PICTURES | Longford commemoration marks centenary of the end of the Civil War

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The centenary of the end of the Civil War was commemorated with a ceremony in the Remembrance Garden, Great Water Street, Longford, on Wednesday, June 14.

Addressing the gathering, Cllr Turlough McGovern, Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, particularly welcomed relatives of local people who died in the war. He spoke of the tragedy of the conflict and of the spirit of reconciliation that has developed in recent years. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO

Rev Simon Scott, Minister-in-Charge of the Longford group of parishes in the Church of Ireland and Sr Maeve Brady RSM led a prayer service. Sr Maeve read the names of those who died in action in Longford and the Longford people who were killed elsewhere in Ireland.

The ceremony highlighted schools’ projects that were completed during the spring as part of the Decade of Centenaries Programme. Senior pupils in the primary schools of the county were asked to take part in a competition to design a postage stamp on the themes of peace and reconciliation. The winner was Harry Hynes, a Sixth-Class pupil in Scoil Bhríde, Killasonna.

Transition Year students were invited to do projects on the ‘The Changing Life of a Teenager since Independence’. There were submissions from five schools: Ardscoil Phádraig, Granard, Meán Scoil Mhuire, Longford, Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon, Moyne Community School and St Mel’s College.

Chris Thompson facilitated the project and provided detailed resources for the teachers. The winners were Eva Kelly and Sinead Healy from the Mercy Secondary School, Ballymahon. Their project looked both at changes in fashion and changes in Ballymahon in the last century. Both girls briefly spoke about their work.

Speaking on behalf of the County Longford Decade of Centenaries Programme, Martin Morris thanked the teachers and students who took part in the competitions and Fr Tom Murray and Kitty Hughes, who adjudicated in both.

Leah Simpson, a student in Cnoc Mhuire in Granard, read a poem entitled ‘I am the National Flag’. It was composed by Leah, Sophie Devine and Levke Schwarz, under the guidance of Sr Maeve Brady, a member of the Decade of Centenaries Working Group.

The Cathaoirleach, Cllr McGovern, then planted an Irish oak sapling, kindly sponsored by Laura Shaw of Longford Garden Centre. Each of the councillors who were present planted a small pot of flowers around the tree.

The event concluded with a ceremonial led by the Peter Keenan Branch of the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women. Abbeylara’s Ella Mulligan sang the national anthem as the tricolour was raised.