Advice sought from Equality Commission over planned memorials

The Mid Ulster Council has sought advice from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland in relation to planning applications for two memorials for Magherafelt town centre, the County Derry Post can confirm.

Plans to build two separate memorials, one to commemorate World War I and World War II’s dead and one to commemorate the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising were submitted to the Mid Ulster Council early last year.

The applications, which are currently ‘under consideration’ by the council are both seeking to build the monuments at Broad Street, meaning, if passed, they would be just metres apart.

Plans for The War cenotaph, which was submitted on behalf of the Magherafelt Branch of The Royal British Legion, have been modelled on a similar monument in London. The five-metre-high memorial also includes a socket for a temporary flagpole.

Meanwhile, County Derry and Antrim Republican Graves Association are proposing to erect a life-sized granite statue of Easter Rising leader, Padraig Pearse reading from the proclamation.

In relation to the 1916 monument, the council has received some 480 public objections with one notice of support. Meanwhile, 178 public objections have been lodged against the War Memorial with three notices of support.

An Equality Commission spokesperson has confirmed that discussions on both memorials are ‘ongoing.’

A spokesperson confirmed: “The Mid Ulster Council officers had been in touch about the issue of siting memorials in Magherafelt. Discussions are ongoing.”