that republicans take in the direction of having memorials on public property “legitimises what happened”, adding: “It perverts the memory of what has happened as well. The younger generations coming up will just see these two sides. They’ll not see the difference between acts of absolute barbarism and acts of service”.